House passes tougher criminal penalties for evading police, requires pursuit policies

The Utah House passed substitute Senate Bill 79 after floor debate and recorded action. The bill requires law enforcement to use both audible and visible signals when initiating high‑speed pursuits, mandates written pursuit policies and training, increases penalties for evading police and creates forfeiture and license‑revocation provisions.

The floor sponsor said the bill responds to a string of serious high‑speed pursuits that have produced injuries and fatalities; supporters listed backing from the Attorney General's Office, the Department of Public Safety, the Utah Highway Patrol and the Utah League of Cities and Towns. The bill raises the offense for evading an officer from a misdemeanor to a third‑degree felony in some cases with a minimum mandatory fine, and would increase penalties to a second‑degree felony with a minimum mandatory fine if death or serious bodily injury results. "Those penalties increase from a class a misdemeanor to a third degree felony with a minimum mandatory fine of a thousand dollars," the sponsor said on the floor.

The bill also authorizes forfeiture of vehicles used to evade officers (with exceptions for innocent owners) and directs forfeiture proceeds toward officer training and public education about the risks of fleeing. Some members sought to restore language exempting conduct that "does not endanger life or property," but that amendment was withdrawn after discussion about pursuit‑policy standardization.

The measure passed the House and will be forwarded to the Senate with the House’s action noted in the journal.