Education

in committee · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 484: Property Tax Changes

HB 484 limits how much additional property tax revenue Utah school districts and local taxing entities can collect without voter approval, capping increases at 20% of their previous year's revenue. It requires voter approval for tax hikes exceeding this limit and eliminates a protection period that previously shielded school districts from losing state funding when lowering tax rates. The bill also phases out excess state funding over three years if a school district reduces its certified tax rate, ensuring funding aligns with current property valuations. This directly affects school districts' budgets and local tax collection processes under Utah law.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesCaps property tax increases at 20% without voter approval, restricting local tax authority and requiring voter consent for hikes exceeding limit.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts school district tax increases without voter approval and phases out excess state funding, limiting local revenue options and potential school funding.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Property Tax Revenue

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in committee · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 517: Sensitive Materials

HB 517 prohibits public schools in Utah from allowing "sensitive materials" (defined as pornographic or indecent content under strict legal standards) in classrooms, libraries, or on school property. It requires schools to immediately remove challenged materials during reviews, limits parents or students to three annual challenges per academic year, and mandates a two-step review process prioritizing objective standards first. Exceptions include medical courses, family science classes, and materials already approved under existing rules. The bill directly affects all Utah public school students, parents, and school staff involved in curriculum decisions and material reviews.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts K-12 curriculum by banning 'sensitive materials' in classrooms/libraries, limiting educational content access through strict prohibitions and review processes.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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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

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 485: Property Tax Revenue Increase Amendments

HB 485 limits how much revenue school districts and other local taxing entities can collect from new property value growth (e.g., increases in property values beyond the base assessment). It caps this revenue at the lesser of two amounts: (1) new growth multiplied by a set tax rate, or (2) an inflation-adjusted budget increase. This change affects school districts' ability to raise funds from new property values and adjusts how state contributions to basic school programs are calculated. The bill makes technical updates to property tax laws without appropriating new state funds, effective January 1, 2027.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesCaps property tax revenue growth for school districts, limiting their ability to collect new funds from rising property values.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationCapping property tax revenue growth limits school districts' ability to raise funds from new property values, restricting potential education funding increases.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Property Tax State Budget School Funding Testing & Assessment

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introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 488: Standards and Curriculum Amendments

HB 488 amends Utah's public school curriculum standards to require specific content in social studies and civics education. It mandates instruction on American Exceptionalism, comparative government systems, the Bible as a literary and historical text, and founding documents in English language arts assessments. The bill also requires the State Board of Education to develop free, open educational resources for social studies that align with updated standards and must be revised when standards change. Additionally, it allows local school districts to determine if certain applied arts courses satisfy fine arts credit requirements, with no new state funding allocated.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates specific curriculum content (American Exceptionalism, Bible as literary text), restricting academic freedom and limiting curriculum flexibility per bill's requirements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 267: Public Employee Compensation Amendments

HB 267 limits annual salary increases for school district administrators (including superintendents, business administrators, and deputies) to the weighted pupil unit (WPU) inflation rate, unless specific conditions are met. To exceed this cap, school boards must hold a public hearing, tie raises to measurable performance outcomes (like student literacy rates or graduation rates), and secure a majority vote. The bill also restricts certain benefits and sets new pay scales for deputy administrators and new superintendents. It directly affects school district leadership compensation decisions across Utah, with no new state funding required.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRestricts school administrator salary increases to WPU inflation rate, limiting government spending on personnel without performance ties or public approval.90% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts salary increases for school administrators, ties raises to performance metrics, and limits benefits, directly restricting school personnel compensation.85% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentLimits salary increases for school administrators to WPU inflation rate, restricting compensation growth without performance ties or majority approval.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees

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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

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Law Enforcement

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 197: School Materials Amendments

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.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts curriculum content by mandating management of 'sensitive material' in digital resources, limiting access to certain educational materials.95% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyMandates content filtering on school devices to restrict pornographic/indecent material, limiting internet access for specific content.90% confidence

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passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 183: Sex Designation Amendments

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.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill removes gender identity protections in crime statutes, weakening legal safeguards for transgender individuals in criminal justice contexts.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts student access to privacy spaces based on biological sex in schools, removing gender identity protections affecting K-12 educational access and curriculum policies.85% confidence ✗ HousingOpposes HousingRepeals gender identity protections in housing, weakening tenant safeguards per bill summary.90% confidence

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introduced · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 151: Teaching Materials Amendments

HB 151 exempts certain courses - like Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, medical, and family and consumer science classes - from standard sensitive material review requirements when parents provide consent. It directly affects students in these courses and their parents, who must explicitly approve access to materials deemed "subjective sensitive" (e.g., content considered harmful to minors). The bill adds a parental consent pathway for these courses, allowing schools to temporarily permit such materials during review if parents consent, while maintaining prohibitions on "objective sensitive material" (e.g., pornographic content). This changes how schools handle parental input for specific course materials without altering the core ban on prohibited content.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill restricts curriculum access by requiring parental consent for 'sensitive' materials in specific courses, limiting school flexibility without consent.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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