Utah Pauses Online Labeling Requirements [Update 3/13]

Update: March 13, 2025

In early February, a bill called S.B. 231 was introduced in the Utah legislature that would remove the overarching requirements supporting the state's bedding, furniture, and quilted clothing program. Shortly thereafter in early March, Utah's online visibility requirements were paused through a Change in Proposed Rule.

As a result, S.B. 231 hasn't moved forward and has been returned to the rules committee to address the online visibility element. Utah's session has concluded. Without a special session being called, we don't expect S.B. 231 to move forward—at least not in the near future.

For now, the focus is on the Change in Proposed Rule for Utah's online visibility requirements as described in the original article below. We expect Utah to make this public soon, at which point they may accept comments for 30 days. Any commentary the state receives would go under review before a final decision is made.

Original Article: March 3, 2025

On March 1, 2025, Utah announced a Change in Proposed Rule for their online labeling requirements, doing away with the intended enforcement date of May 15, 2025.

A Change in Proposed Rule is the method by which Utah allots time to review and revise their online visibility laws. While details are still emerging, our understanding is that Utah will take a 30-day waiting period to review the law as it is currently written and decide the path forward for their requirements.

Despite limited information, we feel that it is important to keep our customers aware of this evolving situation. You can read Utah's Change in Proposed Rule here, starting on page 81.

What Are My Next Steps?

We know that Utah's decisions have a direct impact on your business decisions and timelines. At this point, we do not recommend taking any actions until the situation in Utah becomes clearer.

There will be a 30-day waiting period from March 1–March 31, 2025, during which Utah may accept comments or hold a public hearing about their online labeling requirements. The state will then announce whether their Change in Proposed Rule will become effective or not between April 1 and July 1, 2025.

A lot can change during that time. GRS is in close contact with Utah officials to monitor the evolving situation, and we will keep our customers on the pulse as we become informed.

What we know for a fact now is that retailers can disregard the previously stated May 15, 2025 enforcement date for Utah's requirements. We will inform you of the new enforcement date if the state moves forward with a revised version of the law.

How Can I Stay Compliant in Utah?

Partnering with GRS for comprehensive compliance support is still the best way to stay compliant in Utah. Whatever happens with the state's online visibility requirements, Utah will continue to require registrations, licensing, renewals, and other matters of ongoing compliance to keep stuffed articles in the marketplace.

GRS' support goes far beyond Law Label Lookup™. We are a trusted partner to the top names in retail as well as thousands of their suppliers, offering:

• Registration and URN support to bring your stuffed articles to market
• Law label printing, design, and auditing to comply with all federal and state regulations
• Monitored Services to handle ongoing compliance on your behalf, and avoid violations and off-sales
• Retail Compliance to give retailers oversight and peace of mind about the products on their shelves
• Webinars and educational events to keep your team at the forefront of compliance

As a reminder, in addition to Utah's decision on online labeling requirements we are still awaiting news on Utah's S.B. 231, which would have larger implications for the state's stuffed article regulations. We will continue to keep our customers informed about S.B. 231 and the future of Utah's regulatory program.

For Vendors Participating in Retail Compliance

While Law Label Lookup™ was originally developed to meet Utah's online labeling requirements, it has become an invaluable tool for our retail partners for other purposes, as well. Law Label Lookup™ helps retailers gain visibility into the labels on their products in one convenient online platform, making it easier to identify issues with labeling formatting and terminology that cause non-compliance.

Moving forward, each retailer will decide whether they require their vendors to upload their labels as part of their Retail Compliance program. Some retailers may choose to keep this requirement regardless of what happens in Utah. Please check each of your retailers' vendor pages on the GRS site to see if the requirement is discontinued.

If you need a link to your retailer's vendor page, feel free to reach out to RC@globalrsinc.com

How Can I Stay Informed About the Evolving Situation in Utah?

If you are already subscribed to the GRS newsletter, you will receive the latest Utah news in your inbox as soon as it becomes available to us.

If you aren't subscribed to our newsletter, you can sign up below. Once a month we share the latest compliance news that affects stuffed article retailers and their suppliers, along with webinars, industry events, and other important compliance dates to mark on your calendar.

Have questions about the situation in Utah? Our team is here to help make sense of the path ahead. Email us at info@globalrsinc.com or use the button below to shoot us a message.

Looking Forward: Online Visibility Requirements in California

Regardless of Utah's decision, California is still in the process of drafting similar requirements that would call for digital labeling for filled products. The state has not yet decided whether that information must be presented as a digital image or text, but Law Label Lookup™ supports both methods for compliance.

GRS will keep our customers informed as information on California's legislation becomes available.