Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 170 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Escamilla, Luz

Final action

Governor Signed 3/25/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• consolidates and clarifies existing school physical intervention provisions into a single section of code;
• requires the State Board of Education to establish administrative rules for physical intervention in schools;
• establishes standards for use of physical restraint in schools;
• defines allowed incidences of seclusion in schools;
• requires local education agencies to collect and report data on incidents of student confinement;
• provides for investigation and enforcement requirements;
• outlines liability protections and exceptions;
• establishes consequences for violations of the law; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

10
53E-1-203
53G-8-203
53G-8-301
53G-8-302
53G-8-303
53G-8-304
53G-8-305
80-1-102
0
School Discipline Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Luz Escamilla
House Sponsor: Ryan D. Wilcox
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill regulates the use of emergency safety interventions on a student in a school.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
consolidates and clarifies existing school physical intervention provisions into a single 
section of code;
requires the State Board of Education to establish administrative rules for physical 
intervention in schools;
establishes standards for use of physical restraint in schools;
defines allowed incidences of seclusion in schools;
requires local education agencies to collect and report data on incidents of student 
confinement;
provides for investigation and enforcement requirements;
outlines liability protections and exceptions; 
establishes consequences for violations of the law; and
makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53E-1-203
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 460
53G-8-203
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 75
80-1-102
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 256
REPEALS AND REENACTS:
53G-8-301
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 3
REPEALS:
53G-8-302
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 293
53G-8-303
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 335
53G-8-304
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 3
53G-8-305
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 293
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
53E-1-203
 is amended to read:
53E-1-203
. State Superintendent's Annual Report.
(1)
The state board shall prepare and submit to the governor, the Education Interim 
Committee, and the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee, by January 15 of 
each year, an annual written report known as the State Superintendent's Annual Report 
that includes:
(a)
the operations, activities, programs, and services of the state board;
(b)
subject to Subsection (4)(b), all reports listed in Subsection (4)(a); and
(c)
data on the general condition of the schools with recommendations considered 
desirable for specific programs, including:
(i)
a complete statement of fund balances;
(ii)
a complete statement of revenues by fund and source;
(iii)
a complete statement of adjusted expenditures by fund, the status of bonded 
indebtedness, the cost of new school plants, and school levies;
(iv)
a complete statement of state funds allocated to each school district and charter 
school by source, including supplemental appropriations, and a complete 
statement of expenditures by each school district and charter school, including 
supplemental appropriations, by function and object as outlined in the United 
States Department of Education publication "Financial Accounting for Local and 
State School Systems";
(v)
a statement that includes data on:
(A)
fall enrollments;
(B)
average membership;
(C)
high school graduates;
(D)
licensed and classified employees, including data reported by school districts 
on educator ratings described in Section 
53G-11-511
;
(E)
pupil-teacher ratios;
(F)
average class sizes;
(G)
average salaries;
(H)
applicable private school data; and
(I)
data from statewide assessments described in Section 
53E-4-301
 for each 
school and school district;
(vi)
statistical information for each school district and charter school regarding:
(A)
student attendance by grade level;
(B)
the percentage of students chronically absent;
(C)
the percentage of student excused absences; and
(D)
the percentage of student unexcused absences;
(vii)
statistical information regarding incidents of delinquent activity in the schools, 
at school-related activities, on school buses, and at school bus stops; and
(viii)
other statistical and financial information about the school system that the state 
superintendent considers pertinent.
(2)
(a)
For the purposes of Subsection (1)(c)(v):
(i)
the pupil-teacher ratio for a school shall be calculated by dividing the number of 
students enrolled in a school by the number of full-time equivalent teachers 
assigned to the school, including regular classroom teachers, school-based 
specialists, and special education teachers;
(ii)
the pupil-teacher ratio for a school district shall be the median pupil-teacher ratio 
of the schools within a school district;
(iii)
the pupil-teacher ratio for charter schools aggregated shall be the median 
pupil-teacher ratio of charter schools in the state; and
(iv)
the pupil-teacher ratio for the state's public schools aggregated shall be the 
median pupil-teacher ratio of public schools in the state.
(b)
The report shall:
(i)
include the pupil-teacher ratio for:
(A)
each school district;
(B)
the charter schools aggregated; and
(C)
the state's public schools aggregated; and
(ii)
identify a website where pupil-teacher ratios for each school in the state may be 
accessed.
(3)
For each operation, activity, program, or service provided by the state board, the annual 
report shall include:
(a)
a description of the operation, activity, program, or service;
(b)
data and metrics:
(i)
selected and used by the state board to measure progress, performance, 
effectiveness, and scope of the operation, activity, program, or service, including 
summary data; and
(ii)
that are consistent and comparable for each state operation, activity, program, or 
service;
(c)
budget data, including the amount and source of funding, expenses, and allocation of 
full-time employees for the operation, activity, program, or service;
(d)
historical data from previous years for comparison with data reported under 
Subsections (3)(b) and (c);
(e)
goals, challenges, and achievements related to the operation, activity, program, or 
service;
(f)
relevant federal and state statutory references and requirements;
(g)
contact information of officials knowledgeable and responsible for each operation, 
activity, program, or service; and
(h)
other information determined by the state board that:
(i)
may be needed, useful, or of historical significance; or
(ii)
promotes accountability and transparency for each operation, activity, program, 
or service with the public and elected officials.
(4)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection (4)(b), the annual report shall also include:
(i)
the report described in Section 
53E-3-507
 by the state board on career and 
technical education needs and program access;
(ii)
the report described in Section 
53E-3-515
 by the state board on the Hospitality 
and Tourism Management Career and Technical Education Pilot Program;
(iii)
the report described in Section 
53E-3-516
 by the state board on certain incidents 
that occur on school grounds;
(iv)
the report described in Section 
53E-4-202
 by the state board on the development 
and implementation of the core standards for Utah public schools;
(v)
the report described in Section 
53E-5-310
 by the state board on school turnaround 
and leadership development;
(vi)
the report described in Section 
53E-10-308
 by the state board and Utah Board of 
Higher Education on student participation in the concurrent enrollment program;
(vii)
the report described in Section 
53F-5-506
 by the state board on information 
related to personalized, competency-based learning; 
and
(viii)
the report described in Section 
53G-8-203
 by the state board on LEAs' policies 
and procedures related to physical restraint and interventions; and
(viii)
(ix)
the report described in Section 
53G-9-802
 by the state board on dropout 
prevention and recovery services.
(b)
The Education Interim Committee or the Public Education Appropriations 
Subcommittee may request a report described in Subsection (4)(a) to be reported 
separately from the State Superintendent's Annual Report.
(5)
The annual report shall be designed to provide clear, accurate, and accessible 
information to the public, the governor, and the Legislature.
(6)
The state board shall:
(a)
submit the annual report in accordance with Section 
68-3-14
; and
(b)
make the annual report, and previous annual reports, accessible to the public by 
placing a link to the reports on the state board's website.
(7)
(a)
Upon request of the Education Interim Committee or Public Education 
Appropriations Subcommittee, the state board shall present the State Superintendent's 
Annual Report to either committee.
(b)
After submitting the State Superintendent's Annual Report in accordance with this 
section, the state board may supplement the report at a later time with updated data, 
information, or other materials as necessary or upon request by the governor, the 
Education Interim Committee, or the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
Section 2, Section 
53G-8-203
 is amended to read:
53G-8-203
. Conduct and discipline policies and procedures.
(1)
The conduct and discipline policies required under Section 
53G-8-202
 shall include:
(a)
provisions governing student conduct, safety, and welfare;
(b)
standards and procedures for dealing with students who cause disruption in the 
classroom, on school grounds, on school vehicles, or in connection with 
school-related activities or events;
(c)
procedures for the development of remedial discipline plans for students who cause a 
disruption at any of the places referred to in Subsection (1)(b);
(d)
procedures for the use of reasonable and necessary physical restraint in dealing with 
students posing a danger to themselves or others, consistent with Section 
53G-8-302
53G-8-301
;
(e)
standards and procedures for dealing with student conduct in locations other than 
those referred to in Subsection (1)(b), if the conduct threatens harm or does harm to:
(i)
the school;
(ii)
school property;
(iii)
a person associated with the school; or
(iv)
property associated with a person described in Subsection (1)(e)(iii);
(f)
procedures for the imposition of disciplinary sanctions, including suspension and 
expulsion;
(g)
specific provisions, consistent with Section 
53E-3-509
, for preventing and 
responding to gang-related activities in the school, on school grounds, on school 
vehicles, or in connection with school-related activities or events;
(h)
standards and procedures for dealing with habitual disruptive or unsafe student 
behavior in accordance with the provisions of this part; and
(i)
procedures for responding to reports received through the SafeUT Crisis Line under 
Subsection 
53B-17-1202
(3).
(2)
(a)
Each local school board shall establish a policy on detaining students after regular 
school hours as a part of the district-wide discipline plan required under Section 
53G-8-202
.
(b)
(i)
The policy described in Subsection (2)(a) shall apply to elementary school 
students, grades kindergarten through 6.
(ii)
The local school board shall receive input from teachers, school administrators, 
and parents of the affected students before adopting the policy.
(c)
The policy described in Subsection (2)(a) shall provide for:
(i)
notice to the parent of a student prior to holding the student after school on a 
particular day; and
(ii)
exceptions to the notice provision if detention is necessary for the student's health 
or safety.
(3)
(a)
Each LEA shall adopt a policy for responding to possession or use of electronic 
cigarette products by a student on school property.
(b)
The policy described in Subsection (3)(a) shall:
(i)
prohibit students from possessing or using electronic cigarette products on school 
property;
(ii)
include policies or procedures for the confiscation or surrender of electronic 
cigarette products; and
(iii)
require a school administrator or school administrator's designee to dispose of or 
destroy a confiscated electronic cigarette product.
(c)
Notwithstanding Subsection (3)(b)(iii), an LEA may release a confiscated electronic 
cigarette product to local law enforcement if:
(i)
a school official has a reasonable suspicion that a confiscated electronic cigarette 
product contains an illegal substance; and
(ii)
local law enforcement requests that the LEA release the confiscated electronic 
cigarette product to local law enforcement as part of an investigation or action.
(4)
(a)
Each LEA shall adopt a policy for responding to when a student has committed a 
serious offense or sexual crime.
(b)
The policy described in Subsection (4)(a) shall:
(i)
address a serious offense or sexual misconduct related to hazing;
(ii)
distinguish procedures for when the crime occurs on school property and off of 
school property;
(iii)
if a student has committed a serious offense or sexual crime, provide a process 
for a school resource officer to provide input for the LEA to consider regarding 
the safety risks a student may pose upon reintegration;
(iv)
establish a process to inform a school resource officer of any student who is on 
probation;
(v)
create procedures for determining an alternative placement for a student if the 
student attends the same school as:
(A)
the victim of the student's crime; and
(B)
an individual who has a protective order against the student; and
(vi)
be compliant with state and federal law.
Section 3, Section 
53G-8-301
 is repealed and re-enacted to read:
3. Emergency Safety Interventions
53G-8-301
. Emergency safety interventions -- Appropriate uses -- Penalties.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Corporal punishment" means the intentional infliction of physical pain upon the 
body of a student as a disciplinary measure.
(b)
"Emergency safety intervention" means the use of seclusion or physical restraint 
when a student presents an immediate danger to self or others.
(c)
"Physical escort" means a temporary touching or holding of the hand, wrist, arm, 
shoulder, or back for the purpose of guiding a student to another location.
(d)
"Physical restraint" means a personal restriction that immobilizes or significantly 
reduces the ability of a student to move the student's arms, legs, body, or head freely.
(e)
"School" means a public or private elementary school, secondary school, or 
preschool.
(f)
"Seclusion" means seclusionary time out that is the involuntary confinement of a 
student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from 
leaving, including:
(i)
placing a student in a locked room; or
(ii)
placing a student in a room where the door is blocked by furniture or held closed 
by staff.
(g)
"Student" means an individual who is:
(i)
under the age of 19 and receiving educational services; or
(ii)
under the age of 23 and receiving educational services as an individual with a 
disability.
(2)
(a)
A school employee shall first use the least restrictive intervention available to the 
school employee, including a physical escort, to address circumstances described in 
Subsection (4).
(b)
Nothing in this section prohibits a school employee from subsequently using less 
restrictive interventions to address circumstances described in Subsection (4).
(3)
(a)
In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, 
the state board shall make rules to:
(i)
establish guidelines and best practices that consider individual student needs 
related to emergency safety interventions described in Subsection 
(10)
(b);
(ii)
establish intervention reporting requirements;
(iii)
create school staff training standards that may be included in an existing training;
(iv)
develop parental notification procedures;
(v)
implement data collection and review processes;
(vi)
establish investigation protocols;
(vii)
establish data collection and reporting requirements for an LEA regarding:
(A)
incidents of seclusion;
(B)
alternative interventions used;
(C)
student demographic information, including sex, gender, age, grade in school, 
and applicable disability status; and
(D)
incident outcomes.
(b)
The state board shall include the information described in Subsection 
(3)(a)
 in the 
State Superintendent's Annual Report described in Section 
53E-1-203
.
(4)
A school employee may use reasonable and necessary physical restraint only:
(a)
in self defense;
(b)
to obtain possession of a weapon or other dangerous object in the possession or 
under the control of a student;
(c)
to protect a student or another individual from physical injury;
(d)
to remove from a situation a student who is violent; or
(e)
to protect property from being damaged, when physical safety is at risk.
(5)
(a)
A school employee may not inflict or cause the infliction of corporal punishment 
upon a student.
(b)
The reporting and investigation requirements of Title 80, Chapter 2, Part 6, Child 
Abuse and Neglect Reports, apply to complaints on corporal punishment.
(c)
Evidence of corporal punishment that would qualify as reasonable discipline under 
Section 
76-2-401
 is insufficient to establish liability in a civil or criminal action.
(d)
Subject to the Rules of Evidence, evidence of corporal punishment that exceeds 
reasonable discipline under Section 
76-2-401
 may be used by a court to establish 
civil or criminal liability.
(6)
School authorities shall take prompt and appropriate action, including in-service 
training and other administrative action, upon confirming a violation of this section.
(7)
The Division of Child and Family Services shall maintain all violation reports made in 
accordance with this section under the confidentiality requirements of Section 
80-2-1005
.
(8)
A school or individual who makes a good faith report or cooperates in an investigation 
shall receive immunity from civil or criminal liability.
(9)
A court with jurisdiction under Title 78A, Judiciary and Judicial Administration may 
take appropriate action against any employing entity if the court finds that the 
employing entity has not taken reasonable steps to enforce the provisions of this part.
(10)
A school: 
(a)
may not:
(i)
enforce any rule, policy, or directive that permits acts prohibited by this section;
(ii)
sanction an employee who refuses to commit a prohibited act; or
(iii)
except as provided in Subsection (10)(b), use seclusion:
(A)
as an intervention or disciplinary practice;
(B)
for coercion, retaliation, or humiliation; or
(C)
due to inadequate staffing or for the staff member's convenience;
(b)
for a student in grade 1 or higher, may use seclusion as an emergency safety 
intervention only when:
(i)
the LEA has developed and implemented written policies and procedures that:
(A)
describe the circumstances under which a staff member may use seclusion;
(B)
describe which staff members are authorized to use seclusion;
(C)
describe procedures for monitoring a student that is in seclusion;
(D)
describe time limitations on the use of seclusion;
(E)
require immediate and continuous review of the decision to use seclusion;
(F)
require documenting the use of seclusion;
(G)
describe record keeping requirements for records related to the use of 
seclusion; and
(H)
require debriefing of all witnesses, involved staff members, the student who 
was secluded, and the parent of the student who was secluded;
(ii)
a student poses an immediate and significant threat to the student or others;
(iii)
less restrictive interventions have failed;
(iv)
a staff member who is familiar to the student is actively supervising the student 
for the duration of the seclusion; and
(v)
the use is time-limited to a maximum time of 30 minutes and monitored;
(c)
if seclusion was used, shall document the reason for its use, duration, and any 
alternative strategies attempted; and
(d)
shall notify parents immediately, and not to exceed 15 minutes after the use, of any 
emergency safety intervention used on the parent's child, including seclusion or 
physical restraint.
(11)
An LEA shall collect and report data to the state board annually regarding:
(a)
an incident; and
(b)
for each incident, the:
(i)
duration of an intervention used to respond to the incident;
(ii)
stated purpose for any intervention used;
(iii)
alternative interventions attempted;
(iv)
student demographic information, including sex, gender, age, grade in school, 
and applicable disability status; and
(v)
relevant training offered to staff and if the staff involved received the relevant 
training without revealing the identity of the staff member.
(12)
This section does not apply to:
(a)
a law enforcement officer as defined in Section 
53-13-103
;
(b)
a parochial or private school that:
(i)
does not receive state funds;
(ii)
adopts a policy of exemption from this section; and
(iii)
notifies the parents of students in the school of the exemption; or
(c)
behavior support intervention which is in compliance with:
(i)
Section 
76-2-401
; and
(ii)
state and local rules adopted under Section 
53E-7-204
.
(13)
Any violations of this section, including violations of any standards for seclusion or 
physical restraint established by the state board pursuant to this section, shall:
(a)
constitute an act of unlawful detention and is subject to the penalty described in 
Section 
76-5-304
; and
(b)
result in a referral to:
(i)
local law enforcement; and
(ii)
the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission established in Section 
53E-6-501
.
Section 4, Section 
80-1-102
 is amended to read:
80-1-102
. Juvenile Code definitions.
Except as provided in Section 
80-6-1103
, as used in this title:
(1)
(a)
"Abuse" means:
(i)
(A)
nonaccidental harm of a child;
(B)
threatened harm of a child;
(C)
sexual exploitation;
(D)
sexual abuse; or
(E)
human trafficking of a child in violation of Section 
76-5-308.5
; or
(ii)
that a child's natural parent:
(A)
intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes the death of another parent of 
the child;
(B)
is identified by a law enforcement agency as the primary suspect in an 
investigation for intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing the death of 
another parent of the child; or
(C)
is being prosecuted for or has been convicted of intentionally, knowingly, or 
recklessly causing the death of another parent of the child.
(b)
"Abuse" does not include:
(i)
reasonable discipline or management of a child, including withholding privileges;
(ii)
conduct described in Section 
76-2-401
; or
(iii)
the use of reasonable and necessary physical restraint or force on a child:
(A)
in self-defense;
(B)
in defense of others;
(C)
to protect the child; or
(D)
to remove a weapon in the possession of a child for any of the reasons 
described in Subsections (1)(b)(iii)(A) through (C).
(2)
"Abused child" means a child who has been subjected to abuse.
(3)
(a)
"Adjudication" means, except as provided in Subsection (3)(b):
(i)
for a delinquency petition or criminal information under Chapter 6, Juvenile 
Justice:
(A)
a finding by the juvenile court that the facts alleged in a delinquency petition 
or criminal information alleging that a minor committed an offense have been 
proved;
(B)
an admission by a minor in the juvenile court as described in Section 
80-6-306
; 
or
(C)
a plea of no contest by minor in the juvenile court; or
(ii)
for all other proceedings under this title, a finding by the juvenile court that the 
facts alleged in the petition have been proved.
(b)
"Adjudication" does not include:
(i)
an admission by a minor described in Section 
80-6-306
 until the juvenile court 
enters the minor's admission; or
(ii)
a finding of not competent to proceed in accordance with Section 
80-6-402
.
(4)
(a)
"Adult" means an individual who is 18 years old or older.
(b)
"Adult" does not include an individual:
(i)
who is 18 years old or older; and
(ii)
who is a minor.
(5)
"Attorney guardian ad litem" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
78A-2-801
.
(6)
"Board" means the Board of Juvenile Court Judges.
(7)
"Child" means, except as provided in Section 
80-2-905
, an individual who is under 18 
years old.
(8)
"Child and family plan" means a written agreement between a child's parents or 
guardian and the Division of Child and Family Services as described in Section 
80-3-307
.
(9)
"Child placing" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
26B-2-101
.
(10)
"Child-placing agency" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
26B-2-101
.
(11)
"Child protection team" means a team consisting of:
(a)
the child welfare caseworker assigned to the case;
(b)
if applicable, the child welfare caseworker who made the decision to remove the 
child;
(c)
a representative of the school or school district where the child attends school;
(d)
if applicable, the law enforcement officer who removed the child from the home;
(e)
a representative of the appropriate Children's Justice Center, if one is established 
within the county where the child resides;
(f)
if appropriate, and known to the division, a therapist or counselor who is familiar 
with the child's circumstances;
(g)
if appropriate, a representative of law enforcement selected by the chief of police or 
sheriff in the city or county where the child resides; and
(h)
any other individuals determined appropriate and necessary by the team coordinator 
and chair.
(12)
(a)
"Chronic abuse" means repeated or patterned abuse.
(b)
"Chronic abuse" does not mean an isolated incident of abuse.
(13)
(a)
"Chronic neglect" means repeated or patterned neglect.
(b)
"Chronic neglect" does not mean an isolated incident of neglect.
(14)
"Clandestine laboratory operation" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
58-37d-3
.
(15)
"Commit" or "committed" means, unless specified otherwise:
(a)
with respect to a child, to transfer legal custody; and
(b)
with respect to a minor who is at least 18 years old, to transfer custody.
(16)
"Community-based program" means a nonsecure residential or nonresidential program, 
designated to supervise and rehabilitate juvenile offenders, that prioritizes the least 
restrictive setting, consistent with public safety, and operated by or under contract with 
the Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services.
(17)
"Community placement" means placement of a minor in a community-based program 
described in Section 
80-5-402
.
(18)
"Correctional facility" means:
(a)
a county jail; or
(b)
a secure correctional facility as defined in Section 
64-13-1
.
(19)
"Criminogenic risk factors" means evidence-based factors that are associated with a 
minor's likelihood of reoffending.
(20)
"Department" means the Department of Health and Human Services created in Section 
26B-1-201
.
(21)
"Dependent child" or "dependency" means a child who is without proper care through 
no fault of the child's parent, guardian, or custodian.
(22)
"Deprivation of custody" means transfer of legal custody by the juvenile court from a 
parent or a previous custodian to another person, agency, or institution.
(23)
"Detention" means home detention or secure detention.
(24)
"Detention facility" means a facility, established by the Division of Juvenile Justice 
and Youth Services in accordance with Section 
80-5-501
, for minors held in detention.
(25)
"Detention risk assessment tool" means an evidence-based tool established under 
Section 
80-5-203
 that:
(a)
assesses a minor's risk of failing to appear in court or reoffending before 
adjudication; and
(b)
is designed to assist in making a determination of whether a minor shall be held in 
detention.
(26)
"Developmental immaturity" means incomplete development in one or more domains 
that manifests as a functional limitation in the minor's present ability to:
(a)
consult with counsel with a reasonable degree of rational understanding; and
(b)
have a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings.
(27)
"Disposition" means an order by a juvenile court, after the adjudication of a minor, 
under Section 
80-3-405
 or 
80-4-305
 or Chapter 6, Part 7, Adjudication and Disposition.
(28)
"Educational neglect" means that, after receiving a notice of compulsory education 
violation under Section 
53G-6-202
, the parent or guardian fails to make a good faith 
effort to ensure that the child receives an appropriate education.
(29)
"Educational series" means an evidence-based instructional series:
(a)
obtained at a substance abuse program that is approved by the Division of Integrated 
Healthcare in accordance with Section 
26B-5-104
; and
(b)
designed to prevent substance use or the onset of a mental health disorder.
(30)
"Emancipated" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
80-7-102
.
(31)
"Evidence-based" means a program or practice that has had multiple randomized 
control studies or a meta-analysis demonstrating that the program or practice is effective 
for a specific population or has been rated as effective by a standardized program 
evaluation tool.
(32)
"Forensic evaluator" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
77-15-2
.
(33)
"Formal probation" means a minor is:
(a)
supervised in the community by, and reports to, a juvenile probation officer or an 
agency designated by the juvenile court; and
(b)
subject to return to the juvenile court in accordance with Section 
80-6-607
.
(34)
"Group rehabilitation therapy" means psychological and social counseling of one or 
more individuals in the group, depending upon the recommendation of the therapist.
(35)
"Guardian" means a person appointed by a court to make decisions regarding a minor, 
including the authority to consent to:
(a)
marriage;
(b)
enlistment in the armed forces;
(c)
major medical, surgical, or psychiatric treatment; or
(d)
legal custody, if legal custody is not vested in another individual, agency, or 
institution.
(36)
"Guardian ad litem" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
78A-2-801
.
(37)
"Harm" means:
(a)
physical or developmental injury or damage;
(b)
emotional damage that results in a serious impairment in the child's growth, 
development, behavior, or psychological functioning;
(c)
sexual abuse; or
(d)
sexual exploitation.
(38)
"Home detention" means placement of a minor:
(a)
if prior to a disposition, in the minor's home, or in a surrogate home with the consent 
of the minor's parent, guardian, or custodian, under terms and conditions established 
by the Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services or the juvenile court; or
(b)
if after a disposition, and in accordance with Section 
78A-6-353
 or 
80-6-704
, in the 
minor's home, or in a surrogate home with the consent of the minor's parent, 
guardian, or custodian, under terms and conditions established by the Division of 
Juvenile Justice and Youth Services or the juvenile court.
(39)
(a)
"Incest" means engaging in sexual intercourse with an individual whom the 
perpetrator knows to be the perpetrator's ancestor, descendant, brother, sister, uncle, 
aunt, nephew, niece, or first cousin.
(b)
"Incest" includes:
(i)
blood relationships of the whole or half blood, regardless of whether the 
relationship is legally recognized;
(ii)
relationships of parent and child by adoption; and
(iii)
relationships of stepparent and stepchild while the marriage creating the 
relationship of a stepparent and stepchild exists.
(40)
"Indian child" means the same as that term is defined in 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1903.
(41)
"Indian tribe" means the same as that term is defined in 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1903.
(42)
"Indigent defense service provider" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
78B-22-102
.
(43)
"Indigent defense services" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
78B-22-102
.
(44)
"Indigent individual" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
78B-22-102
.
(45)
(a)
"Intake probation" means a minor is:
(i)
monitored by a juvenile probation officer; and
(ii)
subject to return to the juvenile court in accordance with Section 
80-6-607
.
(b)
"Intake probation" does not include formal probation.
(46)
"Intellectual disability" means a significant subaverage general intellectual functioning 
existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior that constitutes a substantial 
limitation to the individual's ability to function in society.
(47)
"Juvenile offender" means:
(a)
a serious youth offender; or
(b)
a youth offender.
(48)
"Juvenile probation officer" means a probation officer appointed under Section 
78A-6-205
.
(49)
"Juvenile receiving center" means a nonsecure, nonresidential program established by 
the Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, or under contract with the Division 
of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, that is responsible for minors taken into 
temporary custody under Section 
80-6-201
.
(50)
"Legal custody" means a relationship embodying:
(a)
the right to physical custody of the minor;
(b)
the right and duty to protect, train, and discipline the minor;
(c)
the duty to provide the minor with food, clothing, shelter, education, and ordinary 
medical care;
(d)
the right to determine where and with whom the minor shall live; and
(e)
the right, in an emergency, to authorize surgery or other extraordinary care.
(51)
"Licensing Information System" means the Licensing Information System maintained 
by the Division of Child and Family Services under Section 
80-2-1002
.
(52)
"Management Information System" means the Management Information System 
developed by the Division of Child and Family Services under Section 
80-2-1001
.
(53)
"Mental illness" means:
(a)
a psychiatric disorder that substantially impairs an individual's mental, emotional, 
behavioral, or related functioning; or
(b)
the same as that term is defined in:
(i)
the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 
published by the American Psychiatric Association; or
(ii)
the current edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and 
Related Health Problems.
(54)
"Minor" means, except as provided in Sections 
80-6-501
, 
80-6-901
, and 
80-7-102
:
(a)
a child; or
(b)
an individual:
(i)
(A)
who is at least 18 years old and younger than 21 years old; and
(B)
for whom the Division of Child and Family Services has been specifically 
ordered by the juvenile court to provide services because the individual was an 
abused, neglected, or dependent child or because the individual was 
adjudicated for an offense;
(ii)
(A)
who is at least 18 years old and younger than 25 years old; and
(B)
whose case is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court in accordance with 
Subsection 
78A-6-103
(1)(b); or
(iii)
(A)
who is at least 18 years old and younger than 21 years old; and
(B)
whose case is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court in accordance with 
Subsection 
78A-6-103
(1)(c).
(55)
"Mobile crisis outreach team" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
26B-5-101
.
(56)
"Molestation" means that an individual, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual 
desire of any individual, touches the anus, buttocks, pubic area, or genitalia of any child, 
or the breast of a female child, or takes indecent liberties with a child as defined in 
Section 
76-5-401.1
.
(57)
(a)
"Natural parent" means, except as provided in Section 
80-3-302
, a minor's 
biological or adoptive parent.
(b)
"Natural parent" includes the minor's noncustodial parent.
(58)
(a)
"Neglect" means action or inaction causing:
(i)
abandonment of a child, except as provided in Chapter 4, Part 5, Safe 
Relinquishment of a Newborn Child;
(ii)
lack of proper parental care of a child by reason of the fault or habits of the 
parent, guardian, or custodian;
(iii)
failure or refusal of a parent, guardian, or custodian to provide proper or 
necessary subsistence or medical care, or any other care necessary for the child's 
health, safety, morals, or well-being;
(iv)
a child to be at risk of being neglected or abused because another child in the 
same home is neglected or abused;
(v)
abandonment of a child through an unregulated child custody transfer under 
Section 
78B-24-203
; or
(vi)
educational neglect.
(b)
"Neglect" does not include:
(i)
a parent or guardian legitimately practicing religious beliefs and who, for that 
reason, does not provide specified medical treatment for a child;
(ii)
a health care decision made for a child by the child's parent or guardian, unless 
the state or other party to a proceeding shows, by clear and convincing evidence, 
that the health care decision is not reasonable and informed;
(iii)
a parent or guardian exercising the right described in Section 
80-3-304
; or
(iv)
permitting a child, whose basic needs are met and who is of sufficient age and 
maturity to avoid harm or unreasonable risk of harm, to engage in independent 
activities, including:
(A)
traveling to and from school, including by walking, running, or bicycling;
(B)
traveling to and from nearby commercial or recreational facilities;
(C)
engaging in outdoor play;
(D)
remaining in a vehicle unattended, except under the conditions described in 
Subsection 
76-10-2202
(2);
(E)
remaining at home unattended; or
(F)
engaging in a similar independent activity.
(59)
"Neglected child" means a child who has been subjected to neglect.
(60)
"Nonjudicial adjustment" means closure of the case by the assigned juvenile probation 
officer, without an adjudication of the minor's case under Section 
80-6-701
, upon the 
consent in writing of:
(a)
the assigned juvenile probation officer; and
(b)
(i)
the minor; or
(ii)
the minor and the minor's parent, guardian, or custodian.
(61)
"Not competent to proceed" means that a minor, due to a mental illness, intellectual 
disability or related condition, or developmental immaturity, lacks the ability to:
(a)
understand the nature of the proceedings against the minor or of the potential 
disposition for the offense charged; or
(b)
consult with counsel and participate in the proceedings against the minor with a 
reasonable degree of rational understanding.
(62)
"Parole" means a conditional release of a juvenile offender from residency in secure 
care to live outside of secure care under the supervision of the Division of Juvenile 
Justice and Youth Services, or another person designated by the Division of Juvenile 
Justice and Youth Services.
(63)
"Physical abuse" means abuse that results in physical injury or damage to a child.
(64)
(a)
"Probation" means a legal status created by court order, following an 
adjudication under Section 
80-6-701
, whereby the minor is permitted to remain in the 
minor's home under prescribed conditions.
(b)
"Probation" includes intake probation or formal probation.
(65)
"Prosecuting attorney" means:
(a)
the attorney general and any assistant attorney general;
(b)
any district attorney or deputy district attorney;
(c)
any county attorney or assistant county attorney; and
(d)
any other attorney authorized to commence an action on behalf of the state.
(66)
"Protective custody" means the shelter of a child by the Division of Child and Family 
Services from the time the child is removed from the home until the earlier of:
(a)
the day on which the shelter hearing is held under Section 
80-3-301
; or
(b)
the day on which the child is returned home.
(67)
"Protective services" means expedited services that are provided:
(a)
in response to evidence of neglect, abuse, or dependency of a child;
(b)
to a cohabitant who is neglecting or abusing a child, in order to:
(i)
help the cohabitant develop recognition of the cohabitant's duty of care and of the 
causes of neglect or abuse; and
(ii)
strengthen the cohabitant's ability to provide safe and acceptable care; and
(c)
in cases where the child's welfare is endangered:
(i)
to bring the situation to the attention of the appropriate juvenile court and law 
enforcement agency;
(ii)
to cause a protective order to be issued for the protection of the child, when 
appropriate; and
(iii)
to protect the child from the circumstances that endanger the child's welfare 
including, when appropriate:
(A)
removal from the child's home;
(B)
placement in substitute care; and
(C)
petitioning the court for termination of parental rights.
(68)
"Protective supervision" means a legal status created by court order, following an 
adjudication on the ground of abuse, neglect, or dependency, whereby:
(a)
the minor is permitted to remain in the minor's home; and
(b)
supervision and assistance to correct the abuse, neglect, or dependency is provided 
by an agency designated by the juvenile court.
(69)
(a)
"Related condition" means a condition that:
(i)
is found to be closely related to intellectual disability;
(ii)
results in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior 
similar to that of an intellectually disabled individual;
(iii)
is likely to continue indefinitely; and
(iv)
constitutes a substantial limitation to the individual's ability to function in society.
(b)
"Related condition" does not include mental illness, psychiatric impairment, or 
serious emotional or behavioral disturbance.
(70)
(a)
"Residual parental rights and duties" means the rights and duties remaining with 
a parent after legal custody or guardianship, or both, have been vested in another 
person or agency, including:
(i)
the responsibility for support;
(ii)
the right to consent to adoption;
(iii)
the right to determine the child's religious affiliation; and
(iv)
the right to reasonable parent-time unless restricted by the court.
(b)
If no guardian has been appointed, "residual parental rights and duties" includes the 
right to consent to:
(i)
marriage;
(ii)
enlistment; and
(iii)
major medical, surgical, or psychiatric treatment.
(71)
"Runaway" means a child, other than an emancipated child, who willfully leaves the 
home of the child's parent or guardian, or the lawfully prescribed residence of the child, 
without permission.
(72)
"Secure care" means placement of a minor, who is committed to the Division of 
Juvenile Justice and Youth Services for rehabilitation, in a facility operated by, or under 
contract with, the Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, that provides 24-hour 
supervision and confinement of the minor.
(73)
"Secure care facility" means a facility, established in accordance with Section 
80-5-503
, 
for juvenile offenders in secure care.
(74)
"Secure detention" means temporary care of a minor who requires secure custody in a 
physically restricting facility operated by, or under contract with, the Division of 
Juvenile Justice and Youth Services:
(a)
before disposition of an offense that is alleged to have been committed by the minor; 
or
(b)
under Section 
80-6-704
.
(75)
"Serious youth offender" means an individual who:
(a)
is at least 14 years old, but under 25 years old;
(b)
committed a felony listed in Subsection 
80-6-503
(1) and the continuing jurisdiction 
of the juvenile court was extended over the individual's case until the individual was 
25 years old in accordance with Section 
80-6-605
; and
(c)
is committed by the juvenile court to the Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth 
Services for secure care under Sections 
80-6-703
 and 
80-6-705
.
(76)
"Severe abuse" means abuse that causes or threatens to cause serious harm to a child.
(77)
"Severe neglect" means neglect that causes or threatens to cause serious harm to a 
child.
(78)
(a)
"Severe type of child abuse or neglect" means, except as provided in Subsection 
(78)(b):
(i)
if committed by an individual who is 18 years old or older:
(A)
chronic abuse;
(B)
severe abuse;
(C)
sexual abuse;
(D)
sexual exploitation;
(E)
abandonment;
(F)
chronic neglect; or
(G)
severe neglect; or
(ii)
if committed by an individual who is under 18 years old:
(A)
causing serious physical injury, as defined in Subsection 
76-5-109
(1), to 
another child that indicates a significant risk to other children; or
(B)
sexual behavior with or upon another child that indicates a significant risk to 
other children.
(b)
"Severe type of child abuse or neglect" does not include:
(i)
the use of reasonable and necessary physical restraint by an educator in 
accordance with 
Subsection 
53G-8-302
(2)
Section 
53G-8-301
 or Section 
76-2-401
;
(ii)
an individual's conduct that is justified under Section 
76-2-401
 or constitutes the 
use of reasonable and necessary physical restraint or force in self-defense or 
otherwise appropriate to the circumstances to obtain possession of a weapon or 
other dangerous object in the possession or under the control of a child or to 
protect the child or another individual from physical injury; or
(iii)
a health care decision made for a child by a child's parent or guardian, unless, 
subject to Subsection (78)(c), the state or other party to the proceeding shows, by 
clear and convincing evidence, that the health care decision is not reasonable and 
informed.
(c)
Subsection (78)(b)(iii) does not prohibit a parent or guardian from exercising the 
right to obtain a second health care opinion.
(79)
"Sexual abuse" means:
(a)
an act or attempted act of sexual intercourse, sodomy, incest, or molestation by an 
adult directed towards a child;
(b)
an act or attempted act of sexual intercourse, sodomy, incest, or molestation 
committed by a child towards another child if:
(i)
there is an indication of force or coercion;
(ii)
the children are related, as described in Subsection (39), including siblings by 
marriage while the marriage exists or by adoption;
(iii)
there have been repeated incidents of sexual contact between the two children, 
unless the children are 14 years old or older; or
(iv)
there is a disparity in chronological age of four or more years between the two 
children;
(c)
engaging in any conduct with a child that would constitute an offense under any of 
the following, regardless of whether the individual who engages in the conduct is 
actually charged with, or convicted of, the offense:
(i)
Title 76, Chapter 5, Part 4, Sexual Offenses, except for Section 
76-5-401
, if the 
alleged perpetrator of an offense described in Section 
76-5-401
 is a minor;
(ii)
child bigamy, Section 
76-7-101.5
;
(iii)
incest, Section 
76-7-102
;
(iv)
lewdness, Section 
76-9-702
;
(v)
sexual battery, Section 
76-9-702.1
;
(vi)
lewdness involving a child, Section 
76-9-702.5
; or
(vii)
voyeurism, Section 
76-9-702.7
; or
(d)
subjecting a child to participate in or threatening to subject a child to participate in a 
sexual relationship, regardless of whether that sexual relationship is part of a legal or 
cultural marriage.
(80)
"Sexual exploitation" means knowingly:
(a)
employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing any child to:
(i)
pose in the nude for the purpose of sexual arousal of any individual; or
(ii)
engage in any sexual or simulated sexual conduct for the purpose of 
photographing, filming, recording, or displaying in any way the sexual or 
simulated sexual conduct;
(b)
displaying, distributing, possessing for the purpose of distribution, or selling material 
depicting a child:
(i)
in the nude, for the purpose of sexual arousal of any individual; or
(ii)
engaging in sexual or simulated sexual conduct; or
(c)
engaging in any conduct that would constitute an offense under Section 
76-5b-201
, 
sexual exploitation of a minor, or Section 
76-5b-201.1
, aggravated sexual 
exploitation of a minor, regardless of whether the individual who engages in the 
conduct is actually charged with, or convicted of, the offense.
(81)
"Shelter" means the temporary care of a child in a physically unrestricted facility 
pending a disposition or transfer to another jurisdiction.
(82)
"Shelter facility" means a nonsecure facility that provides shelter for a minor.
(83)
"Significant risk" means a risk of harm that is determined to be significant in 
accordance with risk assessment tools and rules established by the Division of Child and 
Family Services in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative 
Rulemaking Act, that focus on:
(a)
age;
(b)
social factors;
(c)
emotional factors;
(d)
sexual factors;
(e)
intellectual factors;
(f)
family risk factors; and
(g)
other related considerations.
(84)
"Single criminal episode" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
76-1-401
.
(85)
"Status offense" means an offense that would not be an offense but for the age of the 
offender.
(86)
"Substance abuse" means, except as provided in Section 
80-2-603
, the misuse or 
excessive use of alcohol or other drugs or substances.
(87)
"Substantiated" or "substantiation" means a judicial finding based on a preponderance 
of the evidence, and separate consideration of each allegation made or identified in the 
case, that abuse, neglect, or dependency occurred .
(88)
"Substitute care" means:
(a)
the placement of a minor in a family home, group care facility, or other placement 
outside the minor's own home, either at the request of a parent or other responsible 
relative, or upon court order, when it is determined that continuation of care in the 
minor's own home would be contrary to the minor's welfare;
(b)
services provided for a minor in the protective custody of the Division of Child and 
Family Services, or a minor in the temporary custody or custody of the Division of 
Child and Family Services, as those terms are defined in Section 
80-2-102
; or
(c)
the licensing and supervision of a substitute care facility.
(89)
"Supported" means a finding by the Division of Child and Family Services based on 
the evidence available at the completion of an investigation, and separate consideration 
of each allegation made or identified during the investigation, that there is a reasonable 
basis to conclude that abuse, neglect, or dependency occurred.
(90)
"Termination of parental rights" means the permanent elimination of all parental rights 
and duties, including residual parental rights and duties, by court order.
(91)
"Therapist" means:
(a)
an individual employed by a state division or agency for the purpose of conducting 
psychological treatment and counseling of a minor in the division's or agency's 
custody; or
(b)
any other individual licensed or approved by the state for the purpose of conducting 
psychological treatment and counseling.
(92)
"Threatened harm" means actions, inactions, or credible verbal threats, indicating that 
the child is at an unreasonable risk of harm or neglect.
(93)
"Ungovernable" means a child in conflict with a parent or guardian, and the conflict:
(a)
results in behavior that is beyond the control or ability of the child, or the parent or 
guardian, to manage effectively;
(b)
poses a threat to the safety or well-being of the child, the child's family, or others; or
(c)
results in the situations described in Subsections (93)(a) and (b).
(94)
"Unsubstantiated" means a judicial finding that there is insufficient evidence to 
conclude that abuse, neglect, or dependency occurred.
(95)
"Unsupported" means a finding by the Division of Child and Family Services at the 
completion of an investigation, after the day on which the Division of Child and Family 
Services concludes the alleged abuse, neglect, or dependency is not without merit, that 
there is insufficient evidence to conclude that abuse, neglect, or dependency occurred.
(96)
"Validated risk and needs assessment" means an evidence-based tool that assesses a 
minor's risk of reoffending and a minor's criminogenic needs.
(97)
"Without merit" means a finding at the completion of an investigation by the Division 
of Child and Family Services, or a judicial finding, that the alleged abuse, neglect, or 
dependency did not occur, or that the alleged perpetrator was not responsible for the 
abuse, neglect, or dependency.
(98)
"Youth offender" means an individual who is:
(a)
at least 12 years old, but under 21 years old; and
(b)
committed by the juvenile court to the Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth 
Services for secure care under Sections 
80-6-703
 and 
80-6-705
.
Section 5, 
Repealer.
Prohibition of corporal punishment -- Use of reasonable and 
necessary physical restraint.
Investigation of complaint -- Confidentiality -- Immunity.
Liability.
Exception.
Section 6. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
3-7-25 10:56 PM