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House Bill 99 became effective in Utah on May 5, 2017. The bill was a response to the Brown v Buhman case(citation) filed by reality TV star Kody Brown. HB99 slightly changes the definition of bigamy and child-bigamy. Many polygamists practice their beliefs by being legally married to one wife while making spiritual commitments to their other wives. HB99 illegalizes the cohabitation of man with multiple women whom he refers to as wives, even in relationships between consenting adults. The bill also establishes a stronger emphasis on unlawful behavior within polygamist groups. Many polygamist communities across the state (such as the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints in Hildale, Utah led by their now incarcerated prophet Warren Jeffs) have been suspected or exposed of committing a number of crimes including domestic violence, child abuse, sex trafficking, etc.(citation) The bill aimed to implement harsher punishment towards polygamists who engage in other criminal activity. HB99 increased the jail sentence for those being prosecuted for bigamy if it is accompanied by other criminal charges. This new legislation also classified bigamy as a second-degree felony when being prosecuted along with other criminal offenses. HB99 maintains to protect those who left bigamous relationships on the grounds of abuse or minors who have left bigamous marriages that were forced upon them.

The bill was signed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert on March 28, 2017. A short time before, polygamists and other opposers of the bill rallied at the Utah state capitol to protest the bill on February 10, 2017. (citation) Many polygamists and polygamist supporters argued that the bills punitive approach was unconstitutional by targeting a specific religious minority.

The legal debates and conflicts regarding polygamy have been exacerbated in the policy changes throughout the U.S. regarding all types of marriage. The Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas has given polygamists grounds to raise claims of unconstitutional policies regarding polygamy and bigamy. Although Lawrence v. Texas was not specifically fighting for marriage rights it raises the unconstitutionality of laws restricting sexual relationships. As a direct result of the Lawrence v. Texas case G. Lee Cook, his wife D. Cook, and desired wife J. Bronson, of Salt Lake City, Utah, filed a lawsuit in hopes to abolish restrictive laws against polygamy. Court cases against anti-polygamy laws argue that such laws are unconstitutional in regulating sexual intimacy, or religious freedom. In the case of Bronson v. Swensen the plaintiffs followed suit as they claimed violation of privacy, religious freedom, and restriction of sexual relationships. Following these claims polygamists began to not only rely on the first amendment for grounds of unconstitutionality, but also used the Fourteenth Amendment that gives all citizens equal protection of law.

In addition to the arguments against regulation of sexual intimacy an aspect of legislative policy that directly relates to and affects the issue of the legality of polygamy is legislature regarding the marriage of minors, or those who are under the age of 18. Utah State Code indicates that any male or female under the age of 18 must receive signed consent of legal guardians, and a judge, after determining the legitimacy of the impending marriage, giving permission for that marriage to take place. In many polygamist communities men marry young girls in their teenage years and are often results of arranged marriages. Polygamist Rodney Holm illegally married a sixteen-year-old, who later fled the marriage and polygamist community because of abuse. Tom Green, a polygamist from the Utah desert, was tried in 2000 on counts of bigamy and marriage of underaged girls. Of the five wives he currently had all were below the age of 18 when they were first married to Green which resulted in his conviction in jail and later parole.