2025 has comparatively fewer proposed family law bills that in recent years, but there are still some important and interesting proposals. Here is a list of the proposed bills pertaining to family law that the Utah Legislature will consider during the 2025 session.
House Bills
Title: Child Visitation Amendments
Sponsor Stephanie Gricius
Senate Sponsor:
HB 29
Purpose: This bill: modifies a standard required to support an award of non-parental custody or visitation; clarifies that a court that has received a petition seeking non-parent custody or visitation may, as part of the adjudication of the petition, make findings relating to a parent’s ability to exercise primary physical custody, and make findings relating to a claim of parental abuse or neglect of a minor child; and clarifies the time period that is applicable to a court’s findings.
HB 29 would add some additional grounds for awarding visitation rights to a non-parents; specifically:
– the parent is absent as of the time of filing of the petition;
– does not have the ability to exercise primary physical custody of the minor child as of the time of filing of the petition; or
– another court has found that the parent has abused or neglected the minor child.
Title: Indian Family Preservation Act Amendments
Sponsor Angela Romero
Senate Sponsor:
HB 30
Purpose: This bill: enacts the Indian Family Preservation Act (state act), including: defining terms; addressing effective date and severability; requiring inquiry into Indian status; providing for what constitutes best interests of an Indian child; addressing jurisdiction over child custody proceedings; providing for actions related to pending court proceedings; stating parental rights; providing for voluntary termination of rights; establishing how consent or other actions are invalidated; addressing placement of Indian children; creating a process to return custody of an Indian child; addressing information related to tribal affiliation and protection of rights; authorizing agreements between the state and Indian tribes under certain circumstances; addressing improper removal of an Indian child; explaining the application of state or federal standards; providing for emergency removal or placement of an Indian child; and addressing recordkeeping and information availability; replaces cites to the federal Indian Child Welfare Act with cites to the state act; addresses right to counsel; addresses sharing of information by agreement; exempts certain time frame preferences under the state act; and makes technical and conforming amendments
Title: Child Welfare Reporting Amendments
Sponsor Christine F. Watkins
Senate Sponsor:
HB 33
Purpose: This bill: requires the Division of Child and Family Services to notify law enforcement when the division determines that a person knowingly made a false report of child abuse or neglect; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Title: Foreign Judgment Amendments
Sponsor Tiara Auxier
Senate Sponsor:
HB 74
Purpose: This bill: provides that the post judgment interest rate for foreign judgments filed in the state shall be set at the rate established under Utah law.
Title: Child Welfare Modifications
Sponsor Christine F. Watkins
Senate Sponsor:
HB 83
Purpose: This bill: amends provisions regarding the issuance of warrants by a juvenile court;
authorizes a juvenile court to issue an investigative warrant related to the health, safety, or
welfare of a child; states that a peace officer or child welfare caseworker who is executing a search warrant or an investigative warrant may request assistance in executing the warrant; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Title: Adoption Modifications
Sponsor Rex P. Shipp
Senate Sponsor:
Purpose: This bill: creates exceptions to the requirement of a preplacement adoptive evaluation; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Title: Protection Order Amendments
Sponsor Jordan D. Teuscher
Senate Sponsor:
Purpose: This bill: defines terms; enacts the Uniform Recognition of Canadian Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act; provides a severability clause; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Title: Child and Family Services Amendments
Sponsor Stephanie Gricius
Senate Sponsor:
HB 283
Purpose: This bill: defines terms; addresses bedroom sharing by foster children; prohibits the Division of Child and Family Services (division) from: withholding certain information from a child’s parent, guardian, or custodian; creating or changing division records in certain ways without written consent from the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian; initiating certain medical treatment or care on behalf of a child in the division’s custody; and placing a child with a foster parent or taking adverse action against a foster parent if the foster parent expresses discomfort with caring for a child; allows the division to share certain records concerning a child with an adoptive parent of the child or an individual who has been awarded permanent custody and guardianship of the child; provides that a parent’s approval or disapproval of a child’s sexual orientation, in itself, may not be the basis for: removal of the child from the parent’s custody; or discrimination when a court is determining child custody as part of a divorce or other family law proceeding; provides that a juvenile court may not determine that reunification services should not be provided based solely on a parent’s agreement or disagreement with the child’s sexual orientation or gender identity; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Bills
Title: Juvenile Court Procedures Amendments
Sponsor Todd D. Weiler
House Sponsor:
SB 45
Purpose: This bill: describes circumstances under which a parent may file a petition to modify an order of permanent custody and guardianship; addresses whether a district court or juvenile court retains jurisdiction over an order of permanent custody and guardianship; provides that a juvenile court shall order a parent to file an order of permanent custody and guardianship with the district court in certain circumstances; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Title: Newborn Relinquishment Amendments
Sponsor David P. Hinkins
House Sponsor:
SB 57
Purpose: This bill: defines terms; modifies the locations where an individual may safely relinquish a newborn child; permits certain facilities to utilize a newborn safety device to facilitate the safe and anonymous relinquishment of a newborn child; and makes technical corrections.
Title: Marriage Amendments
Sponsor Jen Plumb
House Sponsor:
SB 76
Purpose: This bill: does not allow the juvenile court to issue a written authorization for a minor to marry if there is an age difference between the parties of more than four years; requires a 72-hour waiting period before the juvenile court can issue a written authorization for a minor to marry; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Title: Judicial Officer Amendments
Sponsor Todd D. Weiler
House Sponsor:
SB 109
Purpose: This bill: increases the number of judges for the district court, the juvenile court, and the Court of Appeals.
Title: Uniform Family Law Arbitration Act
Sponsor Michael K. McKell
House Sponsor:
SB 117
Purpose: This bill: defines terms; provides the scope of the Uniform Family Law Arbitration Act (act); addresses the law that is applicable to arbitration in a family law dispute; provides the requirements for an arbitration agreement for a family law dispute; allows a party to initiate arbitration by giving notice to the other party in accordance with the arbitration agreement or the laws governing contractual arbitration; provides the framework for motions for judicial relief involving a family law arbitration; provides the qualification and selection requirements for an arbitrator; requires certain disclosures by an arbitrator, the parties, and the attorneys representing the parties; addresses the disqualification of an arbitrator; addresses the participation of, and a communication by, an attorney or other individual in family law arbitration; allows a court or arbitrator to make a temporary order when there is an arbitration of a family law dispute; addresses protection orders in family law arbitration; provides the powers and duties of an arbitrator; addresses the recording of an arbitration hearing; provides the requirements for an award by an arbitrator in a family law arbitration; addresses the confirmation or correction of an award in a family law arbitration; addresses the vacation or amendment of an award in a family law arbitration by a court; addresses the requirements for a party seeking to clarify a confirmed award; requires a court to enter a judgment for a family law arbitration award; allows a court to seal or redact a document that was part of the family law arbitration; addresses the modification and enforcement of a confirmed award or judgment from a family law arbitration; addresses when an appeal from a family law arbitration may be taken; addresses immunity of an arbitrator in a family law arbitration; addresses the uniformity of application and construction of the act; addresses the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act; and provides a transitional provision.
Title: Domestic Relations Recodification
Sponsor Todd D. Weiler
House Sponsor:
SB 119
Purpose: This bill: clarifies the jurisdiction of the juvenile and district courts with regard to adoptions; clarifies and coordinates definitions related to domestic relations, including the terms, “parent” and “child”; recodifies and amends Title 78B, Chapter 15, Utah Uniform Parentage Act, to Title 81, 12 Chapter 5, Uniform Parentage Act, including: changing the term, “support-enforcement agency” to “child support services agency,” in Title 81, Chapter 5, Uniform Parentage Act; revising gender-specific terminology to be gender neutral; and clarifying the establishment of a parent-child relationship; recodifies and amends Title 78B, Chapter 14, Utah Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, to Title 81, Chapter 8, Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, including: defining terms to coordinate with changes to Title 81, Chapter 5, Uniform Parentage Act; and changing the term, “support-enforcement agency” to “child support services agency,” in Title 81, Chapter 8, Uniform Interstate Family Support Act; recodifies Title 78B, Chapter 20, Uniform Deployed Parents Custody, Parent-time, and Visitation Act, to Title 81, Chapter 10, Uniform Deployed Parents Custody, Parent-time, and Visitation Act; recodifies Title 78B, Chapter 13, Utah Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, to Title 81, Chapter 11, Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act; recodifies Title 78B, Chapter 6, Part 1, Utah Adoption Act, to Title 81, Chapter 13, Adoption; clarifies provisions regarding adoption, including: S.B. 119 01-17 07:36 the definitions for adoption, adoptee, birth mother, birth parent, and pre-existing parent; access to adoption records by a potential birth father that is allowed to intervene in an adoption proceeding; that a petitioner’s home includes a temporary place of abode in regards to the requirement that a child-placing agency may delegate the responsibility for the care, maintenance, and support of a minor child once the petitioner has received the minor child into the petitioner’s home for the purpose of adoption; clarifying the time periods associated with adoption; and the requirements for adopting an adult; allows an adoption proceeding to be brought in a judicial district rather than a county; repeals a requirement requiring a petition for adoption of a minor child to be filed within 30 days of the minor child being placed in the home of the prospective adoptive parents; repeals a statute requiring a person filing a petition for the adoption of an alien child to include written evidence of lawful admission of the alien child; recodifies Title 78B, Chapter 24, Uniform Unregulated Child Custody Transfer Act, to 48 Title 81, Chapter 14, Uniform Unregulated Child Custody Transfer Act; and makes technical and conforming changes.
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