This bill concerns public assistance fraud.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
This bill originally focused on creating a new criminal offense for third parties who knowingly help someone submit a fraudulent public assistance application. The substitute version keeps that new offense but also broadens Utah's existing public assistance fraud law, renaming it from covering fraud "by a recipient" of benefits to covering fraud more generally "relating to obtaining or using" public assistance, and expanding who can be charged under it to include both benefit applicants/recipients and providers, rather than recipients alone. The new third-party offense makes it a crime — ranging from a class B misdemeanor to a second-degree felony depending on the value of benefits involved — for someone helping another person fill out a public assistance application to knowingly include false information or leave out required facts in order to get that applicant benefits they wouldn't otherwise qualify for. Both the broadened existing offense and this new facilitator offense would be added to the list of crimes that can count toward Utah's "pattern of unlawful activity" law, which allows prosecutors to pursue more serious charges when someone commits multiple related offenses over time.
Introduction
Feb 3
House Rules
House Committee
Feb 13
House Floor Vote
Feb 23
Senate Rules
Feb 24
Senate Committee
Mar 2
Senate 2nd Reading
Mar 3
Senate 3rd Reading
Mar 6
Governor Signed
Mar 24
IntroductionFeb 3
House Rules
House CommitteeFeb 13
House Floor VoteFeb 23
Senate RulesFeb 24
Senate CommitteeMar 2
Senate 2nd ReadingMar 3
Senate 3rd ReadingMar 6
Governor SignedMar 24
This bill concerns public assistance fraud.
This bill:
AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.
This bill originally focused on creating a new criminal offense for third parties who knowingly help someone submit a fraudulent public assistance application. The substitute version keeps that new offense but also broadens Utah's existing public assistance fraud law, renaming it from covering fraud "by a recipient" of benefits to covering fraud more generally "relating to obtaining or using" public assistance, and expanding who can be charged under it to include both benefit applicants/recipients and providers, rather than recipients alone. The new third-party offense makes it a crime — ranging from a class B misdemeanor to a second-degree felony depending on the value of benefits involved — for someone helping another person fill out a public assistance application to knowingly include false information or leave out required facts in order to get that applicant benefits they wouldn't otherwise qualify for. Both the broadened existing offense and this new facilitator offense would be added to the list of crimes that can count toward Utah's "pattern of unlawful activity" law, which allows prosecutors to pursue more serious charges when someone commits multiple related offenses over time.
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