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

signed · Utah · House Mar 13, 2026

HB 126: Micro-Education Entity Facility Amendments

HB 126 amends Utah zoning laws to treat micro-education entities (like home-based microschools) as permitted uses in all municipal zoning districts, removing barriers to their operation. It requires municipalities to process all land use applications for these entities on a first-priority basis and limits parking requirements to match those for other schools or institutional uses. The bill also clarifies that local governments cannot impose additional restrictions on micro-education entities beyond objective land use standards, such as setbacks or safety regulations. This directly affects micro-education providers seeking to operate within residential or mixed-use areas without facing undue zoning hurdles. The changes apply to Utah Code sections 10-20-304 and 17-79-305, with no new funding or fees required.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves zoning barriers for microschools, expanding K-12 educational access by treating them as permitted uses and prioritizing applications.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 528: Local School Board Reporting

HB 528 requires Utah school districts to report specific open enrollment data - including school capacity, enrollment numbers on key dates, and nonresident student requests - to the State Board of Education. The State Board must then publish this data online, including school-specific enrollment rates and contact information for open enrollment staff. This affects all Utah public school districts and makes enrollment transparency requirements more accessible to families and the public. The bill does not change enrollment standards but mandates standardized reporting to improve visibility into district enrollment patterns.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires transparent reporting of enrollment data to improve public access and decision-making for families, enhancing educational access and transparency in K-12 enrollment processes.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 521: Public Education Economic Stabilization Restricted Account Amendments

HB 521 creates a new Public Education Economic Stabilization Trust Fund managed by the state treasurer, which must receive $350 million annually starting in 2027 from the existing Public Education Economic Stabilization Restricted Account. The bill requires this trust fund to be funded before other one-time appropriations for public education, ensuring priority for education funding during budget cycles. It also exempts the trust fund from standard state financial management laws and corrects how minimum funding levels apply. This directly affects Utah's public education system by mandating a dedicated funding stream for schools and specific programs like the Catalyst Center Grant Program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesPrioritizes $350M annual education funding before other appropriations, strengthening public education budget allocation and fiscal management.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates mandatory $350M annual education trust fund prioritized over other appropriations, ensuring stable school funding per bill's funding requirements and subjects.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 518: School Curriculum Amendments

HB 518 modifies Utah's social studies curriculum requirements for K-12 public schools. It mandates that American constitutional government and citizenship be taught as separate semester courses, and requires U.S. history to be taught as two distinct semester courses. The bill also prohibits students from repeating the same semester course for graduation, requires literacy coaches to integrate social studies content into literacy instruction, and mandates regular social studies instruction in elementary grades. Implementation must occur by July 1, 2031, and the bill repeals an adult education citizenship test.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific social studies course structures and integration, strengthening curriculum standards without restricting academic freedom or funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 350: Foods Available at Schools Amendments

HB 350 amends Utah school food regulations by updating the list of prohibited additives in foods sold, donated, offered, or served during school hours. It bans items containing potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, and specific FD&C dyes (like Blue No. 1 and Yellow No. 5), directly affecting public schools. Key exceptions include parents providing these foods to students, teachers offering them with parental permission, and donated foods going to school pantries. The bill also removes a prior exception for small schools (under 5,500 students) and allows these foods to be sold at school events or in vending machines. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, with no new funding required.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBans harmful additives in school foods to protect student health, directly advancing school safety within education policy as listed under Subjects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 150: School-based Speech-language Pathologist Funding Amendments

HB 150 updates eligibility for Utah's Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators program to explicitly include speech-language pathologists and technicians working in designated high-needs school assignments. It also adjusts funding for teaching supplies, providing $500 per classroom teacher position for pre-K through grade 6 and $250 for grades 7-12. The bill makes technical changes to existing funding distribution rules without appropriating new money, clarifying how school districts calculate payments. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, and directly affect school districts, charter schools, and educators in qualifying roles.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationUpdates eligibility for speech-language pathologists and allocates classroom supply funding, directly supporting educator resources and K-12 school funding distribution.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands eligibility for salary supplement program to include speech-language pathologists, directly supporting educator compensation within employment framework.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

failed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 241: Charter School Amendments

HB 241 updates Utah's charter school laws by replacing the "Charter School Revolving Account" with the "Charter School Revolving Fund," administered by the Utah Charter Finance Authority starting July 1, 2026. It gives charter schools equal access to purchase decommissioned school property (with resale restrictions), clarifies they are public schools, and requires governing board members to take an oath of office. The bill also adjusts loan limits ($1 million for facility expansions, 25% for acquisition/construction) and repayment terms, while making technical changes to related statutes. No new state funds are appropriated for these changes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationClarifies charter schools as public institutions and expands access to facilities/funding for expansions, supporting K-12 educational infrastructure and access.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

signed · Utah · House Feb 27, 2026

HB 55: Privacy Compliance for Education Technology Vendors

HB 55 requires schools and government agencies contracting with education technology vendors to include specific privacy clauses in their agreements. It mandates that if a vendor illegally sells student data (violating state or federal law), the school must notify the vendor within 30 days and terminate the contract if the violation isn’t fixed within another 30 days. The bill also prohibits vendors from charging fees or seeking damages for contract termination due to privacy violations and repeals a prior provision allowing vendors to respond to student feedback requests. This directly affects schools, their ed tech vendors, and student data privacy protections under Utah law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProtects student data privacy in ed tech contracts, mandating termination for violations and prohibiting vendor fees for breaches, strengthening student privacy safeguards in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates privacy clauses for edtech vendors, requires contract termination for illegal data sales, and protects student data privacy per bill's core provisions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education