Education

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 81: Dyslexia Testing Amendments

SB 81 requires Utah school districts and charter schools to provide targeted reading interventions when a qualifying dyslexia assessment - administered by a licensed professional within their scope of practice - indicates a student lacks reading competency, shows dyslexia characteristics, or is falling behind in reading skills. The bill defines "qualifying dyslexia assessment" and updates licensing rules for mental health therapists and psychologists to explicitly include dyslexia evaluation and treatment under approved diagnostic standards. Schools must then conduct diagnostic assessments, offer individualized tutoring, monitor progress, and inform parents about support options. This applies to students in grades 1-6, with no new funding required.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates targeted reading interventions for dyslexia-identified students, strengthening K-12 educational support through required assessments and interventions per bill language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Testing & Assessment

signed · Utah · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 218: Digital Skills Amendments

HB 218 amends Utah’s requirements for digital literacy education in grades 7 and 8, directly affecting public school students in those grades starting the 2027-2028 school year. The bill defines specific digital skills concepts (such as online ethics, AI literacy, cybersecurity, social media impact, and misinformation evaluation) that must be covered in the course. It also establishes an advisory tech council to guide curriculum development, recommend resources, and advise on emerging technologies. The changes update existing education codes without new funding, focusing on standardizing digital literacy instruction across Utah schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific digital literacy curriculum standards for grades 7-8, establishing advisory council to develop resources, enhancing K-12 educational standards.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates cybersecurity and AI literacy in K-12 curriculum, directly enhancing digital skills education per bill's defined requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Social Media

in committee · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 159: Dyslexia Screening Amendments

SB 159 requires public schools in Utah to screen all kindergarten through second-grade students for dyslexia. Large school districts (over 3,000 students) must administer screenings annually, while regional education agencies handle screenings for small districts and charter schools upon request. Parents can also request screenings for their children in grades K-2, including students in home schools or scholarship programs. The bill mandates state funding distribution for implementation but does not appropriate funds in this bill. It takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates dyslexia screenings for K-2 with state funding, expanding early intervention access in K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Financial Aid

Track

signed · Utah · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 312: School Curriculum and Standards Modifications

HB 312 requires Utah public schools to implement "spiral instruction" on foundational U.S. civics documents (including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Federalist Papers) for all K-12 students. Starting in the 2028-2029 school year, schools must teach these documents repeatedly through the grades, with content growing more complex each year to build deeper understanding of their historical context, principles, and relevance to current events. The State Board of Education must develop core standards ensuring this instruction aligns with students' developmental levels and integrates with existing social studies curricula. This policy directly affects all Utah public school districts and their K-12 students, with no new state funding allocated.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates expanded civics curriculum standards for all K-12 students, requiring repeated, grade-level complex instruction on foundational documents to deepen understanding.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

in committee · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 360: School Athlete Amendments

HB 360 prohibits Utah public schools from joining athletic associations that require students to sit out (impose ineligibility) after transferring due to open enrollment, school choice programs, or documented bullying. It directly affects public schools, athletic associations, and students who transfer under these specific circumstances. The bill bans associations from denying athletic participation based on these transfer reasons, while also clarifying documentation requirements for non-citizen students and homeless youth. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, with no new state funding required.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationPrevents athletic ineligibility for students transferring due to open enrollment or bullying, promoting educational access and participation in K-12 sports programs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Safety

Track

signed · Utah · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 352: Higher Education Alignment

HB 352 requires Utah's public higher education institutions to organize into geographic regions containing at least one degree-granting institution and one technical college per region. It mandates the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish regional groupings, report to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee by August 2026, and ensure horizontal (collaboration between similar institutions) and vertical (integration across education levels) integration. Key provisions include creating clear transfer paths for credits, stackable programs that build sequentially, and shared services like admissions and student support. This affects all public higher education institutions in Utah, including research universities (e.g., University of Utah, Utah State), regional universities (e.g., Weber State, Utah Valley), community colleges (e.g., Salt Lake Community College), and technical colleges. The bill amends Utah Code Section 53H-3-602 to formalize these regional alignment requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates regional integration of higher education institutions to improve collaboration and vertical alignment, strengthening system coordination.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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

Sub-Topics School Safety Cybersecurity

Track

signed · Utah · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 51: School Safety Modifications

SB 51 creates a statewide system for Utah schools to share information about student threats. Local schools (LEAs) must report specific threat-related data to the State Board of Education, which can then share this information with other schools to improve safety coordination. The bill includes privacy protections for students, immunity for schools reporting in good faith, and clear rules for data collection and deletion. It takes effect on July 1, 2026, and does not appropriate new funding.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates statewide safety data sharing for schools, directly addressing student health and safety (a core Education topic) with privacy protections and immunity for reporting.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyIncludes explicit privacy protections for student data in a statewide reporting system, aligning with data privacy focus of Technology topic.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Data Privacy

failed · Utah · Senate Mar 7, 2026

SB 56: Citizenship Education Amendments

Utah's SB 56 requires public schools to provide legal awareness education to all 10th-grade students starting in the 2026-27 school year. The bill mandates coverage of specific topics like voting rights, jury duty, contracts, healthcare consent, tax obligations, workplace protections, and interactions with law enforcement. Schools may deliver this information through existing courses, assemblies, or digital resources, without creating new courses or requiring student testing. The law emphasizes using current, age-appropriate materials and does not alter existing curricula or create new assessments. It directly affects Utah's 10th-grade students and public school districts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates citizenship education curriculum for 10th graders, expanding required topics like voting rights and legal awareness, enhancing civic education within K-12 curriculum.90% confidence

Track

in committee · Utah · House Mar 7, 2026

HB 106: School Attendance Changes

HB 106 requires Utah school districts (LEAs) to collect and report detailed chronic absenteeism data starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of school days (excused or unexcused) and mandates reporting on student enrollment, grade-level absence rates, and individual absence records. The state board must then conduct a statewide study analyzing root causes (like transportation, health, or socioeconomic factors) and evidence-based solutions, consulting educators, parents, and community stakeholders. The study findings must be submitted to the Education Interim Committee by September 2027, including recommendations for interventions and potential policy changes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates chronic absenteeism data collection and state study to identify root causes/solutions, aiming to improve student attendance and educational outcomes in K-12 schools.85% confidence

Track