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House passes guardianship amendments tightening court role, allowing fee awards for frivolous school objections
Summary
The House passed first substitute HB 355 to refine legal guardianship procedures, clarifying when school districts may object to out‑of‑state guardianships and permitting courts to award attorney fees if a district’s objection lacks a reasonable basis; the bill passed 43–26 and will go to the Senate.
The Utah House on March 1 approved first substitute House Bill 355, a package of technical and substantive changes to legal-guardianship law that sponsors say will protect children and reduce repetitive litigation. The bill, sponsored on the floor by Representative Stephen Sandstrom, passed 43–26 and will be transmitted to the Senate.
Sponsor Stephen Sandstrom told colleagues the bill ‘‘just makes some minor changes to legal guardianship provisions that we have here in the state of Utah,’’ including language designed to let courts, not school districts, make final custody and residency determinations for out‑of‑state children living with Utah guardians. Sandstrom said the…
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