Utahns’ home addresses and phone numbers will no longer be published in state campaign finance records on the internet, thanks to bipartisan privacy legislation signed March 19 by Governor Spencer Cox. The legislation, H.B. 450, received near-unanimous support in the Utah Legislature, passing 66-1 in the House and 28-0 in the Senate.

The bill’s campaign finance reforms are derived from the Protect Donors at Home Act (PDHA), a model policy developed by People United for Privacy Foundation to address the rise in political violence. Six months ago, Utah took center stage in the national conversation on that subject following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.

“At a time when political tensions are spilling into real-world threats, protecting personal information isn’t optional, it’s essential. No American should have to weigh their safety before supporting a candidate or cause,” said Heather Lauer, CEO of People United for Privacy Foundation.

The PDHA aims to strike a better balance between the state’s disclosure obligations and citizens’ right to privacy. Under the policy, the government will continue to publish the names, donation amounts, cities, and zip codes of donors. The key change is that states would redact – but would still collect – individual donors’ street addresses in public campaign finance databases.

Utah is the second state to enact the PDHA, following West Virginia earlier this month. Three other states – California, Texas, and Wyoming – already do not publish the street addresses of individual donors in campaign finance records. In addition, the bipartisan Federal Election Commission has unanimously urged Congress to pass similar reforms protecting donors to federal campaigns.

“Shielding homes from political violence is something all Americans can agree on. Most campaign finance laws predate the era of smartphones, social media, and sophisticated online tools that have enabled bad actors to weaponize the granular personal information found in the reports,” said Alex Baiocco, Director of Government Affairs at People United for Privacy Foundation.

The rise of political violence has alarmed Americans across the political spectrum. In a September 2025 poll conducted after Kirk’s assassination, 87 percent of Americans said political violence was a problem, with 59 percent calling it a “very big problem.” In addition to assassination attempts against major public figures, the U.S. Capitol Police reported investigating nearly 15,000 threats or concerning statements against Members of Congress, their families, or staff in 2025, a marked increase from previous years. 

Other provisions of H.B. 450 amend the Government Data Privacy Act and the Government Records Access Act. Rep. David Shallenberger sponsored the legislation, which was carried in the Senate by Sen. Kirk A. Cullimore. 

PUFPF wishes to extend our congratulations and appreciation to Governor Cox, as well as Rep. Shallenberger, Sen. Cullimore, and the entire Utah Legislature for acting to protect their constituents from political violence and retaliation.