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HB 529UTAHSession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Utah Bill Establishes Elected Secretary of State and Transfers Duties From Lieutenant Governor

Original title: Secretary of State Amendments

Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsors: Lisa Shepherd and 1 other

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

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What This Bill Proposed

Official description

This bill provides for the election of a secretary of state in the 2028 regular general election and transfers most of the duties,currently assigned by statute to the lieutenant governor to the secretary of state.

Background
  • In Utah, the office of secretary of state was historically combined with or absorbed into the duties of the lieutenant governor, and this legislation seeks to re-establish a standalone elected office. 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

Utah voters

Directly affected

Lieutenant Governor

Directly affected

Political parties and candidates

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 duties are being moved from the lieutenant governor?
Duties being transferred include election oversight, redistricting duties, municipal administration, custody of the , and the regulation of lobbyists and notaries public.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

27 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. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Senate/ comm rpt/ sent to Rules
  6. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Recommends Returned to Rules
Show 21 earlier actions
  1. Mar 2, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Tabled
  2. Feb 27, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  3. Feb 27, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  4. Feb 27, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  5. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  6. Feb 26, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  7. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  8. Feb 24, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  9. Feb 24, 2026House
    House/ comm rpt/ amended
  10. Feb 24, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  11. Feb 24, 2026House
    House Comm - Amendment Recommendation
  12. Feb 19, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  13. Feb 13, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  14. Feb 12, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0529
  15. Feb 12, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0529
  16. Feb 10, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  17. Feb 10, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  18. Feb 10, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0529
  19. Feb 10, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0529
  20. Feb 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  21. Feb 10, 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

Lisa ShepherdHouse · District 61RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Brady BrammerSenate · District 21RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift95% confidence

Restructuring of Executive Branch Offices

The legislation revives an independent elected secretary of state position in Utah by transferring duties traditionally handled by the lieutenant governor.

Office of the Lieutenant GovernorOffice of the Secretary of State

Connected Entities

State Tax Commission, Utah Geospatial Resource Center, Lisa Shepherd and 5 more
OrganizationState Tax Commission“Receives copies of local entity boundary actions”Map →
OrganizationUtah Geospatial Resource Center“Consulted for resolving district boundaries”Map →
PersonLisa Shepherd“Chief Sponsor of HB 529 in the House”Map →
OrganizationOffice of the Secretary of State“Newly established or empowered office taking over transferred duties”Map →
OrganizationOffice of the Lieutenant Governor“Currently holds duties transferred by the bill”Map →
OrganizationDivision of Archives and Records Service“Receives registry notices and records”Map →
PersonBrady Brammer“Senate Sponsor of HB 529”Map →
OrganizationUtah State Bar“Mentioned in relation to legal standing requirements”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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