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Utah House passes amendment to bigamy statute after hours of debate
Summary
The Utah House on March 1 passed House Bill 281, a narrowly framed change to the state's bigamy statute prompted by pending federal litigation. Lawmakers adopted a substitute amendment after extended floor debate over whether the offense should remain a felony.
The Utah House passed House Bill 281 on March 1, adopting a substitute amendment that narrows criminal liability under the state's bigamy law after several hours of floor debate. Representative Noel moved the bill back onto the floor, saying the change responds directly to a federal case challenging portions of the statute.
The bill's central change is a one-word clarification that requires prosecutors to prove both cohabitation and an assertion of marriage fraud, rather than only one or the other. Representative Noel described the amendment as a technical change prompted by litigation and said it would "narrow criminal liability as only applicable to those who both engage in multiple…
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