UEA 2026 Priority Bills
S.B. 75 Educator Salary Adjustment Eligibility
S.B. 75 adds school-registered nurses to the list of employees eligible to receive the educator salary adjustment.
H.B. 150 School-based Speech-language Pathologist Funding Amendments
H.B. 150 amends definitions related to funding and certain definitions related to appropriations for teaching supplies.
H.B. 364 Certified Teacher Librarian Amendments
This bill requires a school district or regional education service agency to staff a full-time certified teacher librarian.
UEA Bill Tracker
A daily-updated spreadsheet tracking the bills that matter most to UEA members at Utah’s Capitol during the 2026 legislative session.
| Bill Number | Bill Title | Bill Sponsor | UEA Contact | Brief Description | UEA Position | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB 1 | Public Education Base Budget Amendments | Rep. Whyte | Bonnie Billings | Makes changes to the base budget appropriations for public education, adjusting funding levels and allocations for the upcoming fiscal year. | Support | |
| HB 32 | Signature Gathering Verification Amendments | Rep. Cutler | Bonnie Billings | Updates Utah�s signature-gathering and verification process by standardizing petition and circulator verification forms, clarifying how voter signatures are electronically matched and validated, and requiring voters to be notified when their signature is accepted or rejected. The bill establishes mandatory training for petition circulators, limits how circulators may be compensated, and revises procedures for posting and removing petition signatures online. Overall, it aims to increase consistency, transparency, and accountability in the petition process for initiatives, referendums, and candidate nominations | Watch | |
| HB 36 | Gold Medal Schools Pilot Program | Rep. Hall | Sara Jones | Creates a 3-year pilot program for elementary schools in small and rural counties to implement a program to increase student health. | Support | |
| HB 44 | School Security Personnel Standards | Rep. Wilcox | Sara Jones | Amends school safety standards regarding requirements for various safety-related personnel | Watch | |
| HB 75 | American Indian and Alaska Native Education Amendments | Rep. Watkins | Sara Jones | Expands use of grant money for educators; creates a requirement for USBE to adopt a plan to address educational gaps of native students. | Support | |
| HB 95 | Public Employee Gender-specific Language Requirements | Rep. Peck | Bonnie Billings | Prohibits certain employment action against a public employee in relation to gender-specific language | Oppose | |
| HB 106 | School Attendance Changes | Rep. Stoddard | Sara Jones | Requires LEA to report chronic absenteeism data annually and USBE to study root causes and interventions | Support | |
| HB 109 | Utah Fits All Scholarship Program Alterations | Rep. Stoddard | Bonnie Billings | Modifies the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program to prevent grade repetition in certain circumstances. | Support | |
| HB 121 | School Fee Amendments | Rep. Ward | Bonnie Billings | Amends a definition regarding courses for which a school may not charge a fee. It removes science from the list of "non-fee" courses | Watch | |
| HB 129 | Education Board Amendments | Rep. Thurston | Bonnie Billings | Defines the roles of governance of the public education system by making the state super intendent CEO. | Watch | |
| HB 142 | School Fee Waiver Amendments | Rep. Welton | Bonnie Billings | Amends provisions related to school fee waivers by limiting waivers to students to no more than two trips per student per year. If they want a second waiver, however, they have to make an action plan with the school that includes school related contributions (i.e. custodial work, service programs, etc.) | Oppose | |
| HB 143 | Special Education Amendments | Rep. Peterson | Sara Jones | Requires LEAs to contact parents of SPED students when there is a boundary change impacting their class. | Support | |
| HB 146 | Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program Amendments | Rep. Pierucci | Sara Jones | Makes pilot program an ongoing program | Support | |
| HB 148 | Tax Return Donation Amendments | Rep. MacPherson | Bonnie Billings | Creates a School Meals Debt Relief Fund and provides for the fund's administration. Allows people to designate a donation to paying off lunch debt. the funds will be allocated to LEAs based on where the donor lives. | Watch | |
| HB 150 | School-based Speech-language Pathologist Funding Amendments | Rep. Koford | Sara Jones | Restores classroom supply money for speech language pathologists. | Support | UEA Priority Bill |
| HB 151 | Teaching Materials Amendments | Rep. Moss | Sara Jones | Exempts AP and IB course from sensitive materials instructional materials definition (along with existing exemption for concurrent enrollment) if parent is notified and consents | Support | |
| HB 152 | Educational Vaccine Exemption Amendments | Rep. Lee | Bonnie Billings | Repeals requirement for parents to complete an online education module or in-person consultation to receive a vaccination exemption form for a child int he public education system | Oppose | |
| HB 163 | Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program Amendments | Rep. Wilcox | Sara Jones | Expands existing GYOEPP to include special education teacher | Support | |
| HB 183 | Sex Designation Amendments | Rep. Lee | Bonnie Billings | Replaces the term "gender" with "sex." It opens up individuals to discrimination in housing, employment, and crime based on gender identity (no longer protected), and prohibits LEAs from assigning an employee who presents while working as a sex that is different than their biological sex from prolonged contact with children. | Oppose | |
| HB 193 | Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments | Rep. Peck | Bonnie Billings | Prohibits public funding for certain transgender medical treatments and procedures | Oppose | |
| HB 194 | Utah State Board of Education Ethics Amendments | Rep. Hayes | Bonnie Billings | Establishes comprehensive ethics standards, complaint procedures, and enforcement mechanisms for members of the USBE | Support | |
| HB 197 Sub 4 | School Materials Amendments | Rep. Peck | Sara Jones | Requires LEAs review instructional materials for compliance with sensitive materials regulations before they are made available to students | Oppose | |
| HB 198 | Educator Salary Adjustment | Rep. Arthur | Bonnie Billings | Repeals provision that makes the amount of educator salary adjustment dependent on the operation of the Utah Fits All Scholarship | Support | |
| HB 218 | Digital Literacy Amendments | Rep. Teuscher | Sara Jones | Creates a new graduation requirement for a half-credit digital literacy course; Requires integration of digital into K-12 instruction. | Watch | |
| HB 234 | Education Testing Amendments | Rep. Lisonbee | Sara Jones | Creates a 5-year pilot program for an alternative statewide test for public school students | Oppose | |
| HB 235 | Income Tax Revisions | Rep. Christofferson | Bonnie Billings | Amends the income tax rate provisions from 4.5% to 4.45% | Oppose | |
| HB 241 | Charter School Amendments | Rep. Pierucci | Sara Jones | Gives charter schools the first option to purchase decommissioned school property | Oppose | |
| HB 256 | School District Elections Amendments | Rep. Kyle | Bonnie Billings | Makes it so that local school board elections are partisan | Oppose | |
| HB 267 | Public Employee Compensation Amendments | Rep. Sawyer | Bonnie Billings | Establishes limitation on school district administrator compensation | Oppose | |
| HB 273 | Classroom Technology Amendments | Rep. Defay | Sara Jones | Creates requirements for USBE and LEAs regarding technology and artificial intelligence | Watch | |
| HB 278 | School Board Election Amendments | Rep. Arthur | Bonnie Billings | Makes the office of State Board of Education member a nonpartisan office | Support | |
| HB 293 | Public Education Student Athlete Protections | Rep. Hall | Bonnie Billings | Prohibits a public school from participating in an association that governs athletic interscholastic activities in certain circumstances | Oppose | |
| HB 299 | School Response to Sexual Offense | Rep. Matthews | Sara Jones | Clarifies LEA policies that apply to students who have been arrested for, charged with, or adjudicated in the courts for committing a serious offense or sexual crime. | Support | |
| HB 300 | School District Taxation Amendments | Rep. Kyle | Bonnie Billings | Extends a hold harmless period for state guaranteed funding related to certain reduction in a school district's certified tax rate | Support | |
| HB 310 | School Reintegration Plan Amendments | Rep. Romero | Bonnie Billings | Gives schools more time and flexibility to create reintegration plans for students returning to school after serious disciplinary or criminal incidents | Support | |
| HB 312 | Civic Education Modifications | Rep. Auxier | Sara Jones | Requires USBE to adopt core standards for spiral instruction on foundational US documents | Oppose | |
| HB 315 | Human Growth and Development Instruction | Rep. Peck | Sara Jones | Requires LEAs to show fetal development videos to students from grades 3-12 | Oppose | |
| HB 317 | Social Health in Public Education Curriculum | Rep. Ivory | Sara Jones | Defines social health as it relates to the health curriculum | Support | |
| HB 329 | State Employee Maternity and Leave Amendments | Rep. Defay | Sara Jones | Creates an optional LEA Paid Leave Reimbursement Program for extended postpartum leave, adoption leave and foster care leave | Support | Only reimburses LEAs from 2026-2029. Appropriates $3 million from the stabilization account |
| HB 334 | Educator Organization Amendments | Rep. Monson | Sara Jones | Creates the Legislative Education Support and Professional Development Commission | Watch | |
| HB 350 | Food Available at Schools Amendments | Rep. Chevrier | Sara Jones | Makes revisions to existing school foods prohibitions regarding food additives | Support | |
| HB 358 | School Scheduling Amendments | Rep. Welton | Bonnie Billings | Lets high schools count learning based on completed course credits instead of strictly counting days or seat time | Watch | |
| HB 364 | Certified Teacher Librarian Amendments | Rep. Arthur | Sara Jones | Requires a school district or RESA to staff a certified school librarian | Support | UEA Priority Bill |
| HB 393 | Early Intervention for Dyslexia Amendments | Rep. Defay | Bonnie Billings | Creates a temporary pilot program to help schools identify students at risk for dyslexia earlier by providing screening tools, resources, and training, while protecting educators who recommend screenings and studying what works before deciding whether or expand the program statewide | Support | |
| HB 399 | Primary and Secondary Education Amendments | Rep. Lee | Sara Jones | Prohibits character education in public schools and creates a private right of action for students and parents to sue | Oppose | |
| HB 418 | School Class Size Requirements | Rep. Teuscher | Sara Jones | Limits K-12 class size to 25 students, with certain exceptions | Support | $112 million fiscal note |
| HB 440 | School Lunch Amendments | Rep. Auxier | Sara Jones | Creates minimum requirements for elementary schools for length of lunch and recess periods | Oppose | |
| HB 453 | Unspent Funding Amendments | Rep. Matthews | Bonnie Billings | Takes leftover state money that would normally revert to the General Fund and redirects a portion of it into a new restricted account for child care support, behavioral health services, and bonuses for paraeducators | Support | |
| HB 462 | School Bus Internet Access | Rep. Auxier | Sara Jones | Creates a grant program to provide internet connectivity on school buses in rural school districts | Watch | |
| HB 463 | Special Education Funding Modifications | Rep. Miller | Bonnie Billings | Reorganizes and cleans up Utah's special education funding system by breaking different programs into clearer categories with defined rules and accounting (without adding new money) | Support | |
| HB 467 | Utah Fits All Scholarship Program Amendments | Rep. Pierucci | Sara Jones | Modifies the Utah Fits All voucher program | Oppose | |
| HB 488 | Standards and Curriculum Amendments | Rep. Auxier | Sara Jones | Mandates extensive changes to social studies standards and creates a requirement for USBE to develop open educational resources | Oppose | |
| HB 497 | Public Education Funding Amendments | Rep. Arthur | Bonnie Billings | Provides additional funding for the Minimum School Program in certain fiscal years with enrollment decline. | Support | |
| HB 502 | School Attendance Modifications | Rep. Welton | Sara Jones | Creates citizenship grade standards, attendance-based grading, a student welfare check requirement, and a test-out option for core classes. | Watch | |
| HB 517 | Sensitive Materials | Rep. Ivory | Sara Jones | Amends sensitive materials requirements | Oppose | |
| HB 518 | School Curriculum Amendments | Rep. Welton | Sara Jones | Amends graduation requirements in American government and establishes requirements for daily social studies instruction in elementary grades | Support | |
| HB 521 | Public Education Economic Stabilization Restricted Account Amendments | Rep. Walter | Bonnie Billings | Creates a dedicated trust fund for public education and requires the state to move money into it before using education surplus dollars for other one-time purposes | Support | |
| HCR 4 | Concurrent Resolution Regarding Religious Freedom | Rep. Petersen | Sara Jones | Supports the right of public school students and teachers to openly express their faith | Watch | |
| HJR 6 | Joint Resolution Regarding School Activities and Practices | Rep. Welton | Bonnie Billings | Resolution encourages Utah public schools to support student well-being through increased physical activity and balanced used of technology | Support | |
| HJR 8 | Joint Resolution Regarding LEA Reporting Requirements | Rep. Welton | Bonnie Billings | A nonbinding resolution urging USBE to work with local education agencies to develop better, real-time ways of analyzing and sharing the local fiscal impacts of education legislation with lawmakers | Support | |
| HJR 9 | Implementation of Education-related Legislation | Rep. Shepherd | Sara Jones | Changes the implementation date for most education-related legislation to one year following the year the bill was passed | Support | |
| SB 34 | Public Education Revisions | Sen. Johnson | Bonnie Billings | Makes technical updates to Utah's public education laws by clarifying governance of the Schools for the Deaf and Blind, aligning school safety and student reintegration rules across all LEAs, and giving the State Board small flexibility in administering existing programs | Watch | |
| SB 51 | School Safety Modifications | Sen. Owens | Sara Jones | Creates a statewide student threat information sharing system for LEAs for students moving between LEAs. Was requested by the legislative School Security Taskforce | Watch | |
| SB 52 | Substitute Teaching Requirements Amendments | Sen. Fillmore | Sara Jones | Removes the requirement for a teaching license for a long-term substitute | Support | |
| SB 54 | Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship Program Amendments | Sen. Fillmore | Bonnie Billings | Changes the Utah's special-education scholarship program by expanding who can qualify (no income limits), tightening rules around how the money is used, and making it more like the Utah Fits All program | Oppose | |
| SB 58 | School Attendance Amendments | Sen. Fillmore | Sara Jones | Addresses issues of student chronic absenteeism | Support | |
| SB 60 | Income Tax Rate Amendments | Sen. McCay | Bonnie Billings | Lowers income tax from 4.5% to 4.45% | Oppose | |
| SB 62 | School Funding Amendments | Sen. Fillmore | Bonnie Billings | Changes how the state counts students for school funding so districts are funded based on the higher of last year's enrollment (adjusted for growth or decline) or the current year's October student count, helping funding better reflect real-time changes | Oppose | |
| SB 65 | Minimum Basic Tax Rate Amendments | Sen. Fillmore | Bonnie Billings | Changes how school property tax money is collected and redistributed by having districts send their minimum basic school tax revenue to the state, which then sends funding back to the districts to cover the cost of the basic school program | Oppose | |
| SB 69 | School Device Revisions | Sen. Fillmore | Sara Jones | Expands existing student cell phone restrictions from "instructional hours" only to "bell to bell" | Support | |
| SB 75 | Educator Salary Adjustment Eligibility | Sen. Musselman | Sara Jones | Adds school nurses to the list of employees who are eligible to receive the educatorsalary adjustment. | Support | UEA Priority Bill |
| SB 81 | Dyslexia Testing Amendments | Sen. Plumb | Bonnie Billings | Makes it easier for students to be identified as having dyslexia by allowing more qualified professionals to do assessments and require schools to step in with targeted reading help when testing shows a student is struggling | Support | |
| SB 85 | Excellence in Education and Leadership Supplement Modifications | Sen. Fillmore | Bonnie Billings | Expands a performance-based program so high-performing teachers across the state can qualify for extra pay, even if their district chooses not to participate, by allowing teachers to self-nominate and be evaluated using statewide measures. | Oppose | |
| SB 88 | School Technology Amendments | Sen. Fillmore | Sara Jones | Creates new provisions for existing LEA internet technology policy | Oppose | |
| SB 106 | Educator Compensation Amendments | Sen. Kwan | Bonnie Billings | Amends a provision that ties the amount of educator salary adjustment to the operation of the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program | Support | |
| SB 107 | Education Legislation Advisory Commission Amendments | Sen. Stratton | Sara Jones | Creates an education commission to study education-related issues and identify potential education legislation | Watch | |
| SB 116 | Income Tax Rate Modifications | Sen. Fillmore | Bonnie Billings | Sets up an automatic system to lower Utah's income tax rate when the state brings in more money than expected. if state revenue beat projections, income taxes go down automatically. | Oppose | |
| SB 119 | School and Classroom Amendments | Sen. Fillmore | Bonnie Billings | This bill does three main things (none are related to each other): 1. Requires most students to be toilet trained before enrolling in public school. 2. Creates free, optional, state-developed curriculum materials aligned with "Utah standards." 3. Adds another allowed use of the public education stabilization fund to help cover education costsin certain situations. | Oppose | |
| SB 126 | School Swimming and Lifeguarding Programs | Sen. Plumb | Sara Jones | Requires water safety instruction be included in core curriculum requirements for physical education | Watch | |
| SB 131 | Charter School Eligibility | Sen. Balderree | Bonnie Billings | Lets charter schools give enrollment preference to students who live anywhere within the same city, county, or other local government area as the charter school, if the student's neighborhood public school is already full | Oppose | |
| SB 159 | Dyslexia Screening Amendments | Sen. Riebe | Bonnie Billings | Requires public schools to screen young students (k-2) for signs of dyslexia, sets up who is responsible for doing the screening, and allows parents to request screening even outside of traditional public schools, with the State Board coordinating any distributing any funds the Legislature provides | Watch | |
| SB 167 | Reintegration for Disciplined Students | Sen. McCay | Bonnie Billings | Tightens and expands the rules around how schools handle students who have committed serious disciplinary or criminal offenses | Support | Updated fiscal note |
| SB 178 | Right to Work Amendments | Sen. Blouin | Bonnie Billings | Gets rid of Utah's "right-to-work" law, meaning employers and employees could once again agree to require union membership or union fees as a condition of employment if allowed under federal law | Support | |
| SB 180 Sub 1 | School Nutrition Amendments | Sen. Escamilla | Sara Jones | Expands the definition of students eligible for school lunch program in K-6 and requires USBE use at least 5% of liquor tax revenue received for the program. | Support | |
| SB 181 | School Discipline Amendments | Sen. Escamilla | Sara Jones | Establishes minimum safety standards for seclusion rooms, creates a timeline for LEAs to come into compliance and creates a grant program to help LEA's bring existing seclusion rooms into compliance. | Watch | |
| SB 186 | Charter School Base Funding Amendments | Sen. Balderree | Bonnie Billings | Studies whether charter schools need more base funding and sets up a way for charter schools to share administrative services, while also giving them new one-time state money and creating charter-only service agencies to help them operate more efficiently | Oppose | |
| SB 189 | School District Funding Amendments | Sen. Buss | Bonnie Billings | Creates a new state grant program to hep fast-growing school districts pay for land and transportation needs caused by rapid enrollment growth | Support | |
| SB 241 | Early Literacy | Sen. Millner | Bonnie Billings | Establishes a framework of literacy interventions in kindergarten through grade 3 | Watch | |
| SB 253 | Library Materials Amendments | Sen. McKell | Sara Jones | Creates requirements for LEA policies related to collection and reconsideration of library materials | Watch | |
| SB 268 | Religious Curriculum in Schools | Sen. Weiler | Sara Jones | Expands public school curricular requirements related to religion | Oppose | |
| SB 272 S1 | Transportation Funding Revisions | Sen. Balderree | Bonnie Billings | Would allow charter schools receive state money for buses starting in 2028, but first requires a study to figure costs and impacts | Oppose | |
| SB 274 | Supplemental Funding for Literacy Coaching | Sen. Riebe | Bonnie Billings | Provides supplemental funding for literacy coaching | Support | |
| SB 294 | Student Achievement Backpack | Sen. Fillmore | Bonnie Billings | Expands and clarifies Utah's Student Achievement Backpack, a statewide digital student profile that follows a student across schools and years | Watch | |
| SB 295 | Intellectual Diversity in Education and Government | Sen. Johnson | Sara Jones | Requires USBE collect and report violations of prohibited DEI practices and training. Prohibits student clubs that identify a personal identity characteristic. | Oppose | |
| SB 297 | School Social Worker Amendments | Sen. Buss | Sara Jones | Clarifies the definition of qualified personnel providing counseling support to students | Support | |
| SCR 8 | Resolution Honoring the Utah Parent Teacher Association | Sen. Harper | Bonnie Billings | Resolution recognizes the 100th anniversary of the Utah Parent Teacher Association | Support |
Advocating for Education: UEA's Legislative Bill Tracker
The UEA Lobby Team focuses on bills aligned with our 2026 Legislative Priorities, which reflect the goals set by UEA members at the annual House of Delegates. These priorities drive our advocacy for both funding and policy initiatives that strengthen public education.
This Legislative Bill Tracking Sheet highlights the legislation we’re taking action on and mobilizing educators. While our lobby team analyzes and tracks numerous bills behind the scenes, we stay vigilant and ready to add emerging threats or opportunities to the list.
UEA encourages local action and engagement if a bill you care about isn’t currently on our radar. Your voice is vital in shaping Utah’s education policies!
For questions, concerns, or to get involved, contact Dr. Sara Jones, UEA Director of Government Relations, at [email protected].
Together, we advocate for the schools Utah students and educators deserve!
Check Out the UEA 2026 Legislative Priorities
Find Specific Bill Info on the Utah Legislature Website
