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H.B. 454 creates a new criminal offense targeting third parties who knowingly help someone submit a fraudulent public assistance application — for example, by including false information or deliberately leaving out required disclosures in order to get benefits for someone who wouldn't otherwise qualify. Penalties range from a class B misdemeanor to a second-degree felony depending on the value of the benefits fraudulently obtained, and the new offense is added to Utah's list of crimes that can constitute a "pattern of unlawful activity," which allows for more serious charges when someone commits multiple related offenses. People who assist others with public assistance applications — whether formally or informally — could face criminal liability if they knowingly manipulate those applications to obtain benefits the applicant isn't entitled to receive.