Polygamist Families To Face Prosecution After Utah’s HB99 Passes State Senate, Expands Anti-Bigamy Penalties

Polygamist families in Utah might be in danger of facing prosecution after House Bill 99 passed the state Senate on Thursday, Mar. 10. The bill will reportedly expand the penalties for bigamy and was in response to the lawsuit filed by "Sister Wives" reality star and polygamist Kody Brown.

The amendments in the new Utah bigamy bill came after Brown and his four wives sued the state in 2011. According to CNN, the family believed the law was unconstitutional and even though they won the case in U.S. District Court in 2013, an appeal took place last year, overturning the court's decision.

Based on the revised HB99, which was amended by Republican representative Mike Noel following the Brown case review, bigamy could become a second degree felony instead of a third degree offense. Daily Mail further explained a polygamist could face charges for human trafficking, fraud, child abuse, sexual abuse and/or domestic abuse.

In addition, the bill also expanded the description of a new spouse to a purported spouse living in the home with the married couple. Noel also stressed the purpose of the amendment is to avoid future lawsuits.

Meanwhile, the Browns, including their 18 children, moved to Nevada to avoid prosecution for bigamy. In fact, the authorities started investigating the family following the premiere of their reality show on TLC titled, "Sister Wives" in September 2010.

In February, the Browns joined the protest for HB99 and marched to the Utah State Capitol. According to Kody, the state should "leave consenting adults alone" and "prosecute the real crime."

Meri, one of Kody's "spiritual" wives, also said that polygamists in Utah might go underground because of the bill. The Dargers, another polygamist family living in Utah, expressed their sentiments on social media, saying the new bill is a "huge step backwards."

"My concern is all this is going to do is drive the good polygamous people who don't have those abuses more into hiding," Meri Brown told The Salt Lake Tribune. "And it's going to make the people who do have those abuses just be able to do them even more."

HB99 barely passed the state Senate with a 15-14 vote in favor just before the clock strike the midnight deadline. The bill was sponsored by Republican senator Kevin Van Tassell, who urged fellow legislators to pass the bill to provide the necessary tools to the authorities, especially in severe cases.

As of writing, the bill currently awaits the signature of Governor Gary Herbert. Once signed, the bill will become a law but it remains unclear whether the governor will sign the bill or not.

What are your thoughts about the new Utah bigamy law? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below.