HB 271

Enrolled Copy  H.B. 271
1Multi-agency Joint Strike Force Modifications
  2026 GENERAL SESSION
  STATE OF UTAH
  Chief Sponsor: Kay J. Christofferson
  Senate Sponsor: Todd Weiler
2
3  LONG TITLE
4  General Description:
5      This bill addresses the multi-agency strike force.
6  Highlighted Provisions:
7      This bill:
8      ▸ adds metal theft to the list of criminal activity addressed by the multi-agency joint strike
9  force operated by the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Public Safety;
10      ▸ requires the joint strike force to provide an annual report on the number of catalytic
11  converter thefts and arrests to the State Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice to
12  be included in the public safety portal; and
13      ▸ makes technical changes.
14  Money Appropriated in this Bill:
15      None
16  Other Special Clauses:
17      None
18  Utah Code Sections Affected:
19  AMENDS:
20      63A-16-1002, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, First Special Session, Chapter 17
21      67-5-37, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 201
22
23  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24Section 1. Section 63A-16-1002 is amended to read:
2563A-16-1002 . Public safety portal.
26  (1) The commission shall oversee the creation and management of a public safety portal for
27      information and data required to be reported to the commission and accessible to all
28      criminal justice agencies in the state.
H.B. 271  Enrolled Copy
29   (2) The division shall assist with the development and management of the public safety
30portal.
31   (3) The division, in collaboration with the commission, shall create:
32(a) master standards and formats for information submitted to the public safety portal;
33(b) a gateway, bridge, website, or other method for reporting entities to provide the
34information;
35(c) a master data management index or system to assist in the retrieval of information
36from the public safety portal;
37(d) a protocol for accessing information in the public safety portal that complies with
38state privacy regulations; and
39(e) a protocol for real-time audit capability of all data accessed from the public safety
40portal by participating data source, data use entities, and regulators.
41   (4) The public safety portal shall be the repository for the statutorily required data described
42in:
43(a) Section 13-53-111, Recidivism reporting requirements;
44(b) Section 17-72-408, County jail reporting requirements;
45(c) Section 17E-2-201, Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils reporting;
46(d) Section 26B-1-427, Alcohol Abuse Tracking Committee;
47(e) Section 41-6a-511, Courts to collect and maintain data;
48(f) Section 53-10-118, Regarding driving under the influence data;
49(g) Section 53-25-301, Reporting requirements for reverse-location warrants;
50(h) Section 53-25-202, Sexual assault offense reporting requirements for law
51enforcement agencies;
52(i) Section 53E-3-516, School disciplinary and law enforcement action report;
53(j) Section 53-25-501, Reporting requirements for seized firearms;
54(k) Section 53-25-502, Law enforcement agency reporting requirements for certain
55firearm data;
56(l) Section 63M-7-214, Law enforcement agency grant reporting;
57(m) Section 63M-7-216, Prosecutorial data collection;
58(n) Section 63M-7-216.1, Prosecutorial data collection regarding certain prosecutions,
59dismissals, and declinations to prosecute;
60(o) Section 63M-7-220, Domestic violence data collection;
61(p) Section 64-14-204, Supervision of sentenced offenders placed in community;
62(q) Section 64-13-25, Standards for programs;
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Enrolled Copy  H.B. 271
63      (r) Section 64-13-45, Department reporting requirements;
64      (s) Section 64-13e-104, County correctional facility reimbursement program for state
65probationary inmates and state parole inmates;
66      (t) Section 67-5-37, regarding catalytic converter thefts and arrests;
67      [(t)] (u) Section 77-7-8.5, Use of tactical groups;
68      [(u)] (v) Section 77-11b-404, Forfeiture reporting requirements;
69      [(v)] (w) Section 77-20-103, Release data requirements;
70      [(w)] (x) Section 77-22-2.5, Court orders for criminal investigations;
71      [(x)] (y) Section 78A-2-109.5, Court data collection on criminal cases;
72      [(y)] (z) Section 80-6-104, Data collection on offenses committed by minors; and
73      [(z)] (aa) any other statutes that require the collection of specific data and the reporting of
74that data to the commission.
75  (5) Before October 1, 2025, the commission shall report all data collected to the Law
76      Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee.
77  (6) The commission may:
78      (a) enter into contracts with private or governmental entities to assist entities in
79complying with the data reporting requirements of Subsection (4); and
80      (b) make, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking
81Act, rules to administer this section, including establishing requirements and
82procedures for collecting the data described in Subsection (4).
83Section 2. Section 67-5-37 is amended to read:
8467-5-37 . Multi-agency joint strike force -- Joint Organized Retail Crime Unit.
85  (1) The Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Public Safety shall create and
86      coordinate the operation of a multi-agency joint strike force to combat criminal activity
87      that may have a negative impact on the state's economy.
88  (2) The attorney general and the Department of Public Safety shall invite federal, state, and
89      local law enforcement personnel to participate in the joint strike force to more
90      effectively utilize their combined skills, expertise, and resources.
91  (3) The joint strike force shall focus the joint strike force's efforts on detecting,
92      investigating, deterring, and eradicating criminal activity, described in Subsection (1),
93      within the state, including:
94      (a) organized retail crime[,] ;
95      (b) antitrust violations[,] ;
96      (c) intellectual property rights violations[,] ;
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 H.B. 271  Enrolled Copy
97(d) gambling[,] ;
98(e) metal theft, including the theft of an item for the item's scrap or resale metal value;
99and
100(f) the purchase of stolen goods for the purpose of reselling the stolen goods for profit.
101   (4) In conjunction with the joint strike force, the Office of the Attorney General and the
102Department of Public Safety shall establish the Joint Organized Retail Crime Unit for
103the purpose of:
104(a) investigating, apprehending, and prosecuting individuals or entities that participate in
105the purchase, sale, or distribution of stolen property; and
106(b) targeting individuals or entities that commit theft and other property crimes for
107financial gain.
108   (5)[(a)] The joint strike force shall provide an annual report to the Law Enforcement and
109Criminal Justice Interim Committee before December 1 that describes the joint strike
110force's activities and any recommendations for modifications to this section.
111[(b) The report described in Subsection (5)(a) shall include the number of catalytic
112converter thefts and arrests in Utah for the preceding calendar year, if reasonably
113available.]
114   (6) The joint strike force shall provide to the State Commission on Criminal and Juvenile
115Justice created in Section 63M-7-201, before December 1 of each year, the number of
116catalytic converter thefts and arrests in Utah for the preceding calendar year, if
117reasonably available.
118Section 3. Effective Date.
119   This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
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