53-22-106. Substantial threats against a school reporting requirements -- Exceptions.
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Effective 5/6/2026
53-22-106. Substantial threats against a school reporting requirements -- Exceptions.
(1)As used in this section, "substantial threat" means a threat made with serious intent to cause harm.
(2)Except as provided in Subsection
(3), if a state employee or person in a position of special trust as defined in Section 76-5-404.1 , including an individual licensed under Title 58, Chapter 31b, Nurse Practice Act, or Title 58, Chapter 67, Utah Medical Practice Act, has reason to believe a substantial threat against a school, school employee, or student attending a school or is aware of circumstances that would reasonably result in a substantial threat against a school, school employee, or student attending a school, the state employee or person in a position of special trust shall immediately report the suspected substantial threat to:
(a)the local education agency that the substantial threat would impact;
(b)the nearest peace officer or law enforcement agency; and
(c)the state security chief.
(i)If the state security chief, a peace officer, or law enforcement agency receives a report under Subsection
(2), the state security chief, peace officer, or law enforcement agency shall immediately notify the local education agency that the substantial threat would impact.
(ii)If the local education agency that the substantial threat would impact receives a report under Subsection
(2), the local education agency that the substantial threat would impact shall immediately notify the appropriate local law enforcement agency and the state security chief.
(i)A local education agency that the substantial threat would impact shall coordinate with the law enforcement agency on the law enforcement agency's investigation of the report described in Subsection (2).
(ii)If a law enforcement agency undertakes an investigation of a report under Subsection
(2), the law enforcement agency shall provide a final investigatory report to the local education agency that the substantial threat would impact upon request.
(4)Subject to Subsection
(5), the reporting requirement described in Subsection
(2)does not apply to:
(a)a member of the clergy with regard to any confession an individual makes to the member of the clergy while functioning in the ministerial capacity of the member of the clergy if:
(i)the individual made the confession directly to the member of the clergy;
(ii)the member of the clergy is, under canon law or church doctrine or practice, bound to maintain the confidentiality of the confession; and
(iii)the member of the clergy does not have the consent of the individual making the confession to disclose the content of the confession; or
(b)an attorney, or an individual whom the attorney employs, if:
(i)the knowledge or belief of the substantial threat arises from the representation of a client; and
(ii)if disclosure of the substantial threat would not reveal the substantial threat to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm in accordance with Utah Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.6.
(a)When a member of the clergy receives information about the substantial threat from any source other than a confession, the member of the clergy shall report the information even if the member of the clergy also received information about the substantial threat from the confession of the perpetrator.
(b)Exemption of the reporting requirement for an individual described in Subsection
(4)does not exempt the individual from any other actions required by law to prevent further substantial threats or actual harm related to the substantial threat.
(6)The physician-patient privilege does not:
(a)excuse an individual who is licensed under Title 58, Chapter 67, Utah Medical Practice Act, or Title 58, Chapter 68, Utah Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, from reporting under this section; or
(b)constitute grounds for excluding evidence in a judicial or administrative proceeding resulting from a report under this section.
Amended by Chapter 324 , 2026 General Session