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HB 186UTAHSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Utah requires prosecutors and courts to file complaints with Judicial Conduct Commission and protects commission records

Original title: Judicial Conduct Commission Amendments

Last action · March 23, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Jordan Teuscher and 1 other

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

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What This Bill Does

Utah enacts new requirements obligating prosecutors and the Administrative Office of the Courts to file complaints with the Judicial Conduct Commission under specific circumstances, classifies commission investigation records as protected, and mandates annual legislative reporting. The law takes effect on May 6, 2026.

Why it matters

Establishes mandatory cross-reporting between the court administration, prosecutors, and the state's judicial oversight body, while permanently shielding certain misconduct investigation records from public disclosure.

Background
  • The Judicial Conduct Commission is the state entity responsible for investigating and prosecuting allegations of ethical misconduct or disability among judges in Utah. context
  • HB 186 was introduced during the 2026 General Session of the Utah Legislature and signed into law by the Governor on March 23, 2026. context

Who It Affects

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

Directly affected

judges

Judges face mandatory complaint filings upon being charged criminally or placed on administrative leave by the Supreme Court.

Directly affected

prosecuting attorneys

Prosecutors are required to immediately file a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Commission when charging a judge.

Directly affected

Judicial Conduct Commission

The commission receives mandatory complaint referrals, gains protected record status for its investigations, and must submit an annual report to the Legislature.

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 must a prosecutor file a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Commission?
A prosecutor must immediately file a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Commission when they file an against an individual who is a judge.
Are Judicial Conduct Commission investigation records open to the public?
No, records created, submitted, or maintained for an investigation by the Judicial Conduct Commission are classified as .
What information must the Judicial Conduct Commission report to the Legislature each year?
Before November 1 of each year, the commission must report the number of complaints received, the number resolved, brief descriptions of informal resolutions and final Supreme Court orders, and the publication of its annual report.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

42 actions
  1. Mar 23, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolled
    Governor Signed
  2. Mar 12, 2026House
    House/ to Governor
  3. Mar 12, 2026House
    House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
  4. Mar 10, 2026House
    House/ enrolled bill to Printing
  5. Mar 10, 2026Clerk of the House
    Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
  6. Feb 18, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 36 earlier actions
  1. Feb 18, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Bill Received from House for Enrolling
  2. Feb 17, 2026House
    House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
  3. Feb 17, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  4. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  5. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
  6. Feb 13, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 3rd reading
  7. Feb 13, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 3rd reading
  8. Feb 12, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 2nd reading
  9. Feb 12, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd reading
  10. Feb 10, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
  11. Feb 10, 2026Senate
    Senate/ committee report favorable
  12. Feb 9, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  13. Feb 6, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  14. Feb 4, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  15. Feb 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  16. Feb 3, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  17. Feb 3, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  18. Feb 3, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  19. Jan 27, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0186S01
  20. Jan 27, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0186S01
  21. Jan 26, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  22. Jan 26, 2026House
    House/ comm rpt/ substituted
  23. Jan 23, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  24. Jan 23, 2026House
    House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  25. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0186S01
  26. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0186S01
  27. Jan 22, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  28. Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  29. Jan 20, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  30. Jan 16, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0186
  31. Jan 16, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0186
  32. Jan 14, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  33. Jan 7, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0186
  34. Jan 7, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0186
  35. Jan 7, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  36. Jan 7, 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

Jordan TeuscherHouse · District 44RepublicanPrimary 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

Mandatory Cross-Agency Reporting for Judicial Misconduct

The bill bridges criminal proceedings and administrative oversight by automatically triggering Judicial Conduct Commission complaints whenever prosecutors charge a judge or courts place a judge on administrative leave.

Judicial Conduct CommissionAdministrative Office of the Courts

Connected Entities

Judiciary Interim Committee, Administrative Office of the Courts, Jordan D. Teuscher and 3 more
OrganizationJudiciary Interim Committee“Legislative committee receiving annual reports”Map →
OrganizationAdministrative Office of the Courts“State administrative body for Utah courts”Map →
PersonJordan D. Teuscher“Chief Sponsor in the lower house”Map →
OrganizationSupreme Court“Utah Supreme Court”Map →
OrganizationJudicial Conduct Commission“State commission investigating judicial misconduct”Map →
PersonBrady Brammer“Senate Sponsor”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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