Education
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H.B. 269 - Public School History Curricula Amendments Includes the Ten Commandments and Magna Carta in a list of historical documents and principles that teachers may use in school curricula and activities to teach American history and government. Passed in House and Senate
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H.B. 29 - Sensitive Materials Review Amendments Streamlines and standardizes the review process that school districts and charter schools must undertake to investigate and possibly ban school materials if they are found to contain “criminally indecent or pornographic” material; allows for the statewide ban of books determined to contain “objective sensitive material” by three school districts or at least two school districts and five charter schools, but allows the State Board of Education to vote to override the ban within 60 days in a public hearing. Passed in House and Senate Signed by Governor Cox 3/12/24
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H.B. 303 - School Curriculum Requirements Prohibits teachers and school staff from using their position through instruction, materials, or the display of symbols, images, or language to promote, endorse, or disparage political viewpoints or viewpoints regarding sexual orientation or gender identity; allows the wearing of religious clothing and display of personal photographs or certain national or state flags. Failed in House
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H.B. 477 - School Employee Conduct Amendments Hijacked an unrelated bill to prohibit the display of certain flags, including Pride flags, on or in a public school by a school official or employee, and establish standing for parents of school students to file a civil action to enforce the law. Failed in Senate
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H.B. 514 - School Chaplain Amendments Allows local school districts and charter schools to develop policies, guidelines, and requirements to permit volunteer chaplains to provide opt-in chaplain services within their schools. Passed in House; Failed in Senate
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H.B. 215 - Funding for Teacher Salaries and Optional Education Opportunities Gives teachers a salary raise that’s dependant on the implementation and funding of a “Utah Fits All Scholarship Program,” which would provide $8,000 vouchers for students to attend private schools or pay for homeschool expenses. Status: Passed; Signed by Governor 1/28
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H.B. 477 - Full-Day Kindergarten Amendments Provides funding through the weighted pupil unit (WPU) to give every school district the ability to provide optional full-day kindergarten. Passed in House and Senate
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H.B. 193 - Full-Day Kindergarten Provides for a limited expansion of optional full-day kindergarten.
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H.B. 274 - Health Education Amendments Requires the Utah State Board of Education to establish curriculum requirements that include instruction in sexual assault resource strategies and sexual violence behavior prevention.
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H.B. 331 - Hope Scholarship Program Creates the “Hope Scholarship Program,” a voucher system for students to attend private schools or pay for homeschooling expenses with state funding.
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H.B. 428 - School Safety Amendments Requires school districts to review information on and adopt plans for harassment- and discrimination-free learning; requires the Utah State Board of Education to provide training on antidiscrimination statutes; and requires USBE and school districts to report data on the demographics of victims of bullying, hazing, cyber-bullying, and retaliation.
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S.B. 244 - Ethnic Studies Amendments Creates the Ethnic Studies Commission to study the contributions of Utahns of diverse ethnicities and recommend to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) how to incorporate ethnic studies into core standards of Utah public schools; requires USBE to incorporate ethnic studies core standards; and requires school districts to adopt ethnic studies instructional materials and curriculum into regular school work for all K-12 students.
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H.B. 328 - Adult Learners Grant Program Creates a program to provide financial assistance to students who are at least 26 years old, financially needy, and enrolled in an online program in a needed field.
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H.B. 222 - Smart Start Utah Breakfast Program Creates the Start Smart Utah Program to expand access to school breakfast in public schools.
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H.B. 332 - Special Needs Scholarship Amendments Creates a voucher-like program for Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship recipients to use towards private school tuition.
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H.B. 88 - School Water Testing Requirements Mandates testing drinking water for lead in all schools every five years with reporting and required improvements if lead is found.
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H.B. 99 - Enhanced Kindergarten Amendments Provides funding for enhanced kindergarten early intervention programs.
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H.B. 346 - Higher Education Responses to Allegations Creates honor code immunity for reporting sexual violence and requires victim consent for campus coordination with outside law enforcement. Makes retaliatory violence or threats to a victim or witness a third-degree felony.
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H.B. 71 - Health Education Amendments Clarifies that teachers are allowed to discuss contraceptives in a sex education curriculum.
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S.B. 134 - Campus Safety Amendments Requires colleges to have a campus safety plan and curriculum addressing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
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