HB 2 Utah House · 2025 General Session

Public Education Budget Amendments

HB 2 adjusts Utah's public education funding for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, directly affecting school districts, charter schools, and state education agencies. It increases educator salaries, adds a bonus for education support professionals, and eliminates funding for programs including Technology-Life-Careers, student leadership organizations, and the Carson Smith Scholarship. The bill reallocates $139.35 million for 2025 and $134.22 million for 2026, adjusting formulas for Career and Technical Education and special education programs while repealing outdated funding mechanisms. These changes reflect legislative priorities for teacher compensation and program restructuring within the state's education budget.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

Signed into Law

Mar 2025

Introduced Mar 3, 2025 Signed Mar 25, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Amended Excerpts 3/4/2025 13:03:107 → Amended 3/4/2025 13:03:107 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends public education funding for Utah's fiscal years 2025 and 2026, adjusting appropriations from various state funds. It increases educator salary adjustments, establishes salary bonuses for education support professionals, and repeals funding for several programs including Technology-Life-Careers and student leadership organizations. The bill also adjusts weighted pupil unit calculations for Career and Technical Education and other programs to reflect increased student weightings approved by the Legislature.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include appropriations for fiscal year 2026 in addition to fiscal year 2025, with funding sources adjusted between the Income Tax Fund, Uniform School Fund, and General Fund.

FISCAL

Added appropriations of $134,218,200 for fiscal year 2026 operating and capital budgets, including $400,000 from the General Fund.

Modified funding amounts for fiscal year 2025, increasing Income Tax Fund appropriations from $1,132,000 to $13,451,000 and adding $99,184,700 from the Uniform School Fund.

Removed funding for Technology-Life-Careers, student leadership organizations, professional staff weighted pupil units, Capital Outlay Enrollment Growth Program, and professional learning pilot grants.

ELIGIBILITY

Added salary bonus provisions for certain education support professionals and increased educator salary adjustments.

DEFINITION

Modified weighted pupil unit calculations for Career and Technical Education Add-on, Professional Staff, and Special Education-Impact Aid WPU programs to reflect increased student weightings.

REQUIREMENT

Removed statutory increase for the legacy iteration of the Carson Smith Scholarship Program.

TECHNICAL

Added coordination clause to adopt and supersede S.B. 321 regarding state guarantee for local property tax levies, and made technical and conforming changes.

Enrolled → Amended Excerpts 3/4/2025 13:03:107 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Utah's public education budget for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, adjusting funding allocations, salary adjustments, and program eligibility. Key changes include increasing educator salary adjustments, creating a one-time stipend for education support professionals, modifying weighted pupil unit calculations, and adjusting guaranteed local levy increments. The bill also repeals several pilot programs and scholarship provisions while establishing new funding sources and distribution methods.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on public education funding but modifies specific program eligibility criteria, funding thresholds, and distribution formulas across multiple education-related statutes.

FISCAL

Increased educator salary adjustments from $8,400 to $10,350 for fiscal year 2026 if the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program is funded, or from $4,200 to $5,175 if not funded.

Created a one-time $1,000 Education Support Professional Supplemental Stipend for qualifying employees such as instructional paraprofessionals, library paraprofessionals, and student support staff.

Adjusted guaranteed local levy increments, increasing the guaranteed amount from $43.10 to $43.10 per weighted pupil unit and modifying the number of increments subject to guarantee from 16 to 20 for voted levies.

SCOPE

Repealed several pilot programs including the Technology-Life-Careers program, professional staff weighted pupil units, Capital Outlay Enrollment Growth Program, and grants for professional learning.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified scholarship eligibility criteria for the Carson Smith Scholarship Program, changing the special education service threshold from 180 minutes per day to a more flexible assessment team determination.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the phase-out schedule for excess state guarantee money from a five-year period to a three-year period (100%, 66%, 33% over fiscal years 2026-2028).

TECHNICAL

Reorganized budget appropriations tables and adjusted line items for various education programs including flexible allocation, digital teaching and learning, and student health support.

Introduced → Enrolled · 7 edits · Mar 25, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah's public education budget for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, adjusting funding levels, modifying salary adjustments for educators, creating a one-time stipend for education support professionals, and repealing several programs including the Capital Outlay Enrollment Growth Program. It also changes how local property tax levies are guaranteed and adjusts weighted pupil unit calculations for various education programs.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of educator salary adjustments to include new categories of professionals and creates a new stipend program for education support staff, while removing funding for several previously supported programs.

FISCAL

Increased educator salary adjustments for fiscal year 2026 to $10,350 if the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program is funded, or $5,175 if not funded, up from previous amounts.

Created a new one-time $1,000 stipend for education support professionals including paraprofessionals, library staff, student support workers, and school support employees like janitors and bus drivers.

Repealed funding for the Capital Outlay Enrollment Growth Program, Technology-Life-Careers program, student leadership organizations, professional staff weighted pupil units, and a pilot grant for professional learning.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the Carson Smith Scholarship Program to increase scholarship amounts based on special education service levels and added a maximum award cap that transfers excess funds to the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship Program.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the guaranteed local levy increment system to limit the number of guaranteed increments and phase out excess funds over a three-year period starting in 2026.

TIMELINE

Set various repeal dates for different programs ranging from January 1, 2025 to July 1, 2029, and established effective dates of July 1, 2025 for most provisions.

TECHNICAL

Made technical and conforming changes to align the bill with other legislation and updated formatting throughout the document.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 25, 2025

Signed into law

Governor Signed

executive

Mar 5, 2025

Legislature · Passed

House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling

legislature

Mar 5, 2025

Lower · Passed

Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House

lower

Mar 5, 2025

Introduced

Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

House/ passed 3rd reading

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

House/ floor amendment

lower

Mar 3, 2025

Introduced

House/ 1st reading (Introduced)

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor