H.J.R. 5: Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution - Judicial Nominations

What the bill does

Did not pass both chambers; the bill was filed on March 6, 2026.

This joint resolution of the Utah Legislature proposes to amend the Utah Constitution to modify the judicial nominating process.

• This resolution:
• Authorize the Governor to request a list of nominees from a judicial nominating commission when the Governor is filling a judicial vacancy
• Authorize the Governor to appoint any qualified candidate even if the candidate is not nominated by the nominating commission
• Remove the time constraint on the Governor to make an appointment
• Remove the authority of the chief justice of the Supreme Court to fill a judicial vacancy if the Governor fails to fill the vacancy

The description and list come from the bill's own long title as recorded by the Legislature. Read the official bill. The Ledger takes no position on it.

Subjects: Resolutions · Utah Constitutional Amendments · Judicial Administration · Courts · Judicial Operations · Legislative Operations · Judges

How it moved

1. January 20, 2026 · House1st reading (Introduced)Rules Committee
2. March 6, 2026 · Housefiledfile for bills not passed

Steps as the Legislature recorded them; clerical and fiscal-staff entries are left out. Numbers such as 54-14-7 are yeas, nays and absent.

Fiscal note

From the Legislative Fiscal Analyst's note on H.J.R. 5, dated January 19, 2026. A fiscal note estimates direct costs and revenue; it is not an appropriation.

• State revenue: Enactment of this legislation likely will not materially impact state revenue.
• State expenditures: Enactment of this legislation could cost the Lieutenant Governor's Office $767,900 one-time from the General Fund in FY 2027 to publish the proposed amendment in Utah newspapers. The Office can absorb this cost.
• Local government: Enactment of this legislation likely will not result in direct, measurable costs for local governments.
• Individuals and businesses: Enactment of this legislation likely will not result in direct expenditures from tax or fee changes for Utah residents and businesses.

Bill overview

Sponsor: Jason B. Kyle

Legislature passed-list status: Not available in the saved metadata.

Passed-list membership is not a finding that a bill was signed or took effect. A bill absent from that list is not necessarily pending or defeated.

Latest recorded action

filed
Action date: March 6, 2026

The full step list is above. Find the bill in the official session list for status, hearings and committee records.

Recorded floor votes

No floor-vote records for this bill and session are available here. This does not mean no vote occurred; consult the official bill record.

Ledger coverage

No Ledger stories with an explicit source link to this bill and session are listed here.