UtahUtah routes regional employment payments through its probation and parole department
Utah routes regional employment incentive payments through its probation and parole department, which must devote 85% of each payment to regional services when funding is available.
What it does
The department overseeing probation and parole receives regional incentive payments when funding is available. It must use 85% for services in the region that earned the money.
Regional payments depend on employment results and available money. Both incentive payments are zero if the region's repeat-crime percentage rises from the previous fiscal year.
Annual reports track sustained, verified work and repeat crime among people on parole or felony probation. Employment rates include people whose supervision ended during the year.
Argument forRouting payments through the department could make responsibility for spending clearer while keeping most payment money dedicated to regional services.
Argument againstRegions with rising repeat crime could lose incentive money for rehabilitation services when people under supervision may need more help.
More detail
The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget authorizes regional incentive payments to the department that oversees probation and parole. Services cover people on parole or adult probation and can include treatment, job training, and supervision. The department may use 15% for program administration and must use 85% for services in the region that earned the payment. Spending depends on legislative funding. This law sets aside no additional money. The law took effect on May 6, 2026.
The state budget office calculates regional incentive payments based on employment results. The formulas cover regional results for people on parole or probation for a felony. The employment-rate payment is zero unless the combined parole and felony-probation employment rates exceed their combined 2023–2025 averages. A positive difference is multiplied by the region's average daily supervised population and $2,500. A separate payment uses $2,500 per counted person who successfully finishes supervision and meets the six-month work requirement. For parole, work must cover the entire final six months. The felony-probation clause instead refers to parole ending, leaving its work period unclear. Both payments are zero if the region's repeat-crime percentage rises from the previous fiscal year. Payments are reduced proportionally if account money falls short. Payment calculations follow annual reports beginning in July 2026 and use results from the preceding fiscal year.
The probation and parole department reports employment results, repeat-crime percentages, successful completions, and changes to supervision programs. Reports cover each region and the state. Each employment rate uses people still supervised at fiscal year-end plus those whose supervision ended during that year. Counted employment requires at least 130 verified work hours in a 30-day period. Employment rates count people who worked for at least nine months in a one-year period, with some of those months in the preceding fiscal year. Repeat crime means a conviction for a crime committed on or after supervision began; the definition does not require the crime to occur before supervision ends. Reporting begins in July 2026 and repeats each July, covering the preceding fiscal year.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 23Governor Spencer Cox SignedBecame Law
- Mar 13Senate/ to GovernorTo Governor
- Mar 13Senate/ received enrolled bill from PrintingMinor
- Mar 12Senate/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 12Enrolled Bill Returned to House or SenateMinor
- Mar 10Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
- Mar 10Bill Received from Senate for EnrollingMinor
- Mar 10Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrollingMajor
- Mar 10Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Mar 7House/ to Senate
- Vote recorded House/ passed 3rd reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 7House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to SenateMajor
- Mar 7House/ passed 3rd readingPassed House
- Mar 7House/ 3rd readingMinor
- Mar 6House/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
- Mar 5House/ 3rd Reading Calendar to Rules [House Rules Committee]Minor
- Mar 5House/ 2nd readingMinor
- Mar 5House/ committee report favorable [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]Minor
- Mar 4House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]Minor
- Mar 4House/ to standing committee [House Business, Labor, and Commerce Committee]Minor
- Mar 4House/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Mar 3House/ received from SenateMinor
- Vote recorded Senate/ passed 3rd reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 3Senate/ to House
- Mar 3Senate/ passed 3rd readingPassed Senate
- Mar 3Senate/ 3rd readingMinor
- Mar 2Senate/ passed 2nd readingMinor
- Vote recorded Senate/ passed 2nd reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 2Senate/ 2nd readingMinor
- Feb 25Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 25Senate/ committee report favorable [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]Minor
- Feb 24Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]Minor
- Feb 23Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee]Minor
- Feb 23Senate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal AnalystMinor
- Feb 23LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0313
- Feb 23LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0313
- Feb 20Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Feb 20Senate/ received bill from Legislative ResearchMinor
- Feb 20LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0313
- Feb 20LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0313
- Feb 20Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 20Bill Numbered but not DistributedIntroduced
Criminal Justice