Education

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 350: Foods Available at Schools Amendments

HB 350 amends Utah school food regulations by updating the list of prohibited additives in foods sold, donated, offered, or served during school hours. It bans items containing potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, and specific FD&C dyes (like Blue No. 1 and Yellow No. 5), directly affecting public schools. Key exceptions include parents providing these foods to students, teachers offering them with parental permission, and donated foods going to school pantries. The bill also removes a prior exception for small schools (under 5,500 students) and allows these foods to be sold at school events or in vending machines. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, with no new funding required.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBans harmful additives in school foods to protect student health, directly advancing school safety within education policy as listed under Subjects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

passed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 42: School Cybersecurity Amendments

HB 42 establishes minimum cybersecurity standards for Utah's public schools (local education agencies) and expands the Utah Cyber Center's role to provide dedicated security services to schools. It requires schools to implement specific measures like multi-factor authentication, patch management, and endpoint detection systems, while mandating incident reporting to the Cyber Center. The law also directs the State Board of Education to develop implementation guidelines and creates new reporting requirements for cybersecurity breaches in educational settings. These changes directly affect all Utah public schools and their cybersecurity practices, aiming to strengthen protection for student and school data. The bill contains no new funding and amends several existing Utah Code sections related to education and cybersecurity.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates cybersecurity standards for schools, enhancing infrastructure protection and student data safety, directly strengthening K-12 educational security protocols.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates cybersecurity standards for schools, requiring multi-factor authentication and incident reporting to strengthen security and protect data privacy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

failed · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 43: School Security Amendments

HB 43 creates Utah's School Safety Support Program to fund school safety measures like personnel, infrastructure, and emergency protocols. It directs state funding to school districts and charter schools based on enrollment (with a 20% equal share for all charters and 80% per student), requiring schools to submit safety plans and annual reports to receive funds. The bill protects this program from funding cuts during enrollment declines and adds it to existing education programs eligible for annual inflation adjustments. No new money is appropriated - funding comes from existing state education budgets. The program applies to all public schools meeting safety requirements under Utah's School Security Act.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates state funds for school safety program, protects from budget cuts, and directs appropriations toward K-12 safety measures per enrollment metrics.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates state-funded school safety program with mandatory safety plans and protected funding, directly supporting school infrastructure and operations under education.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

signed · Utah · House Feb 27, 2026

HB 55: Privacy Compliance for Education Technology Vendors

HB 55 requires schools and government agencies contracting with education technology vendors to include specific privacy clauses in their agreements. It mandates that if a vendor illegally sells student data (violating state or federal law), the school must notify the vendor within 30 days and terminate the contract if the violation isn’t fixed within another 30 days. The bill also prohibits vendors from charging fees or seeking damages for contract termination due to privacy violations and repeals a prior provision allowing vendors to respond to student feedback requests. This directly affects schools, their ed tech vendors, and student data privacy protections under Utah law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProtects student data privacy in ed tech contracts, mandating termination for violations and prohibiting vendor fees for breaches, strengthening student privacy safeguards in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates privacy clauses for edtech vendors, requires contract termination for illegal data sales, and protects student data privacy per bill's core provisions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · House Feb 27, 2026

HB 75: American Indian and Alaska Native Education Amendments

HB 75 amends Utah's education laws to better support American Indian and Alaska Native students. It defines "American Indian and Alaska Native concentrated schools" (those with ≥29% Native students), expands grant eligibility for schools serving these students (prioritizing certain counties), and requires the state board to adopt a specific education plan by 2027. The bill mandates annual reporting to the Native American Legislative Liaison Committee on grant use, program effectiveness, and plan implementation. It updates existing grant rules and creates new reporting requirements without appropriating new funds. The policy directly affects Utah schools with significant Native student populations and tribal communities through improved resource targeting and accountability.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands grant eligibility for Native-serving schools, mandates education plan adoption, and requires annual reporting on program effectiveness to improve educational access and support for American Indian/Alaska Native students.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · Senate Feb 1, 2026

SB 1: Higher Education Base Budget

SB 1 allocates $44.5 million for Utah's public higher education institutions for fiscal year 2026 and $3.08 billion for 2027, funding operations, instruction, research, and specific programs. It directs funds from the General Fund, Income Tax Fund, and other sources to institutions like the University of Utah (including its School of Medicine, cancer research, and hospital) and Utah State University (covering veterinary medicine, dentistry, and career education). The bill specifies detailed budget breakdowns for departments such as academic support, student services, and initiatives like the Poison Control Center. This funding directly supports the day-to-day operations and strategic priorities of Utah's public universities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $3.08B from General/Income Tax Funds to public higher education, directly increasing state budget funding for essential education programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates $3.08B for 2027 higher education operations, instruction, and research at public institutions, directly funding core educational functions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Utah · House Feb 1, 2026

HB 1: 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.

Topics ✓ 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 | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education