Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 143: Special Education Amendments

HB 143 requires Utah school districts to provide parents of students in special education with written notice at least 30 days before changing a student’s special education placement due to a boundary change (like moving to a new school). The notice must include details about the change’s reason, new location, timeline, contact information, and options for discussing it or scheduling an IEP meeting. It directly affects parents of students in special education programs whose school assignments are altered. The bill creates a clear process for districts to communicate these changes while giving parents time to provide input before decisions are finalized.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates parental notice for special education placement changes, enhancing transparency and protection in IEP processes for students with disabilities.95% 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 58: Public School Attendance Amendments

SB 58 requires public schools to address chronic absenteeism and academic needs through specific, funded programs. School principals must provide written compliance assurances, and school councils must create detailed plans using allocated funds to target the school’s most critical academic needs and absenteeism. These plans must include specific programs, materials, or staff training (like attendance plans, academic recovery programs, and staff development) with measurable goals for improving student performance. The bill directly affects public schools, their councils, and principals by mandating structured, accountable approaches to attendance and academic improvement.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates funded programs for absenteeism and academic recovery, requiring allocated funds and measurable goals to improve school performance per bill summary.95% 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

HCR 13: Concurrent Resolution Regarding Technical Education

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEncourages expansion of technical education programs for high-demand careers, enhancing curriculum alignment with workforce needs and student program access.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 18, 2026

SB 241: Early Literacy

SB 241 establishes a statewide framework for early literacy in Utah public schools, directly affecting kindergarten through third-grade students, their schools, and educators. It sets a 2030 goal for 80% of third graders to read at grade level, requiring schools to provide individualized reading plans based on benchmark assessments and ban certain teaching methods like "three-cueing." The bill mandates science-of-reading training for teachers and school leaders, dedicates existing funding for literacy coaching (without new money), and ties school performance monitoring to third-grade reading outcomes. Key provisions include requiring retention in third grade for students not meeting benchmarks (with limited exemptions) and aligning teacher evaluations with literacy instruction standards.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates science-of-reading training, bans ineffective methods, sets literacy goals with dedicated funding for K-3 education.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 18, 2026

SB 88: School Technology Amendments

SB 88 amends Utah's public school internet policies to require school boards to adopt specific procedures. It directly affects public schools, parents, and students by mandating that school boards: (1) adopt policies restricting obscene content, (2) implement a parent-accessible monitoring system for student device activity, and (3) use a preapproved content filtering system when parents request it. The bill also requires school boards to review policies every three years and post them visibly in schools. It takes effect July 1, 2026, and does not appropriate new funding.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates content filtering and monitoring to protect students from obscene material in school internet use, aligning with protective education safeguards.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyMandates content filtering and monitoring, restricting internet access to obscene content per bill requirements.85% 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 No ✗ Opposes Education