Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 177: ROTC Resident Student Status

HB 177 ensures that students participating in their college's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program at Utah state institutions of higher education qualify for in-state tuition rates. This policy change directly affects ROTC participants by granting them resident student status for tuition purposes without requiring additional residency documentation. The bill amends Utah law to explicitly include "ROTC participant" as a category eligible for resident status under existing provisions, meaning these students pay lower in-state tuition regardless of their usual residency requirements. This is a concrete policy adjustment that simplifies access to reduced tuition for military-affiliated students.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationGrants in-state tuition to ROTC students, expanding access to higher education without additional residency barriers, directly enhancing educational access for a student group.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 351: School Vision Screening Amendments

HB 351 requires Utah public schools to follow up with parents within 30 days if a student fails a vision screening, confirming they received results and offering help finding care. It affects students aged 3-16 in Utah public schools, their parents, and school staff conducting screenings. The bill establishes a two-tier screening system (basic "tier one" and more detailed "tier two"), mandates training for school nurses and volunteers, and creates standardized forms to ensure screenings aren't confused with full eye exams. Schools must also provide resources for follow-up care and prevent volunteers from promoting businesses during screenings. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, with no new funding required.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates vision screening follow-up and care access for students, enhancing student health and educational access in K-12 schools.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates school follow-up for vision screenings, ensuring students access to care and improving health service access for K-12 students.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 352: Higher Education Alignment

HB 352 requires Utah's public higher education institutions to organize into geographic regions containing at least one degree-granting institution and one technical college per region. It mandates the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish regional groupings, report to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee by August 2026, and ensure horizontal (collaboration between similar institutions) and vertical (integration across education levels) integration. Key provisions include creating clear transfer paths for credits, stackable programs that build sequentially, and shared services like admissions and student support. This affects all public higher education institutions in Utah, including research universities (e.g., University of Utah, Utah State), regional universities (e.g., Weber State, Utah Valley), community colleges (e.g., Salt Lake Community College), and technical colleges. The bill amends Utah Code Section 53H-3-602 to formalize these regional alignment requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates regional integration of higher education institutions to improve collaboration and vertical alignment, strengthening system coordination.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 52: Substitute Teaching Requirements Amendments

SB 52 removes the requirement for a teaching license for long-term substitute teachers in Utah school districts. This change directly affects school districts hiring substitutes and non-licensed individuals seeking long-term substitute roles. The bill eliminates the previous restriction limiting non-licensed substitutes to 20 days per school year, while maintaining background checks and requiring districts to prioritize licensed educators when available. It amends Utah Code Section 53E-6-901 and takes effect May 6, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves teaching license requirement for long-term substitutes, easing school staffing while maintaining background checks and prioritizing licensed educators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 54: Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship Program Amendments

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves income-based eligibility for low-income families in K-12 scholarship program, expanding educational access and aligning with broader scholarship initiatives.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 51: School Safety Modifications

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates statewide safety data sharing for schools, directly addressing student health and safety (a core Education topic) with privacy protections and immunity for reporting.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyIncludes explicit privacy protections for student data in a statewide reporting system, aligning with data privacy focus of Technology topic.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 62: School Finance Amendments

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesModifies school funding formula to increase state allocation for education via enrollment-based calculation, strengthening public school financing.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill revises school funding formula to use higher enrollment data for state funding calculations, potentially increasing resources for schools without explicit cuts or restrictions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 273: Classroom Technology Amendments

HB 273 requires Utah's State Board of Education to develop model policies for technology and artificial intelligence use in public schools, directly affecting all Utah public schools, teachers, and students. Key provisions include adding artificial intelligence standards to core computer science curriculum, establishing grade-level technology use requirements, creating a model for balanced technology integration, and allowing high schools to offer AI-focused "sandbox" courses. The bill also mandates reporting on implementation and exempts certain student groups from grade-level tech requirements, with no new state funding allocated.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAdds AI curriculum standards, mandates tech integration models, enables AI-focused courses - advancing educational technology in K-12.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates AI curriculum standards, grade-level tech requirements, and AI 'sandbox' courses in schools, directly advancing technology integration in education.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 373: Higher Education Innovation

HB 373 creates a pilot grant program to fund higher education research at Utah public universities, administered by the Utah Board of Higher Education through the Nucleus Institute or other designated bodies. The bill allows the commissioner of higher education to take over certain duties previously handled by the board and requires annual reporting on the program's implementation. It does not appropriate new state funds, and the program would operate under existing funding mechanisms. The bill directly affects Utah public universities, research institutions, and faculty seeking competitive funding for innovative academic projects.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates grant program for higher education research using existing funds, advancing innovation at public universities per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 218: Digital Skills Amendments

HB 218 amends Utah’s requirements for digital literacy education in grades 7 and 8, directly affecting public school students in those grades starting the 2027-2028 school year. The bill defines specific digital skills concepts (such as online ethics, AI literacy, cybersecurity, social media impact, and misinformation evaluation) that must be covered in the course. It also establishes an advisory tech council to guide curriculum development, recommend resources, and advise on emerging technologies. The changes update existing education codes without new funding, focusing on standardizing digital literacy instruction across Utah schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific digital literacy curriculum standards for grades 7-8, establishing advisory council to develop resources, enhancing K-12 educational standards.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates cybersecurity and AI literacy in K-12 curriculum, directly enhancing digital skills education per bill's defined requirements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education