UtahUtah shelters may temporarily add beds with local approval
Utah law allows approved shelters to temporarily add beds, and community groups may receive peer-support grants if lawmakers provide funding.
What it does
Shelters may temporarily add beds, up to 135% of their designated capacity, if the municipality approves and the shelter follows building and fire codes.
Community groups may receive grants for peer support if lawmakers provide funding; priority goes to areas that often lack behavioral health providers.
With state funding, a family outreach specialist will contact relatives after a suicide or overdose death, offer bereavement care, and help the medical examiner with prevention work.
Argument forIf funding continues, grants could help community groups offer peer support in areas with frequent shortages of behavioral health providers.
Argument againstMunicipal approval and safety rules could keep some shelters from adding beds when more people need a place to stay.
More detail
A shelter provider may temporarily raise a congregate shelter’s bed limit to 135% of its designated capacity. This applies to congregate shelters serving people experiencing homelessness. The provider must tell the state office and get written approval from the municipality where the shelter is located. The shelter must follow state and local building and fire codes; the municipality may set reasonable conditions for safety, coordination, or neighborhood impacts. Shelters may not use the expanded capacity after April 30, 2027. Starting May 1, 2027, they must return to the capacity in their permits unless the municipality allows otherwise.
The division shall award grants to community groups that provide peer support services. Eligible groups are community organizations providing low-barrier, nonclinical support through people with similar lived experience to people recovering from mental health or substance use disorders. The grants depend on money appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose. The division shall give priority to grants that would increase peer support in areas with frequent mental health or behavioral health provider shortages. The division shall make rules for applying for and awarding grants. No application deadline is stated.
The department shall pay a family outreach specialist to support relatives after a suicide or overdose death and assist the medical examiner. The outreach is for relatives or a legal guardian of someone who recently died by suicide or overdose. The specialist may receive compensation only with money appropriated for this purpose. The specialist’s work includes contacting relatives or a legal guardian, gathering information, offering bereavement care, and helping with prevention and death data work. The provision takes effect May 6, 2026; the Legislature appropriated $300,000 for the specialist for fiscal year 2027.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 25Governor Spencer Cox SignedBecame Law
- Mar 17House/ to GovernorTo Governor
- Mar 17House/ received enrolled bill from PrintingMinor
- Mar 11House/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11Enrolled Bill Returned to House or SenateMinor
- Mar 6Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
- Mar 6Bill Received from House for EnrollingMinor
- Mar 6House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrollingMajor
- Mar 6House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 5Senate/ to House
- Vote recorded House/ concurs with Senate amendment. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5Senate/ signed by President/ returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 5Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Mar 5House/ to Senate
- Mar 5House/ concurs with Senate amendmentMajor
- Mar 5House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 5House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 5Senate/ to House with amendments
- Mar 5Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspensionPassed Senate
- Mar 5Senate/ floor amendment
- Mar 5Senate/ substituted
- Mar 5Senate/ uncircled
- Mar 5LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0572S06
- Mar 5LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0572S06
- Mar 5LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0572S05
- Mar 4LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0572S06
- Mar 4LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0572S06
- Mar 4LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0572S05
- Mar 4Senate/ circled
- Mar 4Senate/ floor amendment
- Mar 4Senate/ substituted
- Mar 4Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspensionMinor
- Mar 4Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted [Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]
- Mar 4LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0572S05
- Mar 4LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0572S05
- Mar 4LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0572S04
- Mar 4Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Minor
- Mar 4Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation [Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Major
- Mar 3LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0572S04
- Mar 3LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0572S04
- Mar 2Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Minor
- Mar 2LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0572S03
- Mar 2LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0572S03
- Mar 2Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Mar 2Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Feb 27House/ to Senate
- Vote recorded House/ passed 3rd reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 27House/ passed 3rd readingPassed House
- Feb 27House/ substituted
- Feb 27House/ uncircled
- Feb 27House/ circled
- Feb 27House/ 3rd readingMinor
- Feb 27LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0572S03
- Feb 27LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0572S03
- Feb 27LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0572S02
- Feb 27LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0572S02
- Feb 26LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0572S01
- Feb 26LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0572S01
- Feb 25House/ 2nd readingMinor
- Feb 25House/ comm rpt/ substituted [House Health and Human Services Committee]
- Feb 25House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Health and Human Services Committee]Minor
- Feb 25House Comm - Substitute Recommendation [House Health and Human Services Committee]Major
- Feb 24LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0572S02
- Feb 24LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0572S02
- Feb 24LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0572S01
- Feb 24LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0572S01
- Feb 20House/ to standing committee [House Health and Human Services Committee]Minor
- Feb 19House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal AnalystMinor
- Feb 19LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0572
- Feb 18LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0572
- Feb 17House/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Feb 17House/ received bill from Legislative ResearchMinor
- Feb 16LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0572
- Feb 16LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0572
- Feb 16Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 16Bill Numbered but not DistributedIntroduced
HousingMental Health