Utah Senate Bill 298 — Programmable Money Amendments
Utah · Utah Code 70A-9a-902, 70A-9a-903 (S.B. 298, 2026)
Utah bars issuers of 'programmable money' from blocking or failing transactions based on a person's protected traits and lawful conduct — including political opinions or speech, religious beliefs, sex, skin color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, medical history, location, purchase or browsing history, residence, business sector, or any social-credit-style score. The prohibition explicitly reaches denials carried out through automation, computer code, algorithms, or AI. A harmed person can sue for statutory and declaratory relief plus actual and punitive damages, and a court can revoke the issuer's authorization to do business in Utah.
Technical detail
Enacts Utah Code 70A-9a-902 (programmable-money issuers may not deny transactions based on enumerated protected traits/lawful conduct or social-credit scoring; 70A-9a-902(2)(b) extends this to denials caused by computer code, algorithms, or AI) and 70A-9a-903 (remedies: statutory/declaratory relief, actual and punitive damages, attorney fees, and possible revocation of authorization).
Who is protected: Persons whose programmable-money transactions could be denied based on protected characteristics or lawful conduct.
Who must comply: Issuers of programmable money.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Utah |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | Enacted (not yet in effect) |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2027-05-05 |
| Enacted | 2026-03-26 |
| Citation | Utah Code 70A-9a-902, 70A-9a-903 (S.B. 298, 2026) |
| Enforced by | Private civil litigation in Utah courts (a court may revoke business authorization). |
| Private right of action | Yes — individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Statutory and declaratory relief plus actual and punitive damages (the greater of 3x actual damages or 3x attorney fees) and reasonable attorney fees; for intentional/repeated violations a court may revoke the issuer's authorization to do business in Utah. |
| Topics | automated decision-making · consumer protection |
| Last verified | 2026-06-16 |
| Official source | Enrolled Copy S.B. 298, Programmable Money Amendments (2026 General Session) ↗ |
More AI rules in Utah
- Utah AI Policy Act · In effect
- HB 452 (Mental Health Chatbots) · In effect
- Utah H.B. 148 (computer-generated CSAM & intimate images count as illegal) · In effect
- Utah H.B. 238 (AI-generated child sexual abuse material is illegal) · In effect
- Utah S.B. 131 (AI-generated political ads must say 'generated by AI') · In effect
- Utah S.B. 226 (must disclose you're talking to AI on request; AI use no excuse) · In effect
Related automated decision-making rules elsewhere
- FTC Act Section 5 (unfair/deceptive AI) · In effect
- FCRA (AI in credit & background checks) · In effect
- ECOA / Regulation B (AI credit discrimination) · In effect
- Title VII / ADA (AI hiring) · In effect
- ACA § 1557 (AI in patient care) · In effect
- Federal AI Executive Orders · In effect
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