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Senate advances bill lengthening statute-of-repose for design professionals to 10 years
Summary
SB 92 would set a 10-year statute of repose for design-related claims and a 6-year rule for contractors; supporters say the change aligns Utah with other states and reduces indefinite liability for architects and engineers. The bill was amended and placed on the third-reading calendar.
The Senate moved Senate Bill 92 forward, a measure to reinstate and revise a statute of repose governing claims tied to improvements of real property.
Senator Craig A. Peterson, explaining the bill, said the measure re-establishes a time limit for design-related claims—proposed at 10 years—and preserves a 6-year time frame applicable to contractors. Peterson told colleagues that without a repose architects and engineers face indefinite records and liability exposure that could be cost-prohibitive.
Floor debate included questions about whether 10 years is sufficient (some suggested 12 or 14) and about how owner liability and warranties would interact with the new limits. Several senators declared conflicts of interest (noting law-firm or family ties to affected professions). After technical amendments were adopted, the committee report was accepted and the bill was placed on the third-reading calendar (reported 28 ayes, no nays, 1 absent).
What happens next: SB 92 will be considered on third reading; senators indicated they will defend the bill as consistent with statutes in other states and as balancing professional liability with public protection.
Vote recorded on floor: SB 92 reported 28 ayes, no nays, 1 absent.
