Utah HB 249: Utah Legal Personhood Amendments

Bill Text

H
.B
. 249
LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL
6 Approved for Filing: M. Cipriano 6
6 01-11-24 11:13 AM 6
H.B. 249
1 UTAH LEGAL PERSONHOOD AMENDMENTS
2 2024 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Walt Brooks
5 Senate Sponsor: Don L. Ipson
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill addresses legal personhood.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 < defines terms; and
13 < prohibits a governmental entity from granting or recognizing legal personhood in
14 certain categories of nonhumans.
15 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16 None
17 Other Special Clauses:
18 None
19 Utah Code Sections Affected:
20 ENACTS:
21 63G-31-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
22 63G-31-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
23
24 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
25 Section 1. Section 63G-31-101 is enacted to read:
26 CHAPTER 31. LEGAL PERSONHOOD
27 63G-31-101. Definitions.
*HB0249*

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28 As used in this chapter:
29 (1) "Body of water" means any natural or man-made accumulation of water, regardless
30 of whether the accumulation of water is static or subject to a force that causes a hydrological
31 current.
32 (2) "Governmental entity" means:
33 (a) a court;
34 (b) the Legislature;
35 (c) the legislative body of a political subdivision; or
36 (d) another entity of the state or a political subdivision, if the entity has adjudicatory or
37 rulemaking authority.
38 (3) "Human being" means a member of the species classified as Homo sapiens;
39 (4) "Land" means the solid terrestrial surface or subsurface of the earth.
40 (5) "Legal personhood" means:
41 (a) the legal rights and obligations of an individual under the laws of this state; or
42 (b) the legal rights and obligations of a person other than an individual under the laws
43 of this state.
44 (6) "Political subdivision" means the same as that term is defined in Section
45 63G-7-102.
46 (7) "Real property" means any building, fixture, improvement, appurtenance, structure,
47 or other development that is affixed permanently to land.
48 (8) "State" means same as that term is defined in Section 63G-7-102.
49 Section 2. Section 63G-31-102 is enacted to read:
50 63G-31-102. Legal personhood restricted.
51 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a governmental entity may not grant legal
52 personhood to, nor recognize legal personhood in:
53 (1) artificial intelligence;
54 (2) an inanimate object;
55 (3) a body of water;
56 (4) land;
57 (5) real property;
58 (6) atmospheric gases;

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59 (7) an astronomical object;
60 (8) weather;
61 (9) a plant;
62 (10) a nonhuman animal; or
63 (11) any other member of a taxonomic domain that is not a human being.
64 Section 3. Effective date.
65 This bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.