Utah House passes package of bills including firearms, reintegration and child-protection measures; water policy cleared

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House of Representatives on Feb. 3 approved a group of bills spanning firearms law, offender reintegration, juror eligibility, criminal conduct relating to child exploitation, and state water policy.

House Bill 133, titled “Dangerous Weapons Amendments,” drew the longest debate on the floor before passing 56–13. Representative Lisonbee, the bill sponsor, said the measure largely recodifies existing provisions and clarifies areas of code that were “extremely unclear or inconsistent.” He told colleagues the changes “align with legislative intent to protect Utahns in exercising their Second Amendment rights.”

The bill would make technical changes in the state’s firearm code, clarify tenants’ rights to lawfully possess firearms in residences, and—by the version presented on the floor—allow 18-to-20-year-olds to open carry in places where permitless carry is legal. Representative Bennion raised safety concerns tied to youth violence and provided state-level statistics, saying Utah’s gun death rate and costs of gun violence were matters of public concern. Representative Owens also opposed allowing 18-to-20-year-olds broader open-carry privileges, citing higher homicide and suicide rates in that age cohort. After debate, the House passed HB133 and transmitted it to the Senate.

Other bills approved included…