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HB 522UTAHSession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Utah Bill HB 522 Updates Child Support Obligations and Presumed Parentage Rules

Original title: Parentage and Child Support Amendments

Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsor: Christine Watkins

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

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What This Bill Proposed

Utah HB 522 modifies child support requirements for children placed in or with relatives and establishes updated standards for raising and rebutting presumed parentage during divorce or child support proceedings.

Why it matters

Parents or guardians involved in juvenile court or child welfare cases face updated criteria regarding when child support accrues, when obligations are waived for low-income individuals, and how parentage can be contested.

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

parents

Parents subject to juvenile court or child support proceedings face revised rules regarding child support accrual, low-income waivers, and parentage challenges.

Directly affected

guardians

Guardians involved in custody and child support arrangements are subject to updated statutory notification and payment requirements.

Directly affected

Office of Recovery Services

The office is tasked with establishing, collecting, and automatically waiving child support obligations based on income criteria and relative placements.

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

When does child support liability begin for a child placed in state custody?
Liability generally begins on day 61 after the initial hearing if no existing child support order exists, or on the date the child is removed if the child had previously been returned home from .
Are low-income parents exempt from paying child support under this bill?
Yes, the Office of Recovery Services must waive the child support obligation without a court order if the individual's obligation is set under a low-income table or if their only income is from assistance such as cash assistance, General Assistance, SSI, or SSDI.
Who can raise the issue of a child's parentage during a marriage?
The , the birth mother, or a child support services agency can raise the issue before filing for divorce or in the pleadings at the time of the divorce.

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 · on the House floor.

Procedural history

18 actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ filed
  2. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ strike enacting clause
  3. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ filed
  4. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ failed
  5. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  6. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
Show 12 earlier actions
  1. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ committee report favorable
  2. Feb 23, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  3. Feb 17, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  4. Feb 12, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  5. Feb 11, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0522
  6. Feb 11, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0522
  7. Feb 9, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  8. Feb 9, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  9. Feb 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0522
  10. Feb 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0522
  11. Feb 9, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  12. Feb 9, 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

Christine WatkinsHouse · District 67RepublicanPrimary sponsor

Connected Entities

Office of Recovery Services, Christine F. Watkins, Division of Child and Family Services
OrganizationOffice of Recovery Services“State office involved in child support establishment and collection”Map →
PersonChristine F. Watkins“Chief Sponsor of HB 522”Map →
OrganizationDivision of Child and Family Services“State agency handling child placements and custody”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
  • Controversy25
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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