HB 329 increases state employee paid leave for childbirth, adoption, and foster care. It extends postpartum recovery leave from 3 to 9 weeks and adds 9 weeks of paid leave for adopting children under six, plus 3 weeks for fostering children under six. School districts (LEAs) can apply for reimbursement through a new program if they implement similar paid leave policies for their employees, with $3 million appropriated for fiscal year 2027. The bill also updates the Breastfeeding Protection Act to include breast pump use and requires the Department of Human Resource Management to establish rules for administering these leave provisions.
HB 502 establishes standardized citizenship grading for Utah students, requiring schools to use consistent state-defined criteria for skills like attendance, participation, and meeting deadlines. Parents can opt their children out of citizenship grades, in which case students receive academic grades only and are ineligible for a related higher education scholarship program funded by voluntary tax contributions. The bill also creates statewide test-out options for core classes (English, math, science, social studies) allowing students to earn credit without taking the course, beginning in 2027. Attendance-based grading is permitted, but individualized attendance plans are repealed. These changes affect all Utah public school students, parents, and school districts, with key provisions taking effect in the 2027-2028 school year.
HB 142 limits school fee waivers in Utah public schools to two trips per student annually. It requires students seeking a second waiver to develop an "action plan" with their principal, including school-related contributions like custodial work or service hours. The bill also mandates local education agencies to set caps on total fee waivers and verify student eligibility through income documentation like pay stubs. These changes directly affect students in Utah public schools who qualify for fee waivers for school-sponsored trips.
HB 188 amends Utah's juvenile justice laws to clarify procedures for handling student offenses on school grounds. It directly affects students (minors), schools, law enforcement, and juvenile courts by requiring schools to refer minors to law enforcement for drug offenses and updating eligibility for alternative resolutions (nonjudicial adjustments) in specific cases. Key provisions include defining terms like "school property" and "school-sponsored activity," changing notification requirements for school-based incidents, and repealing outdated reporting statutes. These changes standardize how schools and authorities respond to student misconduct while focusing on concrete policy updates to existing laws.
HB 183 amends Utah state laws to replace the term "gender" with "sex" in all relevant statutes and removes protections based on gender identity. It repeals existing provisions covering gender identity in housing, employment, and crime, prohibits changes to sex designations on birth certificates, and restricts student access to privacy spaces based on biological sex. The bill also requires state agencies to use "sex" instead of "gender" in rulemaking, bars certain employees in child-related roles from having face-to-face contact with children if their work presents a different sex than their biological sex, and directs courts to consider parental opposition to a child's gender identity (conflicting with biological sex) as a factor in custody decisions. These changes directly affect transgender and gender-diverse individuals, schools, healthcare providers, and courts handling custody cases. The bill contains no funding impacts and is currently in early legislative stages.
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.
HB 197 (School Materials Amendments) requires Utah schools to manage "sensitive material" (defined as pornographic or indecent content per state law) in digital instructional resources. It directly affects parents, school staff, and vendors providing digital learning tools by mandating: (1) annual parent notifications during student registration, (2) school libraries to prioritize certain books, (3) LEAs to maintain online reporting systems for sensitive material, and (4) school devices to use filters blocking such content. The bill also allows school entities to terminate vendor contracts if digital materials aren’t removed after violations. It does not appropriate new funds and amends Utah Code sections related to school materials and parent portals.
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.
HB 43 creates Utah's School Safety Support Program to fund school safety measures like personnel, infrastructure, and emergency protocols. It directs state funding to school districts and charter schools based on enrollment (with a 20% equal share for all charters and 80% per student), requiring schools to submit safety plans and annual reports to receive funds. The bill protects this program from funding cuts during enrollment declines and adds it to existing education programs eligible for annual inflation adjustments. No new money is appropriated - funding comes from existing state education budgets. The program applies to all public schools meeting safety requirements under Utah's School Security Act.
