Utah Passes Version of 2016 Uniform Unclaimed Property Act

It has been about nine months since the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws approved the 2016 Uniform Unclaimed Property Act and recommended it for adoption.  A number of 2016 Uniform Act bills, or state variants thereof, are now working their way through state legislatures; some are crossing or nearing the finish line.

On March 24, 2017, the Governor of Utah signed Senate Bill 175 into law.  This legislation repeals and reenacts the state Unclaimed Property Act, adopting most (but not all) of the provisions of the 2016 Uniform Act.  While the new law does not change the dormancy period for most items, it does incorporate many of the Uniform Act's structural and procedural changes, including the establishment of a formalized audit appeal procedure, detailed provisions relating to confidentiality, and rules relating to the reporting and remittance of unclaimed life insurance policies.  At the same time, Utah kept some of its state-specific differences from prior uniform acts, such as exemptions for gift cards and credit memos.