This bill addresses guardians ad litem and consideration of a minor's best interest.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Utah's guardian ad litem (GAL) program — the court-appointed attorney system that represents children in abuse, neglect, and dependency cases — would see several structural and accountability changes under this bill. It would create a formal Guardian ad Litem Oversight Committee with specific members, including a juvenile court judge, attorneys who have represented both parents and the state, mental health providers, foster care advocates, and people with lived experience in the child welfare system as both parents and children; this committee would meet quarterly, review a random sample of GAL cases each year, evaluate the office's compliance with its legal duties, and report annually to the Judicial Council and the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel. At every court hearing, attorney GALs would be required to tell the court whether the child wanted to attend and when the attorney last interacted with the child, and courts would have to justify each GAL appointment in writing within seven days. The bill also directs courts to make best-interest determinations for minors in line with existing legal principles on parental rights and family preservation, and it clarifies attorney GALs' investigation, disclosure, and independence requirements, including protections against being directed to reach a particular recommendation. Separately, the bill would limit how much information can be redacted from child fatality and near-fatality review reports shared with legislative oversight committees, allowing only the names of referents and the surnames and addresses of uninvolved individuals to be withheld.
Current version: HB0372S05 (Substitute)
Introduction
Jan 26
House Rules
House Committee
Feb 11
House Floor Vote
Feb 23
Senate Rules
Mar 4
Senate Committee
Mar 3
Senate 2nd Reading
Mar 4
Senate 3rd Reading
Mar 4
Governor Signed
Mar 18
IntroductionJan 26
House Rules
House CommitteeFeb 11
House Floor VoteFeb 23
Senate RulesMar 4
Senate CommitteeMar 3
Senate 2nd ReadingMar 4
Senate 3rd ReadingMar 4
Governor SignedMar 18
This bill addresses guardians ad litem and consideration of a minor's best interest.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Utah's guardian ad litem (GAL) program — the court-appointed attorney system that represents children in abuse, neglect, and dependency cases — would see several structural and accountability changes under this bill. It would create a formal Guardian ad Litem Oversight Committee with specific members, including a juvenile court judge, attorneys who have represented both parents and the state, mental health providers, foster care advocates, and people with lived experience in the child welfare system as both parents and children; this committee would meet quarterly, review a random sample of GAL cases each year, evaluate the office's compliance with its legal duties, and report annually to the Judicial Council and the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel. At every court hearing, attorney GALs would be required to tell the court whether the child wanted to attend and when the attorney last interacted with the child, and courts would have to justify each GAL appointment in writing within seven days. The bill also directs courts to make best-interest determinations for minors in line with existing legal principles on parental rights and family preservation, and it clarifies attorney GALs' investigation, disclosure, and independence requirements, including protections against being directed to reach a particular recommendation. Separately, the bill would limit how much information can be redacted from child fatality and near-fatality review reports shared with legislative oversight committees, allowing only the names of referents and the surnames and addresses of uninvolved individuals to be withheld.
Motion: Favorable Recommendation
Motion: Favorable Recommendation
Governor Signed
Lieutenant Governor's office for filing
House/ to Governor
Executive Branch - Governor
House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
Clerk of the House
House/ enrolled bill to Printing
Clerk of the House
Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
Clerk of the House
Last updated Aug 29, 2026, 5:26 PM