Utah’s new law targets fentanyl traffickers with severe penalties
Apr 4, 2025, 7:00 AM
FILE — Five people were arrested and an estimated 1,000 fentanyl pills were seized in a Salt Lake City Police Department operation along the Jordan River Trail. (SLCPD)
(SLCPD)
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Cox signed eight bills on Thursday aimed at improving safety across the state, with HB87 receiving bipartisan support from members of the House and Senate. This bill addresses the alarming rise in fentanyl-related deaths by making trafficking the drug a first-degree felony.
Rep. Matthew Gwynn, R-Farr West, emphasized the indiscriminate nature of addiction.
“Regardless of age, gender or race, addiction does not discriminate, and unfortunately, we are witnessing an ever-increasing amount in fentanyl-related deaths in our state,” Gynn said.
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Gwynn highlighted the tragic reality that at least one Utahn will die from an overdose today, whether it be a toddler who finds a pill or an addict in recovery who relapses.
A recent report from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services revealed that drug overdose deaths remain close to peak levels, with 606 fatalities in 2023, primarily due to fentanyl. Gwynn stressed the importance of holding traffickers accountable.
“While other bills do seek to treat those in the addiction space as we should, this bill seeks to hold those accountable that are terrorizing our neighborhoods, our homes and our families,” he said.
HB87, now signed into law, imposes severe penalties on fentanyl traffickers, including fines up to $10,000 and prison sentences ranging from five years to life. It also limits the court’s ability to grant probation to offenders. Gwynn called this law a new tool for prosecutors and urged the courts and the Board of Pardons and Parole to take these cases seriously, ensuring that those responsible for trafficking are held accountable.
In addition to HB87, Cox signed several other bills aimed at enhancing public safety and addressing various issues:
- HB38: Criminal Offenses Modifications addresses changes related to certain criminal offenses and enhancements.
- HB127: Sexual Crime Amendments increases length of sentences for crimes such as rape, object rape, and forcible sodomy if committed against an incapacitated individual.
- HB199: Substance Use Treatment and Enforcement Amendments address treatment and enforcement issues related to substance use.
- HB312: Criminal Justice Amendments modifies statutory provisions related to criminal justice.
- HB329: Homeless Services Amendments enacts provisions requiring service providers to design certain services to assist homeless individuals in progressing and transitioning from struggling with homelessness to personal thriving.
- SB78: Homeless Individuals Protection Amendments creates the homeless service provider ombudsman within the Office of Homeless Services.
- SB255: Line-of-Duty Death Benefit Amendments, amends provisions related to line-of-duty death benefits for public safety officers.
