SB 220 Utah Senate · 2026 General Session

Veteran Scholarship Amendments

SB 220 modifies Utah's tuition waiver program for Purple Heart recipients pursuing graduate studies. It removes a previous requirement that veterans apply for graduate waivers within 10 years of completing an undergraduate degree and increases the maximum total waiver amount from $10,000 to $15,000. The bill also clarifies that waivers apply for up to five years after program acceptance or until degree completion, whichever comes first. This change directly affects Utah residents who are Purple Heart recipients enrolled in graduate programs at state institutions. The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 29, 2026 Signed Mar 19, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 19, 2026
MINOR
This bill amends the Utah statute regarding tuition waivers for Purple Heart recipients by removing a specific time limit on when veterans can apply for graduate school waivers and increasing the maximum total tuition waiver amount from $10,000 to $15,000. These changes expand the financial assistance available to veterans who have been wounded in service, allowing them more flexibility in their education timeline and greater coverage of their tuition costs.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of benefits by removing a previous eligibility restriction that required veterans to apply for graduate programs within 10 years of completing their undergraduate degree.
REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement that Purple Heart recipients must apply for a graduate tuition waiver no later than 10 years after completing an undergraduate degree.

FISCAL

Increased the maximum total amount of graduate tuition that can be waived for a Purple Heart recipient from $10,000 to $15,000.

TECHNICAL

Made technical corrections to subsection numbering and formatting to align with the bill's structure.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 24, 2026 · House Mar 5, 2026

How they voted

250
Passed · 4 other
Total votes 29
Feb 24, 2026
D Democratic6
5 Yea 1
83% Yea
N Forward1
1 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican22
19 Yea 3
86% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
39
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Mar 19, 2026
Signed into law
Governor Signed
executive
Mar 6, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ passed 3rd reading
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ committee report favorable [House Government Operations Committee]
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Government Operations Committee]
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Committee
House/ to standing committee [House Government Operations Committee]
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Introduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate/ committee report favorable [Senate Education Committee]
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Education Committee]
upper
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Education Committee]
upper
Jan 29, 2026
Introduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors