HB 262: Keeping Children Out of State Detention
This bill prevents most children who are 12 or younger from being kept in state detention for crimes.
Utah is First in the Nation to Protect “Free Range” Parenting
Legislation we proposed has now become the first of its kind in the country, protecting parental rights from overeager bureaucrats and police officers.
SB 65: Protect “Free-Range” Parenting
This bill passed the House and the Senate with unanimous votes. Two years ago, Senator Mike Lee successfully passed an amendment ensuring that the federal government may not “expose parents to civil or criminal charges for...
SB82: Monitoring the Use of Psychotropic Medication by Children in Foster Care
This bill passed both the Senate and House unanimously. Libertas Institute supports this bill. In a 2008 study of children in Utah’s foster care system, 31% of children (833 out of 2,651) had been prescribed one or more...
SB79: Denying Juvenile Courts Jurisdiction over Adults
This bill passed the Senate unanimously and passed the House 54-18. Libertas Institute supports this bill. Under current law in Utah, the state may treat legal adults as minors if the adult is between 18 and 21 years of age, and...
Federal “Family Engagement” Plans
The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services have issued a draft policy statement calling for “family engagement” and “including” parents as “partners” in the education and...
HB356: Protecting Innocent Parents from DCFS Taking their Children
This bill passed the House 71-1 and passed the Senate unanimously. It was subsequently signed into law by Governor Herbert. Libertas Institute supports this bill. See below for an update. Utah law allows the Division of Child and...
One Father’s Story of His Legally Kidnapped Daughter Being Raised by “Psychological Parents”
Editor’s note: Libertas has been closely following the stories of birth fathers around the country who are defrauded by mothers who exploit weaknesses in Utah law to put their children up for adoption over the wishes—and without...
HB318: Jury Trial for Parents Facing Termination of Parental Rights
This bill passed the House 46-27 but was not considered in the Senate. Visit our Legislative Index to see the final vote rankings for the 2014 general session. Libertas Institute supports this bill. Last fall we published an...
Deadbeat Dad, or Deceived Dupe? How Utah Legalizes Conspiracy and Kidnapping
Yesterday, a group of fathers from around the country filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Utah in federal court for “legalized fraud and kidnapping.” For years, Utah law has allowed biological mothers to leave biological...