Technology

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.