Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SB 312: Educator License Amendments

SB 312 modifies Utah's educator license discipline rules to better protect students. It creates a tiered system where public schools must automatically restrict employment or volunteering for educators found ineligible due to serious misconduct involving actual harm, credible risk of harm, or sexual misconduct with minors. For less severe cases (like administrative errors or technical violations), restrictions require written findings proving specific risk to student safety, not automatic bans. This directly affects educators whose licenses are denied, suspended, or revoked, as well as school districts enforcing these restrictions. The bill ensures only conduct posing real danger triggers automatic employment bans, while technical errors or minor mistakes do not.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens student protection by creating tiered educator discipline rules to prevent harm, explicitly aiming to better safeguard students through targeted restrictions on misconduct.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 295: Intellectual Diversity in Education and Government

SB 295 requires Utah public schools and higher education institutions to promote intellectual diversity by hosting public policy events featuring diverse perspectives, including debates and discussions on differing viewpoints. It mandates that institutions organize these events, maintain public event calendars, and record sessions for transparency, while clarifying that existing anti-discrimination rules do not restrict invited guest lectures or speakers. The bill directly affects public schools, universities, and state government entities by modifying reporting requirements and curricular club policies. It makes no new funding allocations and focuses on procedural changes to encourage open discourse within educational settings.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates diverse perspective events to enhance academic freedom and intellectual diversity in education institutions, aligning with educational enhancement indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 502: School Attendance Modifications

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.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRequires citizenship grades for scholarship eligibility, restricting access to higher education funding for opt-out students per bill's scholarship ineligibility clause.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 164: School Construction Amendments

SB 164 transfers oversight of public school construction projects from Utah's State Board of Education to the Division of Facilities Construction and Management. It requires school districts to obtain division approval before construction begins, including adherence to cost matrices, safety standards (like fire safety and accessibility), and mandatory inspections. The bill establishes new requirements for online documentation tracking, cost reporting, and safety consultations with the state security chief, with full compliance needed by January 1, 2027. This directly affects all Utah school districts planning new construction or major renovations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationTransfers oversight to ensure safety standards, cost adherence, and inspections for school construction, enhancing infrastructure management per education infrastructure indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 142: School Fee Waiver Amendments

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.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts fee waiver access by limiting to two trips annually and requiring work plans, reducing student access to school activities without increasing support or funding.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 219: Higher Education Civics Amendments

HB 219, the Higher Education Civics Amendments, requires Utah's public and private colleges and universities to incorporate foundational American documents - such as the Constitution, Federalist Papers, and key Supreme Court decisions - into writing courses when appropriate for the course's learning goals, starting in the 2026-27 academic year. The Utah Board of Higher Education must establish a policy directing institutions to use these "seminal documents" in analytical writing assignments to build skills like close reading, historical context analysis, and evidence-based argumentation. Institutions may voluntarily adopt structured requirements (e.g., three analytical writing assignments using these documents), but the bill does not mandate adoption for all schools. Faculty retain full discretion to select specific documents, design assignments, and integrate them without overriding course objectives. The policy aims to strengthen students' ability to analyze primary sources while preserving flexibility in teaching diverse writing genres.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates inclusion of foundational documents in writing courses, strengthening civics education curriculum in higher education institutions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 293: Public Education Student Athlete Protections

HB 293 prohibits Utah public schools from joining athletic associations that fail to include specific student athlete protections. The bill requires associations to mandate holiday breaks, summer rest periods, and limit practice time to 15 hours per week. It also sets documentation standards for verifying student eligibility, with accommodations for non-citizen students (using alternative IDs or affidavits) and homeless youth (using school records or affidavits). This directly affects public schools and the athletic associations they partner with, ensuring associations comply with these policies before schools can participate.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates student athlete protections including rest periods, practice limits, and eligibility documentation, directly enhancing student health/safety within K-12 athletics per bill's requirements.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill explicitly allows non-citizen students alternative IDs/affidavits for eligibility, enabling access to school sports programs.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 188: Juvenile Justice Amendments

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.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates law enforcement referral for juvenile drug offenses, expanding criminalization. Updates alternative resolutions but referral requirement increases justice system involvement.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates school referrals to law enforcement for drug offenses, restricting school-based disciplinary alternatives and increasing juvenile justice involvement in K-12 settings.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

passed · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 85: Excellence in Education and Leadership Supplement Modifications

SB 85 expands Utah's teacher performance award program to include teachers in school districts not participating in the program. It creates a "self-nomination" pathway for eligible teachers in non-participating districts who meet statewide performance thresholds (top 40% in their subject/grade using state data). The bill updates the program rules to allow these teachers to qualify without district nomination, using a state-calculated value-added growth model. The changes apply to all Utah public school teachers and require the state center to identify qualifying teachers and issue invitations. No new funding is appropriated for this eligibility expansion.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands teacher performance awards to non-participating districts via self-nomination, supporting educators by increasing access to funding and recognition.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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failed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 334: Educator Organization Amendments

HB 334 creates the Legislative Education Support and Professional Development Commission to study gaps in educator support systems. The commission will examine issues like communication between schools and policymakers, professional development opportunities, teacher liability insurance models, and recognition programs, with a focus on educators not covered by professional organizations. It will hold its first meeting before October 1, 2026, and submit recommendations to the Education Interim Committee. The bill does not change existing laws or allocate funding, as it establishes a study body to inform future policy decisions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates commission to study educator support gaps, focusing on professional development and recognition for underrepresented educators, aligning with strengthening educator support systems.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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