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<leg xml:space="preserve" billnum="HB0091" sponsor="Grant Amjad Miller" designation="HB" otherSponsor="" otherHouse="Senate" sess="2026GS" fileno="2026FL0408" date="12/29/2025 10:12:143" printDate="12-29 10:20" subVer="0" minVer="0" office="LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL" actionDate="" impact="code"><info><nextbuid>3</nextbuid><aminfo anum="0" effdate="05/06/2026"><seclist><sect action="A" src="code" buid="1" uid="C78B-22-S202_2026050620260506" fromuid="C78B-22-S202_2021111020211116" sort="78B22 02020020260506" mtype="section" effdate="05/06/2026">78B-22-202</sect><sect src="uncod" untype="effdate" buid="2" uid="EF0000" sort="UZEFF" mtype="uncod" effdate="05/06/2026"/></seclist></aminfo></info><tbox><sinfo><nextpairid>0</nextpairid></sinfo><st numlevel="1" lineno="1" slineno="0-1">Presumption of Indigency Amendments</st><sessionhead>2026 GENERAL SESSION</sessionhead><statehead>STATE OF UTAH</statehead><sponsorhead>Chief Sponsor: Grant Amjad Miller</sponsorhead><otherSponsorhead>Senate Sponsor: </otherSponsorhead></tbox><lt numlevel="1" lineno="2" slineno="0-2"><lthead lineno="3">LONG TITLE</lthead><gdhead lineno="4">General Description:</gdhead><gd numlevel="1" lineno="5" slineno="0-5">This bill addresses a court's determination of indigency.</gd><hphead lineno="6">Highlighted Provisions:</hphead><hp numlevel="1" lineno="7" slineno="0-7">This bill:<hl numlevel="1" lineno="8" slineno="0-8" level="1">requires a court to presume that an individual is indigent if:<hl numlevel="1" lineno="9" slineno="0-9" level="2">the individual is currently incarcerated; and</hl><hl numlevel="1" lineno="10" slineno="0-10" level="2">the court determines that the period of the individual's incarceration totals or will total <ln numlevel="1" lineno="11" slineno="0-11"/>at least 10 consecutive days.</hl></hl></hp><moni numlevel="1" lineno="12" slineno="0-12" display="none">Money Appropriated in this Bill:</moni><moniNone lineno="13">None</moniNone><oc numlevel="1" lineno="14" slineno="0-14">Other Special Clauses:</oc><ocNone lineno="15">None</ocNone><sa numlevel="1" lineno="16" slineno="0-16">Utah Code Sections Affected:<saamd numlevel="1" lineno="17" slineno="0-17"><snhead>AMENDS:</snhead><sn num="78B-22-202" src="code" uid="C78B-22-S202_2026050620260506" buid="1" sort="78B22 02020020260506" numlevel="1" lineno="18" slineno="0-18"><bold>78B-22-202</bold>, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2021, Second Special Session, Chapter 4</sn></saamd></sa></lt><enacthead lineno="19"/><enact numlevel="1" lineno="20" slineno="0-20">Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:</enact><bdy><bsec buid="1" num="78B-22-202" type="amend" src="code" uid="C78B-22-S202_2026050620260506" sort="78B22 02020020260506" numlevel="1" lineno="21" slineno="1-1" sn="1"><section number="78B-22-202" numlevel="1" lineno="22" slineno="1-2" type="amend"><secline lineno="21">Section 1. Section <bold>78B-22-202</bold> is amended to read:</secline><catline lineno="22"><bold>78B-22-202<parens/>. Determining indigency.</bold></catline><subsection ssid="1-null-1" dnum="1-o" numlevel="1" lineno="23" slineno="1-3" level="1" placement="noreturn"><display>(1)</display>A court shall find an individual indigent if the individual:<subsection ssid="1-null-2" dnum="a-o" numlevel="1" lineno="24" slineno="1-4" level="2"><display>(a)</display>has an income level at or below 150% of the United States poverty level as defined <ln numlevel="1" lineno="25" slineno="1-5"/>by the most recent poverty income guidelines published by the United States <ln numlevel="1" lineno="26" slineno="1-6"/>Department of Health and Human Services; or</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-3" dnum="b-o" numlevel="1" lineno="27" slineno="1-7" level="2"><display>(b)</display>has insufficient income or other means to pay for legal counsel and the necessary <ln numlevel="1" lineno="28" slineno="1-8"/>expenses of representation without depriving the individual or the individual's family <ln numlevel="1" lineno="29" slineno="1-9"/>of food, shelter, clothing, or other necessities, considering:<subsection ssid="1-null-4" dnum="i-o" numlevel="1" lineno="30" slineno="1-10" level="3"><display>(i)</display>the individual's ownership of, or any interest in, personal or real property;</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-5" dnum="ii-o" numlevel="1" lineno="31" slineno="1-11" level="3"><display>(ii)</display>the amount of debt owed by the individual or that might reasonably be incurred <ln numlevel="1" lineno="32" slineno="1-12"/>by the individual because of illness or other needs within the individual's family;</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-6" dnum="iii-o" numlevel="1" lineno="33" slineno="1-13" level="3"><display>(iii)</display>the number, ages, and relationships of any dependents;</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-7" dnum="iv-o" numlevel="1" lineno="34" slineno="1-14" level="3"><display>(iv)</display>the probable expense and burden of defending the case;</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-8" dnum="v-o" numlevel="1" lineno="35" slineno="1-15" level="3"><display>(v)</display>the reasonableness of fees and expenses charged by an attorney and the scope of <ln numlevel="1" lineno="36" slineno="1-16"/>representation undertaken when represented by privately retained defense counsel; <ln numlevel="1" lineno="37" slineno="1-17"/>and</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-9" dnum="vi-o" numlevel="1" lineno="38" slineno="1-18" level="3"><display>(vi)</display>any other factor the court considers relevant.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-22" dnum="_-o:2-i" numlevel="1" lineno="39" slineno="1-19" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="jchristopherson" style="1" level="1"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1009" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="start">(2)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="11" groupid="5" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="end">A court shall presume an individual indigent if:</amend><subsection ssid="1-24" dnum="_-o:a-i" numlevel="1" lineno="40" slineno="1-20" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="jchristopherson" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1010" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="start">(a)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="21" groupid="13" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="end">the individual is incarcerated in a jail, prison, or other holding facility; and</amend></subsection><subsection ssid="1-25" dnum="_-o:b-i" numlevel="1" lineno="41" slineno="1-21" ea="amend" anum="0" owner="jchristopherson" style="1" level="2"><display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1011" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="start">(b)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="16" groupid="9" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="end">the court determines that the current period of incarceration totals or will total at <ln numlevel="1" lineno="42" slineno="1-22"/>least 10 consecutive days.</amend></subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-10" dnum="2-o:3-i" numlevel="1" lineno="43" slineno="1-23" level="1"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1012" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="both">(2)</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1013" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">(3)</amend></display>Notwithstanding Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="78B-22-202(1)" start="0">(1)</xref>, a court may not find an individual indigent if the <ln numlevel="1" lineno="44" slineno="1-24"/>individual transferred or otherwise disposed of assets since the commission of the <ln numlevel="1" lineno="45" slineno="1-25"/>offense with the intent of becoming eligible to receive indigent defense services.</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-11" dnum="3-o:4-i" numlevel="1" lineno="46" slineno="1-26" level="1" space="false"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1013" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="both">(3)</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1014" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">(4)</amend></display><subsection ssid="1-null-12" dnum="a-o" level="2" placement="sameline"><display>(a)</display>The court may:<subsection ssid="1-null-13" dnum="i-o" numlevel="1" lineno="47" slineno="1-27" level="3" tab="1"><display>(i)</display>make a finding of indigency at any time; and</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-14" dnum="ii-o" numlevel="1" lineno="48" slineno="1-28" level="3" tab="1"><display>(ii)</display>rely on information contained in an affidavit of indigency described in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="78B-22-201.5" start="0"><ln numlevel="1" lineno="49" slineno="1-29"/>78B-22-201.5</xref> in making a finding about whether an individual is an indigent <ln numlevel="1" lineno="50" slineno="1-30"/>individual.</subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-15" dnum="b-o" numlevel="1" lineno="51" slineno="1-31" level="2"><display>(b)</display>An individual's inability to submit, or to provide the information required in, an <ln numlevel="1" lineno="52" slineno="1-32"/>affidavit of indigency under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="78B-22-201.5" start="0">78B-22-201.5</xref> does not preclude a court from:<subsection ssid="1-null-16" dnum="i-o" numlevel="1" lineno="53" slineno="1-33" level="3"><display>(i)</display>making a finding about whether an individual is an indigent individual under this <ln numlevel="1" lineno="54" slineno="1-34"/>section; or</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-17" dnum="ii-o" numlevel="1" lineno="55" slineno="1-35" level="3"><display>(ii)</display>appointing an indigent defense service provider under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="78B-22-203" start="0">78B-22-203</xref>.</subsection></subsection></subsection></section></bsec><bsec buid="2" type="uncod" untype="effdate" src="uncod" uid="EF0000" sort="UZEFF" langlock="true" numlevel="1" lineno="56" slineno="2-1" sn="2"><section type="uncod" untype="effdate" display="false" src="uncod"><secline lineno="56">Section 2.  <bold>Effective Date.</bold></secline><sectionText lineno="57"><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1" groupid="1" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="both">This bill takes effect on <effdate uid="code" date="5/6/2026">May 6, 2026</effdate>.</amend></sectionText></section></bsec></bdy><foot><rev><tm>12-29-25 10:20 AM</tm></rev></foot></leg>