The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Utah raises dog-bite arbitration award limit to $75,000 and exempts livestock guardian dog owners from liability
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsor: Jason Thompson
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
This bill addresses provisions related to injuries from dog attacks.
Dog attack victims gain a higher claims cap in while livestock owners receive specific liability protections when working dogs provoke incidents on grazing land.
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.
Dog attack claimants
Claimants face a higher recovery cap of $75,000 in arbitration and gain a clarified four-year timeline to file lawsuits.
Livestock owners
Owners of livestock guardian dogs receive protection from liability when their dogs are provoked while herding or guarding on grazing land.
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
Are livestock guardian dog owners liable if their dog injures someone while working?
How long does an injured person have to file a claim after a dog attack?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · on the House floor.
Procedural history
21 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ strike enacting clause
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ failed
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ uncircled
Show 15 earlier actions
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ circled
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 23, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 23, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Feb 23, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 20, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 13, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Feb 13, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0553
- Feb 13, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0553
- Feb 12, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 12, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Feb 12, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0553
- Feb 12, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0553
- Feb 12, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 12, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill 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
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools