This bill addresses civil actions in the district court.
This bill:
Oppose
Good Government
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Civil lawsuits involving Utah state government would be handled differently under this bill, which allows the attorney general, governor, or Legislature to file a notice triggering a panel of three randomly selected district court judges — each from a different judicial district — to hear and decide any civil case in which the state, a state agency, or certain state officials (such as the governor, attorney general, or legislators) are parties. Once such a notice is filed, this panel process becomes mandatory, the decision to convene the panel cannot be challenged or reviewed by any court, and normal rules about where a lawsuit must be filed no longer apply; the panel's chief judge handles most proceedings, but all three judges must participate in trials, injunction rulings, or case-ending decisions, and any appeal goes directly to the Utah Supreme Court rather than the Court of Appeals. The bill also gives the attorney general an unconditional right to join any civil lawsuit in district court once notified that a party is challenging whether a state law is constitutional. The Judicial Council would be required to create a random-selection process for panel judges by March 2026, maintain a public list of at least half the judges from each district who are eligible to serve, and hire staff to support these panels.
Current version: HB0392S03 (Substitute)
Introduction
Jan 27
House Rules
House Committee
Jan 28
House Floor Vote
Feb 4
Senate Rules
Feb 4
Senate Committee
Feb 5
Senate 2nd Reading
Feb 11
Senate 3rd Reading
Feb 12
House Concurrence
Feb 13
Governor Signed
Feb 13
IntroductionJan 27
House Rules
House CommitteeJan 28
House Floor VoteFeb 4
Senate RulesFeb 4
Senate CommitteeFeb 5
Senate 2nd ReadingFeb 11
Senate 3rd ReadingFeb 12
House ConcurrenceFeb 13
Governor SignedFeb 13
This bill addresses civil actions in the district court.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
Civil lawsuits involving Utah state government would be handled differently under this bill, which allows the attorney general, governor, or Legislature to file a notice triggering a panel of three randomly selected district court judges — each from a different judicial district — to hear and decide any civil case in which the state, a state agency, or certain state officials (such as the governor, attorney general, or legislators) are parties. Once such a notice is filed, this panel process becomes mandatory, the decision to convene the panel cannot be challenged or reviewed by any court, and normal rules about where a lawsuit must be filed no longer apply; the panel's chief judge handles most proceedings, but all three judges must participate in trials, injunction rulings, or case-ending decisions, and any appeal goes directly to the Utah Supreme Court rather than the Court of Appeals. The bill also gives the attorney general an unconditional right to join any civil lawsuit in district court once notified that a party is challenging whether a state law is constitutional. The Judicial Council would be required to create a random-selection process for panel judges by March 2026, maintain a public list of at least half the judges from each district who are eligible to serve, and hire staff to support these panels.
Oppose
Good Government
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