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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Bill Establishes Civil Liability and Lawsuits for Victims of Obscenity, Child Sexual Abuse Material, and Child Sex Dolls
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsors: Nicholeen Peck and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill amends provisions relating to liability for obscenity, a child sex doll, or child sexual abuse material.
Residents gain the legal right to seek actual, nominal, and , , and attorney fees through civil lawsuits regardless of whether the offending conduct results in a criminal conviction.
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.
Utah residents and depicted individuals
Individuals gain the legal right to file civil lawsuits and seek damages against persons who publish or distribute non-consensual obscenity, child sexual abuse material, or child sex dolls depicting them.
Internet service providers, cloud service providers, and search engines
These entities are explicitly exempted from civil liability under the new provisions provided they did not create the hosted or transmitted content.
Law enforcement, court personnel, and state agency workers
These workers are granted protection from criminal and civil liability when required to view child sexual abuse material in good faith performance of their official duties.
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
Can I sue someone if they haven't been convicted of a crime?
Are internet providers responsible if someone posts illegal material on their network?
What types of relief can a court award in a successful lawsuit?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · on the Senate floor.
Procedural history
44 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ strike enacting clause
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
Show 38 earlier actions
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Mar 2, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 27, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 27, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 27, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ placed back on 3rd Reading Calendar
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted/ Consent Calendar
- Feb 24, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Consent Calendar Recommendation
- Feb 24, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 24, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 23, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0149S03
- Feb 23, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0149S03
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Not Considered
- Feb 19, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0149S03
- Feb 19, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0149S03
- Feb 6, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 6, 2026House Rules CommitteeBill Substituted by Sponsor in House Rules Comm
- Feb 4, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0149S02
- Feb 4, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0149S02
- Feb 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0149S02
- Feb 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0149S02
- Jan 27, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0149S01
- Jan 27, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0149S01
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0149S01
- Jan 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0149S01
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 16, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0149
- Jan 16, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0149
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 6, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0149
- Jan 6, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0149
- Jan 6, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 6, 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Civil Redress for Digital Exploitation
The legislation bridges criminal standards into civil court by establishing a direct private right of action for victims of online obscenity and child sexual abuse material independent of criminal convictions.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz45Current news / social attention level
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