8 Utah bills going into effect on May 7 you should know about
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — After a busy session on Utah's Capitol Hill earlier this year, 584 bills were passed. Now, on Wednesday, May 7, roughly 400 laws and policies will go into effect.
The bills range from school safety and homelessness to flags and fluoride, but here are a select few you may want to know about.
S.B. 142 – App Store Accountability Act
As part of Utah's continued push to hold digital services, such as social media platforms, accountable for their content, Utah lawmakers passed S.B. 142.
The App Store Accountability Act forces app stores on both Android and Apple devices to require age verification in order to download apps. Specifically, the bill prohibits enforcing 'contracts,' such as a Terms of Service Agreement, for accounts belonging to minors without parental consent.
Under this bill, parents or guardians would be required to give consent for apps, and app developers would have to verify that consent through the app store. The bill also opens avenues for parents or guardians of minors harmed by a lack of enforcement to sue app stores.
H.B. 77 – Flag Display Amendments
One of the more controversial and followed bills in the 2025 General Session, H.B. 77, otherwise known as the Flag Display Amendments bill, bans the display of certain flags on government property.
The ban notably impacts public classrooms and restricts political flags from being shown, including pride flags, political movement flags, or any flag that is not listed as an exception, such as state flags, country flags, or municipality flags.
SLC council unanimously pass Pride, Juneteenth themed city flags ahead of state flag ban
H.B. 81 – Fluoride Amendments
A bill that garnered national attention, H.B. 81 goes into effect on May 7, officially making Utah the first state in the nation to ban fluoride in public water systems. The bill was passed as a 'matter of individual choice' on whether or not to have fluoride in the water.
And while Utah's water will no longer undergo fluoridization, the bill does allow for pharmacists to prescribe fluoride tablets as an alternative way of getting the benefits, should they want to.
H.B. 249 – Nuclear Power Amendments
In the 2025 General Session, Utah moved one step closer to bringing nuclear energy to the Beehive State. With the passing of H.B. 249, Utah will create the Nuclear Energy Consortium, the Utah Energy Council, and an Energy Development Investment Fund, starting May 7.
The bill is part of Utah's plan to 'combat the looming energy crisis' the state faces with a rising population. While the Consortium will be tasked with providing knowledge and expertise, the Council will oversee energy projects, such as storage and development of power plants.
H.B. 300 – Amendments to Election Law
Another controversial bill that made its way through the legislative session was H.B. 300, and it goes into effect starting today. The bill makes a few significant changes to how Utahns will vote by mail, including phasing out signature verifications on mail-in ballots and sending out mail-in ballots by default.
By 2029, Utahns will be required to opt in to receive a mail-in ballot and will be required to place the last four digits of their driver's license, state ID, or social security number on their ballot return envelopes.
H.B. 322 – Child Actor Regulations
A bill that sets up protections for child actors, including those who appear in content made for social media, such as YouTube, is set to go into effect on May 7.
H.B. 322 requires parents or guardians to set up a trust fund for the child actor, where a portion of earnings from the content can be placed. Among other protections, it also gives minors the right to delete any content made while they were underage once they turn 18.
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H.B. 403 – SNAP Funds Amendments
H.B. 403 starts the process to prevent soft drinks from being eligible to be purchased through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill, which went into effect on May 7, directs the Department of Workforce Services to file a waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture by July 1.
The waiver would request authorization to stop the use of SNAP benefits to buy soft drinks, which, if approved, would begin enforcement within six months. DWS would then be required to track the public health outcomes of the restriction and renew the waiver every year.
H.B. 505 – Homeless Services Revisions
Among a list of revisions made to address homelessness in the state, H.B. 505 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to camp out on state property without explicit permission. This includes the use of tents, motor vehicles, cots, beds, sleeping bags, or cooking with a campfire, propane stove, or other cooking equipment, according to the bill.
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