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HB 1 Utah House · 2026 General Session

Public Education Base Budget Amendments

HB 1 amends Utah's public education budget for fiscal years 2026-2027, primarily adjusting funding formulas and allocations. It sets the weighted pupil unit (WPU) value at $4,870 for 2026-2027, revises eligibility for career and technical education funding, and modifies emergency funding for English learners. The bill appropriates over $8.7 billion for school operations and capital budgets in 2027, including $4.8 billion from the Uniform School Fund, and adjusts tax rate calculations to support school funding. These changes directly affect Utah school districts, charter schools, and state education agencies through updated budget allocations and funding mechanisms.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $8.7B for public education, adjusts tax rates to fund school budgets, and increases WPU value, directly advancing state education finance.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAppropriates $8.7B+ for K-12 operations including $4.8B from Uniform School Fund, increases WPU value, and revises funding formulas to support schools.95% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
House Passage
Jan 2026
Senate Passage
Jan 2026
Signed into Law
Feb 2026
Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Signed Feb 1, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Enrolled · 6 edits · Feb 1, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was amended to update fiscal year dates, increase specific funding amounts for the 2026 budget, and adjust eligibility thresholds for emergency funding for English learners. The changes also include minor formatting corrections to the title and section headers to ensure consistency throughout the document.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on public education appropriations, but the specific fiscal years covered and the dollar amounts allocated have been updated to reflect current budget requirements.
TIMELINE

Updated fiscal year dates in the title and descriptions to clarify the periods covered (e.g., July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026).

FISCAL

Increased the minimum basic local amount and preliminary tax rate estimates for fiscal year 2026 to reflect higher revenue targets.

Raised the minimum percentage increase in enrollment required to trigger emergency funding for students learning English from 75% to 40%.

Increased the minimum number of additional students required to trigger emergency funding for English learners from 30 to 10.

Adjusted specific line items in the FY 2026 budget, such as increasing funds for the School LAND Trust Program and Educator Salary Adjustments.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting inconsistencies in the bill title and section headers to improve readability and standardization.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 29, 2026 · House Jan 28, 2026

How they voted

28–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 29
Jan 29, 2026
D Democratic6
6 Yea
100% Yea
N Forward1
1 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican22
21 Yea 1
95% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
33
Key actions
4
Committee
0
Feb 1, 2026
Signed into law
Governor Signed
legislature
Jan 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Introduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
upper
Jan 28, 2026
Upper · Passed
House/ passed 3rd reading
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Introduced
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Stephen Whyte
Stephen Whyte
RRepublican
UT
63
Co
Photo of Heidi Balderree
Heidi Balderree
RRepublican
UT
22