Lawmakers passed dozens of bills that add, increase, or enhance criminal penalties. Here’s a list.

Changes to Utah’s criminal justice system stood out as a major theme during the 2025 legislative session. 

Lawmakers held a news conference before the session even started, declaring public safety to be a priority this year. And as the session moved along, more than 100 bills were introduced that deal with law enforcement and public safety. 

At least 77 bills were introduced that sought to ramp up criminal penalties in Utah, with 43 of them passing and signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. 

That includes new criminal offenses — like a bill from Rep. Matt Gwynn, R-Farr West, that makes trafficking fentanyl a standalone crime. 

Or bills that impose harsher penalties, create new aggravating factors (which is when a judge can give a longer sentence based on the severity of a crime) and require mandatory minimum sentences — for instance, a law from Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, that increases the penalty for human trafficking for sexual exploitation, while imposing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.

And there were bills that widened the scope of existing crimes — like Clearfield GOP Rep. Karianne Lisonbee’s bill to expand the definition of domestic violence in the presence of a child to include strangulation or choking. 

It’s part of a recent trend at Utah’s Capitol Hill. In the last five years, lawmakers have passed an average of 40 bills each session that add, increase or enhance criminal penalties — in that same timeframe, they averaged just six bills each session to repeal, decrease or narrow criminal penalties.  

According to the governor’s office, and the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, here’s a list of all 43 bills passed by lawmakers and signed by Cox. Many of them were signed last week by Cox, and have an effective date of May 7. 

• HB13, Sexual Extortion Amendments widens the definition of sexual extortion to include “threatening to distribute a counterfeit intimate image,” which includes a computer-generated or manipulated image or video. 
• HB19, Child Labor Amendments enhances the penalty for repeat child labor violations, starting with a class B misdemeanor for a first offense, a class A misdemeanor for a second offense, and a third-degree felony for three or more violations. 
• HB22, Prostitution Offense Amendments imposes new penalties for people who solicit prostitution from a child, creates the crime of “entering or remaining in a place of prostitution” and creates new definitions in Utah code regarding sex work.
• HB38, Criminal Offenses Modifications creates a new offense for recruiting minors to join a street gang, which could be a second- or first-degree felony if a weapon is used to intimidate; increases the metric used when determining loss in retail theft; increases the penalties and widens the scope of sexual extortion; and allows for increased penalties for theft-related crimes if the person was guilty of a similar offense in another state. 
• HB53, Litter Cleanup Amendments makes throwing burning material on a highway (which was previously an infraction) a class C misdemeanor. 

• HB66, Ritual Abuse Amendments creates an aggravating factor for child abuse committed as part of a ritual, defined as using “ceremonial objects, ceremonial clothing, religious texts, or specific words.” That means a judge can impose a harsher sentence if a perpetrator is found guilty. 
• HB69, Government Records and Information Amendments prohibits a government officer from accessing certain voter information, making it a class B misdemeanor.
• HB78, Criminal Offenses Amendments increases the penalty for people who knowingly commit aggravated child abuse, raising it from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. It also restricts a court from granting probation or a suspended sentence to people guilty of violent crimes like murder, kidnapping or rape, with some exceptions. 
• HB80, Disorderly Conduct Amendments creates a criminal offense called aggravated disorderly conduct on a street or highway, defined as intentionally blocking traffic on a road with a speed limit of at least 40 miles per hour. It’s a class B misdemeanor on first offense and class A misdemeanor for a second offense.
• HB87, Drug Trafficking Amendments creates a new criminal offense for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance. If someone is caught with more than 100 grams of fentanyl, they could be charged with a first-degree felony, with no option for probation or a suspended sentence.
• HB96, Fraud Amendments changes the scope of defrauding a creditor. If the unpaid balance is less than $10,000, it would be a class A misdemeanor; if it’s more than $10,000, it can be enhanced to a third-degree felony. 
• HB105, Criminal Code Modifications makes attempted murder a first-degree felony with a minimum prison term of five years, increases the penalty for a teacher who has a sexual relationship with an adult student to a third-degree felony, and creates a crime called indecent exposure of another individual in public, a class C or B misdemeanor depending on the severity, and a class A misdemeanor if done in front of a child.  
• HB127, Sexual Crime Amendments increases the prison term for sex crimes like rape and forcible sodomy from a minimum of five years to 10 years if the victim is an “incapacitated individual,” which typically means they have some kind of intellectual disability. 
• HB128, Dangerous Weapon at a School Amendments applies the crime of possessing a dangerous weapon on school premises to a minor. 
• HB148, Child Sexual Abuse Amendments creates an aggravating factor for sex crimes involving children if the perpetrator traveled more than 45 miles from their residence, or paid a child to travel more than 45 miles. An aggravating factor means a judge can impose a harsher sentence. 
• HB183, Noncitizen Restricted Person Amendments makes an immigrant with a pending application for asylum or temporary protected status a restricted person, meaning they cannot purchase or own a firearm. If they do, they could be charged with a second-degree felony. 
• HB190, Motorcycle Amendments prohibits motorcyclists from lane splitting (which is when a motorcycle rides between two lanes while traffic is moving) and performing a wheelie on a highway, which could now result in a suspended license. 
• HB196, Vehicle Traction Amendments creates a traffic infraction for drivers who fail to use specific traction equipment, like snow tires, if required by the Utah Department of Transportation. 
• HB197, Criminal Conduct Amendments widens the crime of enticement of a minor to include all communications with the intent to entice, not just communications with the minor. That means communications with the minor’s parents, with the intent to entice, would be criminal. 
• HB199, Substance Use Treatment and Enforcement Amendments touches on a number of issues regarding substance use, including a new offense targeting people who rent buildings for the purpose of drug activity, called maintenance of a drug-involved premises, a second-degree felony. 
• HB207, Sexual Offense Revisions imposes a mandatory minimum sentencing increase of five years each time a person is convicted of a second- or third-degree felony sexual offense; widens the scope of sexual exploitation of a minor to include accessing child sexual abuse material (sometimes referred to as child pornography) with the intent to view; and increases the penalty for aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor 14 years old or older from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. 
• HB226, Criminal Amendments makes the maximum sentence for a violent class A misdemeanor 365 days, an increase of one day. Per federal law, a one-year prison or jail sentence automatically initiates deportation proceedings for someone who is not a U.S. citizen, and the bill is intended to facilitate the federal push for more deportations. 
• HB267, Public Sector Labor Union Amendments imposes a class B misdemeanor on public employees who use taxpayer funds for union activity. 
• HB290, Bicycle Lane Safety Amendments creates an infraction for drivers who obstruct or drive on bike lanes or sidewalks. 
• HB312, Criminal Justice Amendments makes a number of procedural changes for jails, including redefining “habitual offender” and preventing the release of people convicted of drug and violence-related crimes. It also widens the scope of domestic violence in the presence of a child to include strangulation or choking. 
• HB358, Criminal Sexual Conduct Amendments creates a crime called unlawful sexual activity with a child using virtual reality, a third-degree felony, where an adult sexually targets an avatar or video game character that they know belongs to a minor. If the perpetrator is less than 10 years older than the child, it’s a third-degree felony. 
• HB405, Human Trafficking Amendments increases the penalty for human trafficking for sexual exploitation, moving it from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. It also imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years; if the child victim is less than 14 years old, the minimum sentence is 15 years. 
• HB430, Security and Land Restriction Amendments targets foreign espionage in Utah, specifically on and around military bases, and creates a third-degree felony for anyone who buys land on behalf of a restricted foreign entity (which includes Russia, Iran, China and North Korea). 
• HB478, Brine Mining Amendments creates a class B misdemeanor for anyone who makes a false statement or report related to the Brine Conservation Act, which deals with the drilling and production of lithium, magnesium, bromine and other minerals extracted from salt water. 
• HB505, Homeless Services Revisions creates a class C misdemeanor for unsanctioned camping on state property. 
• SB24, Child Abuse and Torture Amendments creates a new crime called child torture for the most extreme cases of child abuse, a third-degree felony that, with some exceptions, would be punishable by a 10-year minimum sentence. 
• SB55, Unauthorized Use of Residential Real Property Amendments targets illegal squatting, creating a second-degree felony for trespassers who cause more than $1,000 in damage; and a second-degree felony for people who falsely advertise, rent or sell a residential property that isn’t theirs. 
• SB68, Child Welfare Worker Protections separates the crime of assault or threat of violence against a child welfare worker into two sections; and makes assaulting or threatening the family of a child welfare worker a class A misdemeanor.   
• SB77, Police Service Animal Amendments expands the current criminal code regarding police canines to include all public safety animals. 
• SB82, Autopsy Photo Amendments creates a class B misdemeanor for anyone who receives a non-public autopsy photograph of a deceased person and shares it. 
• SB90, Mandatory Jail Sentence Amendments requires a judge to impose a mandatory jail or prison sentence for crimes committed by a person who has already been deported, then charged with felony reentry to the U.S.
• SB144, Sexual Crimes Amendments widens the definition of child sexual abuse material; expands the crime of sexual exploitation of a minor to include accessing child sexual abuse material “with the intent to view”; and makes aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor over 14 years old a first-degree felony, eliminating a carveout that imposed a lesser, second-degree felony if the victim was a teenager. 
• SB149, Natural Resources Modifications makes a number of changes to Utah code regarding hunting on public land, including creating a class B misdemeanor for operating as a hunting guide without first registering with the state; and a class B misdemeanor for knowingly retaining a guide who isn’t registered. 
• SB170, School Discipline Amendments prohibits corporal punishment and seclusion in schools. School employees who violate the law could be charged with unlawful detention or unlawful detention of a minor, a class B misdemeanor. 
• SB195, Transportation Amendments is an omnibus transportation bill that, among other things, expands the scope of certain bicycle-related infractions regarding speed, reckless operation and night usage to include electric unicycles and electric personal assistive mobility devices (often used by people who have difficulty walking or a disability). 
• SB215, Emergency Medical Services Modifications makes it a class B misdemeanor to willfully disobey a cease and desist letter or subpoena from the Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. 
• SB336, Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District Modifications imposes a class B misdemeanor on any member of the Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District Board (which governs the area where lawmakers hope to soon see a Major League Baseball stadium) who fails to submit a disclosure statement.