HB 36 creates a three-year Gold Medal Schools Pilot Program administered by Utah's State Board of Education. It designates elementary schools in counties of the fourth, fifth, or sixth class (serving grades K-6) as eligible to receive a "Gold medal recognition award" for meeting physical education standards set by the board. The program includes reporting requirements and is scheduled to sunset after three years, with no funding appropriated. This pilot aims to recognize schools meeting specific physical education criteria but does not establish ongoing funding or permanent standards.
SB 54 amends Utah's Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship Program to make it more accessible. It removes income-based eligibility requirements (affecting low-income families) and eliminates eligibility for siblings. The bill aligns the program with Utah's Fits All Scholarship Program by allowing scholarship organizations to approve private schools and providers, requiring physical education and extracurricular caps, and adding primary residency verification. These changes streamline administration and clarify eligibility without appropriating new funds.
SB 51 creates a statewide system for Utah schools to share information about student threats. Local schools (LEAs) must report specific threat-related data to the State Board of Education, which can then share this information with other schools to improve safety coordination. The bill includes privacy protections for students, immunity for schools reporting in good faith, and clear rules for data collection and deletion. It takes effect on July 1, 2026, and does not appropriate new funding.
SB 34 amends Utah's public education system to clarify leadership roles and safety protocols. It allows the State Board of Education to appoint the state superintendent as superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB), with delegation authority for duties. The bill also updates juvenile justice reintegration rules to apply uniformly across all school districts (not just school districts), requiring coordinated safety assessments with the state security chief instead of county officials. These changes affect USDB operations, school districts, and students involved in juvenile justice reintegration processes, with no new funding or major cost impacts.
SB 62 modifies Utah's school funding formula to adjust how districts calculate weighted pupil units (WPU) for state funding. It replaces the previous "prior year plus growth" method with a new rule: funding calculations will use the higher of either (1) the prior year's enrollment adjusted for actual growth or (2) the current school year's October enrollment count. This change directly affects public school districts and charter schools by altering how their student enrollment data influences annual funding amounts. The bill makes no new money appropriations but changes the calculation method, effective July 1, 2026.
This bill updates Utah's unclaimed property law to include digital assets like cryptocurrency and digital wallets. It requires companies holding digital assets (e.g., crypto exchanges) to transfer abandoned digital property to the state administrator after a waiting period, and allows the state to sell these assets if necessary. The law defines digital assets broadly (excluding gift cards and game currency) and sets specific rules for how holders must handle them. It directly affects digital asset holders and the state's unclaimed property office, creating new administrative procedures for digital property.
HB 530 creates a "permitting coordinator" position within Utah's Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity to streamline state permitting processes. The coordinator will serve as a central contact for businesses and project developers seeking multiple state permits, helping them navigate requirements, connect with relevant agencies, and identify coordination improvements. Crucially, the coordinator cannot issue, deny, or modify permits - authority remains with existing permitting agencies. The role also requires annual reporting on coordination efforts and recommendations for administrative or legislative changes to improve permitting efficiency, with no new funding allocated.
SB 235 adjusts the governor's salary to match the total annual compensation of Utah's chief justice of the Supreme Court, effective July 1, 2026. This change directly affects the governor's pay and indirectly impacts other constitutional offices (like attorney general, lieutenant governor, and state auditor) since their salaries are set as fixed percentages of the governor's salary. The bill makes technical updates to existing salary formulas in Utah law without appropriating new funds. It does not alter the attorney general's current 95% salary formula but ensures future adjustments align with the chief justice's compensation. The bill requires no new spending and takes effect on the specified date.
SB 288 requires Utah's Department of Health and Human Services to establish quality standards for Medicaid providers (including managed care entities and fee-for-service providers) and annually report their performance to the legislature. It mandates a new "closed loop referral system" to coordinate social needs care (like housing or food assistance) for Medicaid-eligible individuals, ensuring secure communication and tracking of referrals between providers. The bill appropriates $42.7 million for fiscal year 2027 to fund these requirements, including $16.9 million from the General Fund. This directly affects Medicaid providers through performance evaluations and new reporting duties, while improving care coordination for Medicaid enrollees with social needs.
HCR 13 is a concurrent resolution (not a law) encouraging Utah schools to expand technical education programs focused on high-demand careers in nuclear technology, mining, and fiber optics. It urges the State Board of Education and local schools to create courses leading to industry certifications (like electric lineworker training) and collaborate with employers to align curriculum with workforce needs. The resolution does not appropriate funding or mandate changes but recommends specific actions to strengthen Utah’s workforce pipeline in key industries. It directly affects public schools, career and technical education programs, and industry partners through voluntary program development. The resolution passed the legislature in March 2026 and is now sent to the State Board of Education for consideration.
SB 324 establishes Utah's Outcome-based Investment Grant Pilot Framework, creating a system where state grant funding is tied to measurable project outcomes. It requires grant applicants to submit detailed pre-analysis plans outlining specific metrics and evaluation methods before receiving funds, mandates independent evaluations of funded projects, and sets up oversight by the Legislative Auditor General. The bill appropriates $9 million for fiscal year 2027 (split between the Income Tax Fund and other sources) and includes a sunset date of July 1, 2031, for the pilot program. This framework directly affects state agencies administering grants and organizations seeking funding for projects with defined, trackable results.
SB 257 updates Utah's domestic relations laws to clarify parent-child relationships and improve child support and custody processes. It aligns definitions with the Uniform Parentage Act, creates a new table for minimal child care awards (effective 2027), and automatically adjusts child support when parental rights are terminated. The bill modifies parent-time schedules (removing Columbus Day/Veterans Day, adding Juneteenth coordination), prohibits requiring address disclosure for domestic violence survivors, and clarifies court procedures for genetic testing and custody modifications. These changes directly affect parents, children, and family courts handling custody, support, and parent-time cases.
