Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 450 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Hayes, Sahara

Final action

House/ filed 3/7/2025

Outcome

Failed / filed without passage

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• allows a victim of a crime to request to have the victim's initials used instead of the victim's name in publicly available criminal justice documents;
• requires a database of victim names that is searchable in response to a court order;
• provides that a database of victim names is a protected record under the Government Records Access and Management Act; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

6
77-38-6
Victim Privacy Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Sahara Hayes
Senate Sponsor: 
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill allows a victim of a crime to have the victim's initials used instead of the victim's 
name in publicly available criminal justice documents.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
allows a victim of a crime to have the victim's initials used instead of the victim's name in 
publicly available criminal justice documents; 
requires a database of victim names that is searchable in response to a court order; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
77-38-6
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapters 16, 237 and 352
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
77-38-6
 is amended to read:
77-38-6. Victim's right to privacy -- Option to use victim's initials in publicly 
available criminal justice documents.
(1)
(a)
The victim of a crime has the right, at any court proceeding, including any 
juvenile court proceeding, not to testify regarding the victim's address, telephone 
number, place of employment, or other locating information unless the victim 
specifically consents or the court orders disclosure on finding that a compelling need 
exists to disclose the information. 
(b)
A court proceeding on whether to order disclosure shall be in camera.
(2)
(a)
A defendant may not compel any witness to a crime, at any court proceeding, 
including any juvenile court proceeding, to testify regarding the witness's address, 
telephone number, place of employment, or other locating information unless the 
witness specifically consents or the court orders disclosure on finding that a 
compelling need for the information exists. 
(b)
A court proceeding on whether to order disclosure shall be in camera.
(3)
(a)
A victim of a criminal offense has the right to have the victim's initials rather than 
the victim's name used in charging documents and any other publicly available filing 
or document related to the criminal justice process that is created by a prosecuting 
agency, the Utah State Courts, a law enforcement agency, the Division of Juvenile 
Justice and Youth Services, the Department of Corrections, the Youth Parole 
Authority, the Board of Pardons and Parole, or a related entity.
(b)
For purposes of Subsection 
(3)(a)
, a filing or document is publicly available if the 
filing or document is:
(i)
available to, and accessible by, the general public; or
(ii)
only available if a member of the public requests the filing or document, even if 
the member of the public is required to pay a fee to access the filing or document.
(c)
An entity described in Subsection 
(3)(a)
 shall maintain a list or database of victim 
names for which the victim's initials have been used so that the name of a victim can 
be searched and identified in response to a court order.
Section 2. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
2-7-25 1:59 PM