Utah 2026 General Session Status: To Executive Bipartisan · 1 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 264 — Elected Official Publicity Amendments

Last action — Senate/ filed

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced February 06, 2026. It awaits signature.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 62% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (1 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

64 added · 50 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SB 264 allows for an exception to the existing 60-day restriction on publicly funded mass communications. Specifically, it permits public officials' photographs to appear in public entity newsletters as part of a neutral candidate profile, as long as it includes multiple candidates and does not promote or oppose any specific candidacy. This change is significant because it provides a way for voters to receive information about candidates while adhering to public funding rules, fostering transparency during election periods.

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Latest
02-27 14:53 1st Sub.
SB0264S01 compared with SB0264 {Omitted text} shows text that was in SB0264 but was omitted in SB0264S01 inserted text shows text that was not in SB0264 but was inserted into SB0264S01 DISCLAIMER:
(Green) S.B.
This document is provided to assist you in your comparison of the two bills.
264 Stephanie Pitcher proposes the following substitute bill:
Sometimes this automated comparison will NOT be completely accurate.
Therefore, you need to read the actual bills.
This automatically generated document could contain inaccuracies caused by:
limitations of the compare program;
bad input data;
or other causes.
Jason B.
3 LONG TITLE General Description:
Kyle 3 LONG TITLE General Description:
This bill creates an exception to {a } the 60-day restriction on certain publicly funded mass communications.
This bill creates an exception to the 60-day restriction on certain publicly funded mass communications.
▸ creates an exception to the 60-day restriction on certain publicly funded mass communications to permit a public official's photograph to appear in a regularly published public entity newsletter as part of a neutral, uniformly displayed candidate profile that does not promote or oppose any candidacy;
▸ creates an exception to the 60-day restriction on certain publicly funded mass communications {for } to permit a public official's photograph to appear in a regularly published public entity newsletter as part of a neutral, {informational communications } uniformly displayed candidate profile that {include more than one individual related to an elective office } does not promote or {governing body} oppose any candidacy;
None Other Special Clauses:
None S B Other Special Clauses:
None Utah Code Sections Affected:
2 None 6 SB0264 compared with SB0264S01 Utah Code Sections Affected:
1 t AMENDS:
AMENDS:
S 20A-11-1203.5, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 96 u b .
20A-11-1203.5 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 96 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1.
S Section 1.
B .
20A-11-1203.5.
20A-11-1203.5 .
Public official prohibited from expending public funds on certain communications.
Public official prohibited from expending public funds on 2 certain communications.
(1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), a public official may not make an expenditure from public funds for a billboard or mass communication that:
4 (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), a public official may not make an expenditure from public funds for a billboard or mass communication that:
(a) (i) includes a photograph, image, or likeness of the public official;
(a)(i) includes a photograph, image, or likeness of the public official;
or (ii) contains the name of the public official in a font size that is larger than any other font size on the billboard or mass communication;
or (ii) contains the name of the public official in a font size that is larger than any other 1st Sub.
(Green) S.B.
264 02-27 14:53 font size on the billboard or mass communication;
(A) is displayed in the same time, place, and manner as the profiles of all other candidates for the elective office for which the public official is a candidate;
(i){(A)} is {informational } displayed in {nature } the same time, place, and {relates to an } manner as the profiles of all other candidates for the elective office {or governing body;} for which the public official is a candidate;
and (B) does not promote or oppose any individual's candidacy.
and - 2 - SB0264 compared with SB0264S01 {(ii) {includes the names of more than one individual who:} } {(A) {holds or seeks the elective office;
Section 2.
or} } {(B) {is a member of the governing body;
and} } (B) does not promote or oppose any individual's candidacy.
{(iii)} {{presents each individual described in Subsection (2)(e)(ii) in a substantially similar manner, without promoting or opposing any individual's candidacy for, or election to, an elective office.} } Section 2.
Effective date.
- 2 -
2-13-26 4:29 PM - 3 -
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View plain text versions (3)

How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

Compared against the Utah Code as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill adds an exception allowing public officials to include their photographs in regularly published newsletters without violating the 60-day restriction on mass communications before elections.

  • 20A-11-1203.5

    the public official is legally required to mail the mass communication[.] ; → the mass communication: (i) is an informational newsletter or similar communication that a public entity regularly publishes outside the period described in Subsection (1)(b); and (ii) fails to comply with Subsection (1) solely because the mass communication includes a photograph of the public official as part of a candidate profile that: (A) is displayed in the same time, place, and manner as the profiles of all other candidates for the elective office for which the public official is a candidate; and (B) does not promote or oppose any individual's candidacy.

    This change allows public officials to include their photographs in newsletters as long as the content is neutral and includes other candidates.

  • 20A-11-1203.5

    the mass communication is a news release sent to a news media organization; [or]

    This change removes the option for public officials to use news releases as a permissible reason for mass communications within the restricted period.

Action History

  1. Senate/ filed

  2. Senate/ received from House

  3. House/ to Senate

  4. House/ strike enacting clause

  5. House/ 1st reading (Introduced)

  6. House/ received from Senate

  7. Senate/ to House

  8. Senate/ passed 3rd reading

  9. Senate/ uncircled

  10. Senate/ circled

  11. Senate/ 3rd reading

  12. Senate/ passed 2nd reading

  13. Senate/ 2nd reading

  14. Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar

  15. Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted [Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee]

  16. Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee]

  17. Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation [Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee]

  18. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0264S01

  19. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0264S01

  20. Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee]

  21. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0264S01

  22. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0264S01

  23. Senate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst

  24. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0264

  25. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0264

  26. Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)

  27. Senate/ received bill from Legislative Research

  28. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0264

  29. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0264

  30. Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed

  31. Bill Numbered but not Distributed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 102 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (102)

102 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 102 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety elections technology
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 264?
SB 264 is sponsored by Jason B. Kyle (Republican) and Stephanie Pitcher (Democrat).
What is the current status of SB 264?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced February 06, 2026. It awaits signature.
Where can I track SB 264?
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