Utah Code § 63M-7-215.1 — Utah Code / Title 63M / Chapter 63M-7 / § 63M-7-215.1
§ 63M-7-215.1. Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund -- Funding -- Uses.
Status: in_force

7/1/2026 (1) As used in this section: (a) "Cleared by arrest" means that an individual reported in connection with a crime is: (i) arrested by a law enforcement agency; (ii) charged with a crime; and (iii) turned over to a court for prosecution for the crime. (b) "Cleared by exceptional means" means that a law enforcement agency: (i) has identified an individual reported in connection with a crime; (ii) has sufficient evidence to arrest the individual; (iii) knows the individual's exact location; and (iv) has encountered factors beyond the law enforcement agency's control that prevent the arrest, charging, and prosecution of the individual. (c) "Fund" means the Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund created in this section. (d) "Law enforcement agency" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53-1-102. (e) "Rural community" means the same as that term is defined in Section 63N-4-801. (f) "Violent crime" means a violent felony, as that term is defined in Section 76-3-203.5. (g) "Violent crime clearance rate" means the percentage obtained by dividing the total number of violent crimes cleared by arrest and cleared by exceptional means by the total number of violent crimes reported. (2) There is created a special revenue fund known as the "Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund." (3) The fund includes: (a) private donations, grants, gifts, bequests, or money made available from any other source to implement this section; and (b) any interest earned on the fund. (4) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the commission shall administer the fund in accordance with this section. (5) The commission shall award grants from the fund to law enforcement agencies to assist with efforts to increase violent crime clearance rates. (6) The commission may retain up to 3% of the money deposited into the fund to pay for administrative costs incurred by the commission, including salary and benefits, equipment, supplies, or travel costs that are directly related to the administration of this section. (7) With money in the fund that is not used to pay the costs described in Subsection (6), the commission shall: (a) award 85% of the money to law enforcement agencies based on a competitive grant application process established by the commission under Subsection (8); (b) randomly award 15% of the money to law enforcement agencies that: (i) applied for a grant in accordance with the grant application process established by the commission under Subsection (8); and (ii) did not receive an award under Subsection (7)(a); and (c) award at least 10% of the amount described in Subsection (7)(a) to law enforcement agencies that serve only rural communities. (8) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the commission shall establish: (a) a grant application and review process for the expenditure of money from the fund, including: (i) eligibility criteria for a law enforcement agency to receive a grant; (ii) the form and process of submitting an application; (iii) procedures for evaluating a grant application; and (iv) the method for determining a grant amount; and (b) reporting requirements for a law enforcement agency that receives a grant. (9) A law enforcement agency awarded a grant under this section may use grant money for: (a) hiring, retaining, or training personnel to: (i) investigate violent crimes; (ii) collect, process, and forensically test evidence; or (iii) analyze violent crimes, including by monitoring temporal and geographic trends; (b) developing policies, procedures, or training to increase violent crime clearance rates; (c) acquiring, upgrading, or replacing technology or equipment related to evidence collection, evidence processing, or forensic testing of evidence; (d) supporting witnesses involved in violent crime investigations; or (e) developing policies, procedures, or training designed to increase the law enforcement agency's violent crime clearance rate. (10) Money the fund receives from legislative appropriations is nonlapsing in accordance with Section 63J-1-602.1.