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HB 302UTAHSession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Utah Restricts Government Flag Displays and Empowers State Auditor to Fine Non-Compliant Entities

Original title: Government Speech Neutrality Amendments

Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsors: Matt MacPherson and 1 other

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Utah HB 302 restricts state and local government entities, including public schools, from displaying unapproved flags on government property. Under the measure taking effect May 6, 2026, cities and counties may adopt only one official flag and are limited to specific approved flags at courthouses, airports, and transit facilities, while the state auditor may impose daily fines of $500 for uncorrected violations.

Why it matters

Establishes a centralized state restriction on what flags local governments and public schools can fly, imposing a $500 daily financial penalty on non-compliant entities and requiring local bodies to streamline their official flag selection.

Background
  • State legislatures frequently introduce bills to standardize the types of flags that may be flown on public property and government buildings. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Local government entities

Must limit themselves to one official flag, restrict flag displays at specific facilities like courthouses and airports, and face potential daily fines for non-compliance.

Directly affected

School districts and public schools

Employees are prohibited from displaying unauthorized flags on school property, while the attorney general is required to defend and indemnify individuals enforcing the rules.

Directly affected

State Auditor

Tasked with establishing an investigative process for alleged violations, issuing notices, and collecting daily fines.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of flags are exempt from the display ban?
s include the official U.S. flag, official Utah state flags, official flags of other countries or states, local government flags, U.S. military flags, the POW/MIA flag, Indian tribe flags, licensed college flags, historic versions of flags, public school flags, and official Olympic or Paralympic flags.
What happens if a local government refuses to remove an unauthorized flag?
The state auditor provides notice of a substantiated violation allowing up to 30 calendar days to cure the issue. If the entity fails to cure, a fine of $500 per violation per day is imposed and deposited into the General Fund.
Are local governments restricted on what flags they can display at public airports?
Yes. Cities, municipalities, counties, and s may display only specific s at courthouses, public airports, and transit facilities.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in the Senate.

Procedural history

28 actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ filed
  2. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  3. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  4. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ strike enacting clause
  5. Feb 23, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  6. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
Show 22 earlier actions
  1. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  2. Feb 23, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  3. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  4. Feb 17, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  5. Feb 17, 2026House
    House/ comm rpt/ substituted/ amended
  6. Feb 13, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  7. Feb 13, 2026House
    House Comm - Amendment Recommendation
  8. Feb 13, 2026House
    House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  9. Feb 9, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  10. Jan 29, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0302S01
  11. Jan 29, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0302S01
  12. Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0302S01
  13. Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0302S01
  14. Jan 23, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  15. Jan 23, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0302
  16. Jan 23, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0302
  17. Jan 21, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  18. Jan 21, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  19. Jan 21, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0302
  20. Jan 21, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0302
  21. Jan 21, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  22. Jan 21, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Bill Numbered but not Distributed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Matt MacPhersonHouse · District 26RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Heidi BalderreeSenate · District 22RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Centralized Oversight of Local Government Display

The bill shifts enforcement authority to the state auditor to penalize local governments and school districts that fail to comply with uniform flag display standards.

State AuditorRules Review and General Oversight Committee

Connected Entities

State Auditor, Rules Review and General Oversight Committee, Attorney General and 3 more
OrganizationState Auditor“State official tasked with establishing a process to investigate violations and ”Map →
OrganizationRules Review and General Oversight Committee“Committee authorized to review official and other flags adopted by local governm”Map →
OrganizationAttorney General“State official tasked with defending persons acting under color of state law to ”Map →
PersonHeidi Balderree“Senate Sponsor”Map →
PersonMatt MacPherson“Chief Sponsor in the House”Map →
OrganizationState Risk Management Fund“Fund providing coverage agreements for claims or damages”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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