Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 66 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Ivory, Ken

Final action

Governor Signed 3/25/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• requires current sexual assault and sexual abuse training for law enforcement officers to include training on sexual assault committed during a ritual and the impact of that conduct on the victim;
• creates an aggravating factor for certain offenses committed against an individual under 18 years old if the offense was committed as part of a ritual;
• contains a coordination clause to coordinate a substantive change between this bill and S.B. 24, Child Abuse and Torture Amendments, by adding the crime of child torture, which is newly created in S.B. 24, to the list of offenses that qualify for the aggravating factor created in this bill; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

6
53-10-908
76-3-203.19
HB0066
SB0024
76-3-203.19
53-10-908
76-3-203.19
HB0066
SB0024
76-3-203.19
0
Ritual Abuse Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Ken Ivory
Senate Sponsor: Jen Plumb
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses ritual abuse.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
requires current sexual assault and sexual abuse training for law enforcement officers to 
include training on sexual assault committed during a ritual and the impact of that 
conduct on the victim; 
creates an aggravating factor for certain offenses committed against an individual under 
18 years old if the offense was committed as part of a ritual;
contains a coordination clause to coordinate a substantive change between this bill and 
S.B. 24, Child Abuse and Torture Amendments, by adding the crime of child torture, 
which is newly created in S.B. 24, to the list of offenses that qualify for the aggravating 
factor created in this bill; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a coordination clause.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53-10-908
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 158
ENACTS:
76-3-203.19
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Utah Code Sections Affected by Coordination Clause:
AMENDS:
76-3-203.19
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
53-10-908
 is amended to read:
53-10-908
. Law enforcement -- Training -- Sexual assault, sexual abuse, and 
human trafficking.
(1)
The department and the Utah Prosecution Council shall develop training in 
trauma-informed responses and investigations of sexual assault and sexual abuse, which 
include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a)
recognizing the symptoms of trauma;
(b)
understanding the impact of trauma on a victim;
(c)
responding to the needs and concerns of a victim of sexual assault or sexual abuse;
(d)
delivering services to victims of sexual assault or sexual abuse in a compassionate, 
sensitive, and nonjudgmental manner;
(e)
understanding cultural perceptions and common myths of sexual assault and sexual 
abuse; and
(f)
techniques of writing reports in accordance with Subsection 
(5)
.
(2)
(a)
In accordance with Section 
53-6-202
, the department and the Utah Prosecution 
Council shall offer the training in Subsection 
(1)
 to all certified law enforcement 
officers in the state.
(b)
The training for all law enforcement officers may be offered through an online 
course, developed by the department and the Utah Prosecution Council.
(3)
The training listed in Subsection 
(1)
 shall be offered by the Peace Officer Standards and 
Training division to all persons seeking certification as a peace officer.
(4)
(a)
The department and the Utah Prosecution Council shall develop and offer an 
advanced training course for officers who investigate cases of sexual assault or 
sexual abuse.
(b)
The advanced training course shall include:
(i)
all criteria listed in Subsection 
(1)
;
(ii)
identifying indicators of a ritual, as that term is defined in Section 
76-3-203.19
, in 
cases of sexual assault;
 and
(ii)
(iii)
interviewing techniques in accordance with the curriculum standards in 
Subsection 
(5)
.
(5)
The department shall consult with the Utah Prosecution Council to develop the specific 
training requirements of this section, including curriculum standards for report writing 
and response to sexual assault and sexual abuse, including trauma-informed and 
victim-centered interview techniques, which have been demonstrated to minimize 
retraumatizing victims.
(6)
The Office of the Attorney General shall develop and offer training for law enforcement 
officers in investigating human trafficking offenses.
(7)
The training described in Subsection 
(6)
 shall be offered to all law enforcement officers 
in the state by July 1, 2020.
(8)
(7)
The training described in Subsection 
(6)
 shall be offered by the Peace Officer 
Standards and Training division to all persons seeking certification as a peace officer, in 
conjunction with the training described in Subsection 
(1)
, beginning July 1, 2021
.
(9)
(8)
The Office of the Attorney General, the department, and the Utah Prosecution 
Council shall consult with one another to provide the training described in Subsection 
(6)
jointly with the training described in Subsection 
(1)
 as reasonably practicable.
Section 2, Section 
76-3-203.19
 is enacted to read:
76-3-203.19
. Aggravating factor for an offense committed against a child or 
minor as part of a ritual.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Offense against a child or minor" means an offense that is:
(i)
child abuse as described in Section 
76-5-109
;
(ii)
aggravated child abuse as described in Section 
76-5-109.2
;
(iii)
abuse or neglect of a child with a disability as described in Section 
76-5-110
;
(iv)
child abuse homicide as described in Section 
76-5-208
;
(v)
kidnapping as described in Section 
76-5-301
, if committed against an individual 
under 18 years old;
(vi)
child kidnapping as described in Section 
76-5-301.1
;
(vii)
aggravated kidnapping as described in Section 
76-5-302
, if committed against 
an individual under 18 years old;
(viii)
human trafficking of a child as described in Section 
76-5-308.5
;
(ix)
unlawful sexual activity with a minor as described in Section 
76-5-401
;
(x)
sexual abuse of a minor as described in Section 
76-5-401.1
;
(xi)
rape as described in Section 
76-5-402
, if committed against an individual under 
18 years old;
(xii)
rape of a child as described in Section 
76-5-402.1
;
(xiii)
object rape as described in Section 
76-5-404.2
, if committed against an 
individual under 18 years old;
(xiv)
object rape of a child as described in Section 
76-5-402.3
;
(xv)
forcible sodomy as described in Section 
76-5-403
, if committed against an 
individual under 18 years old;
(xvi)
sodomy on a child as described in Section 
76-5-403.1
;
(xvii)
forcible sexual abuse as described in Section 
76-5-404
, if committed against an 
individual under 18 years old;
(xviii)
sexual abuse of a child as described in Section 
76-5-404.1
;
(xix)
aggravated sexual abuse of a child as described in Section 
76-5-404.3
;
(xx)
aggravated sexual assault as described in Section 
76-5-405
, if committed against 
an individual under 18 years old;
(xxi)
unlawful kissing of a child as described in Section 
76-5-416.2
; or
(xxii)
unlawful kissing of a minor as described in Section 
76-5-416.4
.
(b)
"Ritual" means an event or act, or a series of events or acts:
(i)
marked by specific actions, specific gestures, ceremonial objects, ceremonial 
clothing, religious texts, or specific words; and
(ii)
designed to commemorate, celebrate, or solemnize a particular occasion or 
significance in a religious, cultural, social, institutional, or other context.
(2)
For a defendant convicted of an offense against a child or minor, it is an aggravating 
factor if the sentencing court finds that the defendant committed the offense as part of, 
or to facilitate, a ritual or a training or practice to perform a ritual.
(3)
When sentencing a defendant convicted of an offense against a child or minor subject to 
the aggravating factor described in Subsection 
(2)
, the sentencing court shall consider 
the aggravating factor and include the aggravating factor in the judgment of commitment.
(4)
In determining the length of imprisonment for a defendant imprisoned for a conviction 
of an offense against a child or minor subject to the aggravating factor described in 
Subsection (2), the Board of Pardons and Parole shall consider the aggravating factor.
Section 3. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
Section 4. 
Coordinating H.B. 66 with S.B. 24.
If H.B. 66, Ritual Abuse Amendments, and S.B. 24, Child Abuse and Torture 
Amendments, both pass and become law, the Legislature intends that, on May 7, 2025, 
Subsection 
76-3-203.19(1)
, enacted in H.B. 66, be amended to read:
"(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Offense against a child or minor" means an offense that is:
(i) child abuse as described in Section 
76-5-109
;
(ii) child torture, as described in Section 
76-5-109.4
;
(iii) aggravated child abuse as described in Section 
76-5-109.2
;
(iv) abuse or neglect of a child with a disability as described in Section 
76-5-110
;
(v) child abuse homicide as described in Section 
76-5-208
;
(vi) kidnapping as described in Section 
76-5-301
, if committed against an 
individual under 18 years old;
(vii) child kidnapping as described in Section 
76-5-301.1
;
(viii) aggravated kidnapping as described in Section 
76-5-302
, if committed 
against an individual under 18 years old;
(ix) human trafficking of a child as described in Section 
76-5-308.5
;
(x) unlawful sexual activity with a minor as described in Section 
76-5-401
;
(xi) sexual abuse of a minor as described in Section 
76-5-401.1
;
(xii) rape as described in Section 
76-5-402
, if committed against an individual 
under 18 years old;
(xiii) rape of a child as described in Section 
76-5-402.1
;
(xiv) object rape as described in Section 
76-5-404.2
, if committed against an 
individual under 18 years old;
(xv) object rape of a child as described in Section 
76-5-402.3
;
(xvi) forcible sodomy as described in Section 
76-5-403
, if committed against 
an individual under 18 years old;
(xvii) sodomy on a child as described in Section 
76-5-403.1
;
(xviii) forcible sexual abuse as described in Section 
76-5-404
, if committed 
against an individual under 18 years old;
(xix) sexual abuse of a child as described in Section 
76-5-404.1
;
(xx) aggravated sexual abuse of a child as described in Section 
76-5-404.3
;
(xxi) aggravated sexual assault as described in Section 
76-5-405
, if committed 
against an individual under 18 years old;
(xxii) unlawful kissing of a child as described in Section 
76-5-416.2
; or
(xxiii) unlawful kissing of a minor as described in Section 
76-5-416.4
.
(b) "Ritual" means an event or act, or a series of events or acts:
(i) marked by specific actions, specific gestures, ceremonial objects, 
ceremonial clothing, religious texts, or specific words; and
(ii) designed to commemorate, celebrate, or solemnize a particular occasion or 
significance in a religious, cultural, social, institutional, or other context.".
3-6-25 2:44 PM