SB 187

 03-04 19:01  1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 187
                          Stephanie Pitcher proposes the following substitute bill:
1Renter Credit Reporting Amendments
                                            2026 GENERAL SESSION
                                               STATE OF UTAH
                                    Chief Sponsor: Stephanie Pitcher
                                                House Sponsor:
2
3   LONG TITLE
4   General Description:
5This bill enacts provisions relating to renter credit reporting.
6   Highlighted Provisions:
7This bill:
8▸ defines terms;
9▸ provides that a housing authority shall provide a renter an offer of rent reporting at the
10   time the housing authority and renter enter into a rental agreement;
11▸ provides that a housing authority shall provide an offer of rent reporting at least once
12   annually;
13▸ provides that a housing authority may charge a fee for rent reporting that may not exceed
14   the actual cost of the rent reporting;
15▸ provides the consequences for a renter failing to pay the fee for rent reporting;
16▸ provides that a renter may enroll and unenroll in rent reporting at any time during the
17   duration of the rental agreement;
       ▸ prohibits a renter from reenrolling in rent reporting for at least six months if the renter
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19   fails to pay the fee for rent reporting or the renter unenrolls in rent reporting; and
20▸ makes technical changes.
21   Money Appropriated in this Bill:
22None
23   Other Special Clauses:
24This bill provides a special effective date.
25   Utah Code Sections Affected:
26   AMENDS:
2763I-2-257, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2024, Third Special Session, Chapter 5
28   ENACTS:
  1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 187  03-04 19:01
2957-22-8, Utah Code Annotated 1953
30
31    Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
32Section 1. Section 57-22-8 is enacted to read:
3357-22-8 . Renter credit reporting.
34    (1) As used in this section:
35(a) "City of the first class" means a municipality designated as a city of the first class
36under Section 10-2-301.
37(b) "Housing authority" means a housing authority:
38(i) created:
39(A) in accordance with Section 53A-8-402; and
40(B) by a city of the first class; and
41(ii) that enters into a rental agreement with a renter Ŝ→ for a rental unit that is owned
41a  by the housing authority ←Ŝ .
42(c) "Nationwide consumer reporting agency" means the same as the term "consumer
43reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers on a nationwide
44basis" is defined in 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1681a(p).
45(d) "Offer of rent reporting" means a written statement that states:
46(i) that the housing authority reporting the renter's rent payments is optional;
47(ii) the nationwide consumer reporting agency to which the housing authority will
48report the renter's rent payments;
49(iii) if the housing authority will charge the renter a fee in accordance with
50Subsection (3), the dollar amount of the fee;
51(iv) that a renter may enroll and unenroll in rent reporting at any time during the
52duration of the rental agreement;
53(v) instructions on how the renter may enroll and unenroll in rent reporting; and
54(vi) if the renter opts out of rent reporting or fails to pay the fee described in
55Subsection (3), that the renter may not reenroll in rent reporting for six months
56after the day on which the renter opts out or fails to pay the fee.
57(e) "Rent reporting" means a service that a housing authority offers in which a renter
58may enroll where the housing authority reports each rent payment that a renter makes
59to a nationwide consumer reporting agency, regardless of whether that rent payment
60complies with the terms of the rental agreement.
61    (2) On or after July 1, 2026:
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 03-04 19:01  1st Sub. (Green) S.B. 187
62(a) at the time a housing authority enters into a rental agreement with a renter, the
63housing authority shall provide the renter an offer of rent reporting; and
64(b) at least once annually, a housing authority shall provide a renter an offer of rent
65reporting.
66   (3) A housing authority may charge a fee for reporting a renter's rent payment that may not
67exceed the housing authority's actual cost of reporting a renter's rent payment.
68   (4) If a renter fails to pay the fee described in Subsection (3), a housing authority:
69(a) may stop reporting the renter's rent payments; and
70(b) may not:
71(i) impose a fee for failing to pay the fee described in Subsection (3);
72(ii) treat the renter's failure to pay the fee described in Subsection (3) as a violation of
73the rental agreement; or
74(iii) treat the renter's failure to pay the fee described in Subsection (3) as grounds for
75evicting the renter.
76   (5) If a housing authority stops reporting the renter's rent payments in accordance with
77Subsection (4)(a), the renter may not reenroll in rent reporting for at least six months
78after the day on which the renter fails to pay the fee described in Subsection (3).
79   (6)(a) A renter may:
80(i) subject to Subsections (5) and (6)(b)(i), enroll and reenroll in rent reporting at any
81time during the duration of the rental agreement; and
82(ii) unenroll in rent reporting at any time during the duration of the rental agreement
83by submitting a written statement to the housing authority that states the renter
84opts out of rent reporting.
85(b) If a renter opts out of rent reporting in accordance with this Subsection (6):
86(i) the renter may not reenroll in rent reporting for six months after the day on which
87the renter opts out; and
88(ii) the housing authority may not report a rent payment the renter makes after the
89renter unenrolls from rent reporting unless the renter reenrolls in rent reporting.
90Section 2. Section 63I-2-257 is amended to read:
9163I-2-257 . Repeal dates: Title 57.
92      [Reserved.] Section 57-22-8, Renter credit reporting, is repealed December 31, 2027.
93Section 3. Effective Date.
94   This bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.
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