HB 279: Higher Education Code Amendments - Utah

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 9 edits

MAJOR

This bill expands the definition of 'institution of higher education' to include private postsecondary educational institutions in several state statutes. This change ensures that private colleges and universities are subject to the same rules regarding STEM education initiatives, public procurement bidding restrictions, and campus safety protections as public institutions.

Scope change

The bill's scope is expanded from applying only to public institutions of higher education to also including private postsecondary educational institutions.

DEFINITION

Added 'private postsecondary educational institution' to the list of defined terms in multiple sections to clarify that these institutions are included in the scope of the law.

SCOPE

Included private postsecondary educational institutions as required stakeholders in the STEM Action Center's coordination efforts.

ELIGIBILITY

Extended eligibility for the police officer and firefighter survivor tuition waiver program to include children and spouses of peace officers employed by private postsecondary educational institutions.

Extended the definition of 'law enforcement agency' to include private postsecondary educational institutions for purposes of property forfeiture laws.

REQUIREMENT

Restricted private postsecondary educational institutions from bidding on architect or engineering services for public procurement projects, aligning them with existing restrictions for public institutions.

Authorized the Department of Natural Resources to accept land use permits from private postsecondary educational institutions.

Required the Hydrogen Advisory Council to promote hydrogen research at private postsecondary educational institutions.

ENFORCEMENT

Expanded criminal penalties for property damage to include private postsecondary educational institutions as protected entities.

Expanded protections against willful interference with lawful activities to include students and faculty at private postsecondary educational institutions.

Amended 2/13/2026 11:02:472 → Substitute #1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's higher education code to explicitly include private postsecondary educational institutions in provisions previously limited to public institutions of higher education. It also clarifies definitions for STEM initiatives and modifies procurement rules to allow institutions to accept sponsorships as part of bidding processes. The changes aim to ensure private colleges and universities have equal access to state programs, grants, and protections.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of several state statutes to include private postsecondary educational institutions alongside public institutions of higher education, ensuring they are treated equally in STEM programs, campus safety laws, and procurement activities.

SCOPE

Private postsecondary educational institutions are now explicitly included in definitions and requirements for STEM Action Center activities, computing partnerships grants, and campus safety protections.

DEFINITION

Updated definitions in multiple sections to clarify that 'institution of higher education' includes private postsecondary institutions, ensuring consistent application across different state laws.

REQUIREMENT

Modified procurement rules to allow institutions of higher education to request or accept contributions, sponsorships, or value-added offerings as part of their bidding processes.

TECHNICAL

Made technical corrections to section numbering and formatting throughout the bill to align with current legislative standards.

Amended Excerpts 2/13/2026 11:02:472 → Amended 2/13/2026 11:02:472 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a committee amendment excerpt to a formal substitute bill structure, introducing a new definition for 'private postsecondary educational institutions' and expanding the STEM Action Center's stakeholder list to include these private institutions and home-schooled parents. These changes broaden the scope of the STEM initiative to include a wider range of educational entities and families, ensuring private colleges and home-schooled students can participate in state STEM coordination efforts.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include private postsecondary educational institutions and parents of home-schooled students as stakeholders in the state's STEM Action Center, whereas the previous version focused primarily on public institutions.

DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for 'private postsecondary educational institution' to align with existing state code definitions.

SCOPE

Expanded the list of stakeholders for the STEM Action Center to include private postsecondary educational institutions.

Added 'parents of home-schooled students' to the list of stakeholders the STEM Action Center must coordinate with.

TECHNICAL

Converted the document from a raw committee amendment excerpt into a formal substitute bill format with standard legislative headers and section numbering.

Enrolled → Amended Excerpts 2/13/2026 11:02:472 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify the definition of 'value-added offerings' in procurement rules for higher education institutions, explicitly adding the term to ensure vendors can offer sponsorships or contributions as part of bids. The amendment also renumbered a section and updated the effective date for the entire bill to May 6, 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include 'private postsecondary educational institutions' in definitions and provisions previously limited to 'institutions of higher education,' ensuring private colleges receive the same legal protections and opportunities as public universities.

DEFINITION

Added 'private postsecondary educational institution' as a defined term in multiple sections to ensure private colleges are included in STEM initiatives, campus security protections, and procurement rules.

Clarified the definition of 'value-added offerings' in procurement rules by explicitly inserting the phrase 'value-added' to prevent ambiguity regarding vendor contributions.

TIMELINE

Updated the effective date for the entire bill from the original text to May 6, 2026, aligning with the session's specific timeline.

REQUIREMENT

Reordered and renumbered subsections in the unlawful conduct section to correct the legislative numbering sequence.

Introduced → Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 19, 2026

MODERATE

This bill expands the definition of 'institution of higher education' in several Utah statutes to explicitly include private postsecondary educational institutions, ensuring they are treated the same as public universities for purposes like security, property protection, and research funding. It also makes technical corrections to the STEM Action Center's duties and grant programs, such as renumbering definitions and clarifying stakeholder lists, while adding new sections for a hydrogen advisory council and updating definitions for law enforcement forfeiture proceedings.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of several existing laws to apply to private colleges and universities alongside public institutions, whereas previously these laws may have only applied to state institutions of higher education.

SCOPE

Updated definitions of 'institution of higher education' in multiple sections (9-22-102, 9-22-113, 53H-11-306, 76-6-113, 76-8-705, 79-6-106) to explicitly include 'private postsecondary educational institution', extending protections and requirements to private colleges.

REQUIREMENT

Added new Section 12 creating a Hydrogen Advisory Council to develop facts, encourage cross-state cooperation, and make recommendations on hydrogen development and safety protocols.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting and renumbering errors in the STEM Action Center definitions (Section 9-22-102) and stakeholder lists (Section 9-22-104) to ensure clarity and proper legal structure.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'law enforcement agency' in Section 77-11a-101 to include state institutions of higher education and private postsecondary educational institutions, clarifying their role in forfeiture proceedings.

Higher Education Code Amendments

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors