SB 84 creates the Department of Commerce Technology, Education, and Training Fund to support specific technology and training activities within Utah's Department of Commerce. The fund will be financed by existing fees collected by the Division of Corporations (for business filings) and the Division of Professional Licensing (for public licensee lists), with all interest earned also deposited into the fund. This money will directly pay for employee training, technology maintenance for business registrations, public education materials about licensing and filings, and subscription services for business data. The bill does not appropriate new state funds but redirects existing fee revenue toward these defined purposes.
HB 407 requires Utah's State Board of Education to establish a statewide student information system for public schools, while allowing local school districts to maintain their own systems under specific conditions. The bill sets strict requirements for local systems - including data security, compliance with state standards, and mandatory audits for noncompliance - and mandates implementation timelines. It also specifies that all school districts must collect and manage student data through this system or approved local alternatives, ensuring data accessibility for parents and educators via the "Student Achievement Backpack" feature. The bill makes no new funding appropriations and updates multiple Utah Code sections related to education data management.
HB 223 updates Utah's process for collecting signatures on petitions by requiring all electronic signature devices to scan voter ID data (like driver's licenses) and operate offline by 2028. Starting January 1, 2030, petition sponsors and circulators must use electronic signatures exclusively, banning manual signature collection entirely. The bill also clarifies security standards for devices and mandates annual reports from the lieutenant governor to the Government Operations Committee. These changes directly affect initiative/referendum petition sponsors and candidate nomination circulators, streamlining the verification process while phasing out manual methods.
HB 26 amends Utah's voting equipment rules to enhance security and standardize procurement. It bans wireless communication in all voting machines (except electronic pollbooks), repeals outdated ranked-choice voting certification rules, and requires election officials to purchase only equipment selected by the lieutenant governor's new voting equipment system. The bill creates a Voting Equipment Selection Committee to help the lieutenant governor evaluate and procure secure voting systems that meet mechanical ballot requirements. These changes directly affect election officials, vendors, and voters by standardizing equipment security and procurement processes.
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.
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.
SB 5 is the General Government Base Budget bill for Utah's fiscal years 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026) and 2027 (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027). It appropriates a total of $538.3 million for state agency operations in FY2026, including $387.1 million for FY2027, primarily from the General Fund and Income Tax Fund. The bill allocates specific funds to agencies like the Department of Commerce (for business licensing and AI policy development), Insurance Department (for autism coverage and fraud programs), and Tax Commission (for license plates and tax administration). These funds cover ongoing operations, system upgrades, and program activities without specifying new policy changes or eligibility criteria.
