SB0158 • 2026

Recreational Therapy Program Amendments

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Sen. Weiler, Todd
Last action: 2026-03-18
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Recreational Therapy Program Amendments

This bill amends provisions related to Medicaid reimbursement for recreational therapy.

What This Bill Does

This bill amends provisions related to Medicaid reimbursement for recreational therapy.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-18 Lieutenant Governor's office for filing
Governor Signed
2026-03-11 Senate Secretary
Senate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
2026-03-11 Executive Branch - Governor
Senate/ to Governor
2026-03-06 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling
2026-03-06 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
2026-03-06 Senate Secretary
Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
2026-03-06 Senate Secretary
Senate/ enrolled bill to Printing
2026-03-05 Senate President
Senate/ received from House
2026-03-05 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ 2nd reading
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ 3rd reading
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
2026-03-04 House Speaker
House/ passed 3rd reading
2026-03-04 Senate President
House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
2026-03-04 Senate President
House/ to Senate
2026-02-25 House Health and Human Services Committee
House/ committee report favorable
2026-02-25 House Rules Committee
House/ return to Rules due to fiscal impact
2026-02-24 House Health and Human Services Committee
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2026-02-23 House Health and Human Services Committee
House/ to standing committee
2026-02-17 House Rules Committee
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2026-02-13 Clerk of the House
House/ received from Senate
2026-02-12 Clerk of the House
Senate/ to House
2026-02-10 Senate 3rd Reading Calendar
Senate/ 3rd reading
2026-02-10 Clerk of the House
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
2026-02-09 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ 2nd reading
2026-02-09 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ circled
2026-02-09 Senate 3rd Reading Calendar
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
2026-02-09 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ uncircled
2026-01-27 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate/ committee report favorable
2026-01-27 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
2026-01-26 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2026-01-23 Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0158
2026-01-23 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
2026-01-22 Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0158
2026-01-21 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate/ to standing committee
2026-01-20 Senate Rules Committee
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2026-01-20 Waiting for Introduction in the Senate
Senate/ received bill from Legislative Research
2026-01-19 Legislative Research and General Counsel
Bill Numbered but not Distributed
2026-01-19 Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0158
2026-01-19 Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0158
2026-01-19 Legislative Research and General Counsel
Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed

Official Summary Text

This bill amends provisions related to Medicaid reimbursement for recreational therapy.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

3
26B-3-227
0
Recreational Therapy Program Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Todd Weiler
House Sponsor: Karianne Lisonbee
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions related to Medicaid reimbursement for recreational therapy.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
adds to the list of recreational therapy facilities or programs that may be reimbursed for
recreational therapy under the Medicaid program a licensed residential support program
that is accredited by the American Camp Association;
authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to apply for any necessary
waivers to implement the change; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
26B-3-227
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 288
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
26B-3-227
is amended to read:
26B-3-227
. Recreational therapy -- Reimbursement.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Assisted living facility" means the same as that term is defined in Section
26B-2-201
.
(b)
"Behavioral health program" means a behavioral health program described in
Title
62A, Chapter 15, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Act
Title 26B, Chapter 5,
Health Care - Substance Use and Mental Health
.
(c)
"General acute hospital" means the same as that term is defined in Section
26B-2-201
.
(d)
"Intermediate care facility" means the same as that term is defined in Section
58-15-101
.
(e)
"Mental health therapist" means the same as that term is defined in Section
58-60-102
.
(f)
"Qualified enrollee" means an individual who:
(i)
is enrolled in the Medicaid program; and
(ii)
has been referred for recreational therapy services by a mental health therapist.
(g)
"Recreational therapy services" means the same as that term is defined in Section
58-40-102
.
(h)
"Residential support program" means the same as that term is defined in Section
26B-2-101
.
(h)
(i)
"Skilled nursing facility" means the same as that term is defined in Section
58-15-101
.
(i)
(j)
"Youth residential treatment facility" means a facility that provides a 24-hour
group living environment for four or more individuals who are under 18 years old
and who are unrelated to the owner or provider of the facility.
(2)
Before January 1, 2024, the department shall apply for a Medicaid waiver or a state plan
with CMS to allow for reimbursement for recreational therapy services provided:
(a)
to a qualified enrollee;
(b)
by an individual authorized to engage in the practice of recreational therapy under
Title 58, Chapter 40, Recreational Therapy Practice Act
; and
(c)
at a:
(i)
general acute hospital;
(ii)
youth residential treatment facility;
(iii)
behavioral health program;
(iv)
intermediate care facility;
(v)
assisted living facility;
(vi)
skilled nursing facility;
(vii)
psychiatric hospital;
or
(viii)
mental health agency
.
; or
(ix)
licensed residential support program that is accredited by the American Camp
Association.
(3)
If the waiver or state plan amendment described in Subsection
(2)
is approved, the
Medicaid program shall provide coverage to a qualified enrollee for recreational therapy
services.
(4)
The department may seek approval from CMS for any waiver, amendment to an
existing waiver, or state plan amendment necessary to implement this section.
Section 2.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
3-6-26 8:21 AM