H.B. 235 Enrolled

FALSIFICATION OR ALTERATION OF
GOVERNMENT RECORD
2003 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Sponsor: Katherine M. Bryson
This act modifies the Criminal Code by clarifying that falsification of a government
record is a class B misdemeanor only if the offense does not constitute a fraud offense
subject to a greater penalty.
This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
AMENDS:
76-8-511, as enacted by Chapter 196, Laws of Utah 1973
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 76-8-511 is amended to read:
76-8-511. Falsification or alteration of government record -- Penalty.
A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if [he] under circumstances not amounting
to an offense subject to a greater penalty under Title 76, Chapter 6, Part 5, Fraud, the person:
(1) knowingly makes a false entry in or false alteration of anything belonging to,
received, or kept by the government for information or record, or required by law to be kept for
information of the government; [or]
(2) presents or uses anything knowing it to be false and with a purpose that it be taken
as a genuine part of information or records referred to in Subsection (1); or
(3) intentionally [and unlawfully] destroys, conceals, or otherwise impairs the verity or
availability of [any such thing] the information or records, knowing that the destruction,
concealment, or impairment is unlawful.