SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — State lawmakers are calling to alter or change Utah’s existing clergy law, as multiple bills making their way through the legislature would allow clergy to report abuse — even if made in confession.
Currently in the Beehive State, religious leaders are not allowed to report a church member’s confession to law enforcement without the consent of the person confessing.
But House Bill 432 , sponsored by Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns, would change that. The bill would allow clergy to “report ongoing abuse or neglect even if the perpetrator made a confession to the clergy member.”
Lawmakers have long called for the law to change.
“Is it really something we should keep confidential when we know a child’s been sexually abused by an adult?” said Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City. “That’s a question I pose for the public.”
HB 432 would mean clergy no longer need to worry about lawsuits coming from the person confessing.
Even so, the clergy will not become mandatory reporters.