Utah 2026 General Session Status: Enacted 2 R cosponsors

HB 259 — Parental Access to Children's Medical Records Amendments

Last action — Governor Signed

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 14, 2026. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Spencer Cox (Republican) on March 26, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 54% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 R).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

84 added · 100 removed

Plain-language change summary

The changes made to Bill HB 259 clarify that both parents and guardians will have access to a child's medical records, rather than just parents. This is important because it ensures that all legal caregivers can access necessary health information, which can be critical for making informed medical decisions for the child. Additionally, the bill mandates that healthcare facilities must provide these records free of charge under certain circumstances, promoting greater access to healthcare information.

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HB0259S06 compared with HB0259 {Omitted text} shows text that was in HB0259 but was omitted in HB0259S06 inserted text shows text that was not in HB0259 but was inserted into HB0259S06 DISCLAIMER:
Enrolled Copy H.B.
This document is provided to assist you in your comparison of the two bills.
259 Parental Access to Children's Medical Records Amendments GENERAL SESSION STATE OF UTAH Chief Sponsor:
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.
Parental Access to Children's Medical Records Amendments GENERAL SESSION STATE OF UTAH Chief Sponsor:
Petersen Senate Sponsor:Brady Brammer 3 LONG TITLE General Description:
Petersen Senate Sponsor:
This bill amends provisions related to parent {and guardian } access to a minor's medical record.
Brady Brammer 3 LONG TITLE General Description:
This bill amends provisions related to parent access to a minor's medical record.
▸ requires a health care facility to ensure that a {minor's } child's parent {or guardian } has access to the {minor's } child's electronic health record unless certain circumstances are met{.} ;
▸ requires a health care facility to ensure that a child's parent has access to the child's electronic health record unless certain circumstances are met;
and ▸ requires a health care facility to provide medical records free of charge under certHin circumstances.
and ▸ requires a health care facility to provide medical records free of charge under certain circumstances.
B Money Appropriated in this Bill:
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
2 None 5 HB0259 compared with HB0259S06 Other Special Clauses:
None Other Special Clauses:
26B-1-335 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 268 ENACTS:
26B-1-335, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 268 ENACTS:
26B-2-244 , Utah Code Annotated 1953 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
26B-2-244, Utah Code Annotated 1953 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1.
H.B.
259 Enrolled Copy Section 1.
26B-1-335.
26B-1-335 .
Section 2 is enacted to read:
Section 26B-2-244 is enacted to read:
26B-2-244.
26B-2-244 .
{Electronic health } Medical record accessfor children.
Medical record access for children.
(1){(a)} {As used this section, "minor} "Child" means an individual under the age of 18 years old.
(a) "Child" means an individual under the age of 18 years old.
{(2) {Except as provided in Subsection (3), a health care facility shall ensure that any electronic health record system used by the health care facility to store electronic health records of a minor allows a minor's parent or guardian full and complete unrestricted access to the minor's electronic health record without obtaining another person's consent to access the electronic health record.} } - 2 - HB0259 compared with HB0259S06 {(3) } (b) "Electronic medical record system" means an electronic system for maintaining medical records in a clinical setting.
(b) "Electronic medical record system" means an electronic system for maintaining medical records in a clinical setting.
(3) (a) Subject to Subsection (3)(b), a health care facility may not restrict a parent's {or guardian's } access to {an } the electronic {health } medical record {if } of the {health record is restricted under state law, federal law, or a court order} parent's child.
- 2 - Enrolled Copy H.B.
259 (3)(a) Subject to Subsection (3)(b), a health care facility may not restrict a parent's access to the electronic medical record of the parent's child.
and (b){(ii)} {A health care facility may } only restrict access to the {part } portion of the electronic {health } medical record that {is } would be restricted under {state law, federal law, or a court order} Subsection (2).
and (ii) only restrict access to the portion of the electronic medical record that would be restricted under Subsection (2).
(5) - 3 - HB0259 compared with HB0259S06 (a) Subject to Subsection (5)(f), a health care facility in violation of Subsection (3) is subject to a $1,000 civil fine for each day the health care facility does not comply with Subsection (3) after December 31, 2027.
(5)(a) Subject to Subsection (5)(f), a health care facility in violation of Subsection (3) is subject to a $1,000 civil fine for each day the health care facility does not comply with Subsection (3) after December 31, 2027.
(6) (a) A health care facility shall:
(6)(a) A health care facility shall:
and (ii) upon request, provide the parent medical records.
and - 3 - H.B.
259 Enrolled Copy (ii) upon request, provide the parent medical records.
They must be provided within five business days or a $1,000 fine applies per Utah Code Section 26B-2-244." - 4 - HB0259 compared with HB0259S06 (7) A fine collected under this section shall be deposited into the fund described in Section 26B-1-335.
They must be provided within five business days or a $1,000 fine applies per Utah Code Section 26B-2-244." (7) A fine collected under this section shall be deposited into the fund described in Section 26B-1-335.
Effective date.
3-5-26 9:52 AM - 5 -
- 4 -
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Amendments

3 amendments

Click Show changes on an amendment above to see how it modifies the bill.

Action History

  1. Governor Signed

  2. House/ to Governor

  3. House/ received enrolled bill from Printing

  4. House/ enrolled bill to Printing

  5. Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate

  6. Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared

  7. Bill Received from House for Enrolling

  8. House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling

  9. House/ received from Senate

  10. Senate/ to House

  11. Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House

  12. Senate/ received from House

  13. House/ to Senate

  14. House/ concurs with Senate amendment

  15. House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar

  16. House/ received from Senate

  17. Senate/ to House with amendments

  18. Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension

  19. Senate/ substituted

  20. Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension

  21. Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar

  22. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0259S06

  23. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0259S06

  24. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0259S06

  25. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0259S06

  26. Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules [Senate Rules Committee]

  27. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0259S05

  28. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0259S05

  29. Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar

  30. Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted/ amended [Senate Business and Labor Committee]

  31. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0259S04

  32. Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Business and Labor Committee]

  33. Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation [Senate Business and Labor Committee]

  34. Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation [Senate Business and Labor Committee]

  35. Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation [Senate Business and Labor Committee]

  36. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0259S05

  37. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0259S05

  38. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0259S04

  39. Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Business and Labor Committee]

  40. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0259S04

  41. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0259S04

  42. Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)

  43. Senate/ received from House

  44. House/ to Senate

  45. House/ passed 3rd reading

  46. House/ substituted

  47. House/ uncircled

  48. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0259S03

  49. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0259S03

  50. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0259S03

  51. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0259S03

  52. House/ circled

  53. House/ 3rd reading

  54. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0259S02

  55. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0259S02

  56. House/ 2nd reading

  57. House/ comm rpt/ substituted [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]

  58. House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]

  59. House Comm - Substitute Recommendation [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]

  60. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0259S02

  61. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0259S02

  62. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0259S01

  63. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0259S01

  64. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0259S01

  65. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0259S01

  66. House/ to standing committee [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]

  67. House/ 1st reading (Introduced)

  68. House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst

  69. House/ received bill from Legislative Research

  70. LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0259

  71. LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0259

  72. LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0259

  73. LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0259

  74. Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed

  75. 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

healthcare health-insurance
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 259?
HB 259 is sponsored by Brady Brammer (Republican) and Michael J. Petersen (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 259?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 14, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 259?
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