Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah Senate Bill SB0266 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~Enrolled Copy~~ S.B. 266
	1	+	02-24 15:32 S.B. 266
2	2		1
3	3		Ethylene Oxide Litigation Amendments
4	4		2025 GENERAL SESSION
5	5		STATE OF UTAH
6	6		Chief Sponsor: Kirk A. Cullimore
7	7		House Sponsor: Jordan D. Teuscher
8	8		2
9	9
10	10		3
11	11		LONG TITLE
12	12		4
13	13		General Description:
14	14		5
15	15		This bill creates a civil cause of action for ethylene oxide exposure.
16	16		6
17	17		Highlighted Provisions:
18	18		7
19	19		This bill:
20	20		8
21	21		▸ creates an exclusive, civil cause of action for ethylene oxide exposure;
22	22		9
23	23		▸ provides immunity from suit to individuals or businesses in the healthcare industry in
24	24		10
25	25		relation to the use of ethylene oxide, with limited exceptions;
26	26		11
27	27		▸ provides requirements and procedures for claims and pleadings;
28	28		12
29	29		▸ provides that the enacted chapter is the exclusive remedy for ethylene oxide exposure
30	30		13
31	31		actions;
32	32		14
33	33		▸ provides transitional language;
34	34		15
35		-	▸ provides that the enacted chapter ~~supersedes~~ other personal injury or related laws; and
	35	+	▸ provides that the enacted chapter supercedes other personal injury or related laws; and
36	36		16
37	37		▸ provides that the enacted chapter does not affect workers' compensation claims or
38	38		17
39	39		programs.
40	40		18
41	41		Money Appropriated in this Bill:
42	42		19
43	43		None
44	44		20
45	45		Other Special Clauses:
46	46		21
47	47		None
48	48		22
49	49		Utah Code Sections Affected:
50	50		23
51	51		ENACTS:
52	52		24
53	53		78B-3-1201, Utah Code Annotated 1953
54	54		25
55	55		78B-3-1202, Utah Code Annotated 1953
56	56		26
57	57		78B-3-1203, Utah Code Annotated 1953
58	58		27
59		-	78B-3-1204, Utah Code Annotated 1953 ~~S.B. 266 Enrolled Copy~~
	59	+	78B-3-1204, Utah Code Annotated 1953
60	60		28
61	61
62	62		29
63	63		Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
64	64		30
65	65		Section 1. Section 78B-3-1201 is enacted to read:
	66	+	S.B. 266 S.B. 266 02-24 15:32
66	67		31
67	68
68		-	CHAPTER 12. ETHYLENE OXIDE EXPOSURE
	69	+	CHAPTER 12. ETHYLENE OXIDE EXPOSURE AMENDMENTS
69	70		32
70	71		78B-3-1201 . Definitions.
71	72		33
72	73		As used in this part:
73	74		34
74	75		(1)(a) "Healthcare industry" means the economic sector composed of entities,
75	76		35
76	77		organizations, services, individuals, and professionals involved in providing medical
77	78		36
78	79		care and support to individuals, including maintaining and improving public health,
79	80		37
80	81		diagnosing and treating diseases, and promoting the well-being of individuals.
81	82		38
82	83		(b) "Healthcare industry" includes the manufacturing, sales and distribution,
83	84		39
84	85		sterilization, storage, and transportation of medical devices.
85	86		40
86	87		(2) "State law" includes:
87	88		41
88	89		(a) statutes;
89	90		42
90	91		(b) regulations;
91	92		43
92	93		(c) rules; and
93	94		44
94	95		(d) standards that are enacted, promulgated, or established under common law.
95	96		45
96	97		Section 2. Section 78B-3-1202 is enacted to read:
97	98		46
98	99		78B-3-1202 . Requirements for liability for exposure to ethylene oxide --
99	100		47
100	101		Limitation on liability.
101	102		48
102	103		Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and except as otherwise provided in this
103	104		49
104	105		part, no person engaged in business in the healthcare industry shall be liable in any ethylene
105	106		50
106		-	oxide exposure action unless the plaintiff can prove by a preponderance of the evidence that:
	107	+	oxide exposure action unless the plaintiff can prove by Ŝ→ [clear and convincing]
	108	+	50a
	109	+	a preponderance of the ←Ŝ evidence that:
107	110		51
108	111		(1) in engaging in the business, the person was not in substantial compliance and was not
109	112		52
110	113		making reasonable efforts in light of all the circumstances to be in substantial
111	114		53
112	115		compliance with the applicable United States government laws, regulations, or standards
113	116		54
114	117		related to ethylene oxide in effect at the time of the actual, alleged, feared, or potential
115	118		55
116	119		exposure to ethylene oxide;
117	120		56
118	121		(2) the person engaged in gross negligence or willful misconduct that caused an actual
119	122		57
120	123		exposure to ethylene oxide; and
121	124		58
122	125		(3) the actual exposure to ethylene oxide was the direct and proximate cause of the personal
123	126		59
124	127		injury of the plaintiff.
125	128		60
126	129		Section 3. Section 78B-3-1203 is enacted to read:
127	130		61
128	131		78B-3-1203 . Claim procedures -- Pleading requirements.
129		-	- 2 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 266
130	132		62
131	133		In any ethylene oxide-related action:
132	134		63
133	135		(1) the complaint shall:
	136	+	- 2 - 02-24 15:32 S.B. 266
134	137		64
135	138		(a) plead each element of the plaintiff's claim with particularity; and
136	139		65
137	140		(b) plead each alleged act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful
138	141		66
139	142		misconduct that resulted in personal injury, harm, damage, breach, or tort with
140	143		67
141	144		particularity;
142	145		68
143	146		(2) if monetary damages are requested, a plaintiff shall file with the complaint a statement
144	147		69
145	148		of specific information as to the nature and amount of each element of damages and the
146	149		70
147	150		factual basis for the damages calculation; and
148	151		71
149	152		(3) if a claim is asserted on which the plaintiff may prevail only on proof that the defendant
150	153		72
151	154		acted with a particular state of mind, a plaintiff shall file with the complaint, with
152	155		73
153	156		respect to each element of that claim, a statement of the facts giving rise to a strong
154	157		74
155	158		inference that the defendant acted with the required state of mind.
156	159		75
157	160		Section 4. Section 78B-3-1204 is enacted to read:
158	161		76
159	162		78B-3-1204 . Application and preemption -- Exclusive cause of action --
160	163		77
161	164		Transition clause -- Preemption of other law -- Workers' compensation applicability not
162	165		78
163	166		affected.
164	167		79
165	168		(1) This part creates an exclusive cause of action for ethylene oxide exposure actions.
166	169		80
167	170		(2) A plaintiff may prevail in an ethylene oxide exposure action only in accordance with the
168	171		81
169	172		requirements of this part.
170	173		82
171	174		(3) The provisions of this part apply to:
172	175		83
173	176		(a) any cause of action that is an ethylene oxide exposure action filed before May 7,
174	177		84
175	178		2025, and that is pending as of that date; and
176	179		85
177	180		(b) any ethylene oxide exposure action filed on or after May 7, 2025.
178	181		86
179	182		(4) This part preempts and supersedes any state law that is related to recovery for personal
180	183		87
181	184		injuries caused by actual, alleged, feared, or potential exposure to ethylene oxide.
182	185		88
183	186		(5) Nothing in this part shall be construed to affect the applicability of any state law
184	187		89
185	188		providing for a workers' compensation scheme or program, or to preempt or supersede
186	189		90
187	190		an exclusive remedy or defense under such scheme or program.
188	191		91
189	192		Section 5. Effective Date.
190	193		92
191	194		This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
192	195		- 3 -