Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SB 312: Educator License Amendments

SB 312 modifies Utah's educator license discipline rules to better protect students. It creates a tiered system where public schools must automatically restrict employment or volunteering for educators found ineligible due to serious misconduct involving actual harm, credible risk of harm, or sexual misconduct with minors. For less severe cases (like administrative errors or technical violations), restrictions require written findings proving specific risk to student safety, not automatic bans. This directly affects educators whose licenses are denied, suspended, or revoked, as well as school districts enforcing these restrictions. The bill ensures only conduct posing real danger triggers automatic employment bans, while technical errors or minor mistakes do not.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens student protection by creating tiered educator discipline rules to prevent harm, explicitly aiming to better safeguard students through targeted restrictions on misconduct.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 329: State Employee Maternity and Leave Amendments

HB 329 increases state employee paid leave for childbirth, adoption, and foster care. It extends postpartum recovery leave from 3 to 9 weeks and adds 9 weeks of paid leave for adopting children under six, plus 3 weeks for fostering children under six. School districts (LEAs) can apply for reimbursement through a new program if they implement similar paid leave policies for their employees, with $3 million appropriated for fiscal year 2027. The bill also updates the Breastfeeding Protection Act to include breast pump use and requires the Department of Human Resource Management to establish rules for administering these leave provisions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $3 million for LEA reimbursement program, directly funding a new state budget line item to support paid leave policies for employees.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates $3M for school districts to implement paid leave for staff, directly supporting educators through funding and retention benefits, aligning with education support indicators.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases paid maternity/foster care leave and funds reimbursement, improving access to postpartum health services and aligning with breastfeeding protections.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands state employee paid leave benefits (postpartum, adoption, foster care), adds new protections, and funds LEA reimbursement programs, directly advancing worker benefits and protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 467: Utah Fits All Scholarship Program Modifications

HB 467 modifies Utah's Fits All Scholarship Program to clarify eligibility and strengthen oversight. It requires students to be under 19 as of September 1 of the scholarship year and establishes consumer protection standards for how scholarship funds are spent. The bill also enhances program oversight, improves customer service standards for participants, and makes technical updates to program administration rules. These changes directly affect Utah students in kindergarten through 12th grade applying for the scholarship, ensuring clearer eligibility and better safeguards for scholarship funds. The bill does not appropriate new funds but adjusts existing program operations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationModifies scholarship program to clarify eligibility, strengthen oversight, and ensure proper fund usage, enhancing access and program integrity for K-12 students.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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 | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 164: School Construction Amendments

SB 164 transfers oversight of public school construction projects from Utah's State Board of Education to the Division of Facilities Construction and Management. It requires school districts to obtain division approval before construction begins, including adherence to cost matrices, safety standards (like fire safety and accessibility), and mandatory inspections. The bill establishes new requirements for online documentation tracking, cost reporting, and safety consultations with the state security chief, with full compliance needed by January 1, 2027. This directly affects all Utah school districts planning new construction or major renovations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationTransfers oversight to ensure safety standards, cost adherence, and inspections for school construction, enhancing infrastructure management per education infrastructure indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 142: School Fee Waiver Amendments

HB 142 limits school fee waivers in Utah public schools to two trips per student annually. It requires students seeking a second waiver to develop an "action plan" with their principal, including school-related contributions like custodial work or service hours. The bill also mandates local education agencies to set caps on total fee waivers and verify student eligibility through income documentation like pay stubs. These changes directly affect students in Utah public schools who qualify for fee waivers for school-sponsored trips.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts fee waiver access by limiting to two trips annually and requiring work plans, reducing student access to school activities without increasing support or funding.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 293: Public Education Student Athlete Protections

HB 293 prohibits Utah public schools from joining athletic associations that fail to include specific student athlete protections. The bill requires associations to mandate holiday breaks, summer rest periods, and limit practice time to 15 hours per week. It also sets documentation standards for verifying student eligibility, with accommodations for non-citizen students (using alternative IDs or affidavits) and homeless youth (using school records or affidavits). This directly affects public schools and the athletic associations they partner with, ensuring associations comply with these policies before schools can participate.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates student athlete protections including rest periods, practice limits, and eligibility documentation, directly enhancing student health/safety within K-12 athletics per bill's requirements.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill explicitly allows non-citizen students alternative IDs/affidavits for eligibility, enabling access to school sports programs.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes 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 No ✗ Opposes 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

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 | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education