Utah legal term
Biological agent in Utah Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Utah legislative session
In Utah criminal law, “Biological agent” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Utah criminal code.
What does “Biological agent” mean in Utah criminal law?
"Biological agent" means a microorganism, virus, infectious substance, or biological product that may be engineered as a result of biotechnology, or a naturally occurring or bioengineered component of a microorganism, virus, infectious substance, or biological product, that is capable of causing: (1)(a) death, disease, or other biological malfunction in a human, an animal, a plant, or another living organism; (1)(b) deterioration of food, water, equipment, supplies, or material of any kind; or (1)(c) deleterious alteration of the environment. (Utah Code Ann. § 76-15-301)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.