2024 UEA Legislative Summary

The 2024 General Session of the Utah Legislature marked a period of adversity and perseverance for the Utah Education Association (UEA). A significant number of legislative bills challenged our fundamental principles of promoting a safe and equitable learning environment for all students and the continued fight against culture wars in classrooms with book bans and anti-trans bills. In all, UEA closely monitored more than 100 bills related to education during the seven-week session.

The legislative session resulted in mixed outcomes for UEA’s budget priorities. Some of our budget goals saw partial fulfillment, including the $6,000 stipend for student teachers and the increase in educator-directed Paid Professional Hours. However, the requested 12% increase in the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) was not fully met. The expansion of the "Utah Fits All" voucher program by an additional $40 million also reflected the continuous challenge of keeping public money out of private education institutions.

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Early in the session, UEA responded to baseless claims made during a committee hearing for HB 285 that the UEA wasn’t member-led or focused on the needs of Utah’s educators with the “I Am UEA” campaign. It highlighted dozens of member testimonials to demonstrate the truth: all UEA members are leaders, every voice is important, and together, we improve public education for Utah students.

The UEA legislative team extends our deepest gratitude to the members who actively engaged with their lawmakers at home and during UEA’s six Educator Day on the Hill events. Nearly 4,000 people signed UEA’s petition against HB 285: Public Sector Labor Organization Amendments.

Member interactions with legislators were pivotal in highlighting the real-world impact of proposed laws.

Through personal stories, public testimonies, and relentless advocacy, members highlighted the critical needs and challenges public educators and students face, ensuring that the voices of those at the center of public education are heard in the halls of power.

The UEA closely monitors bills affecting the Utah Retirement System (URS). On the positive side, HB 251 Postretirement Reemployment Restrictions Amendments (Rep. Matthew Gwynn R-Dist. 6) passed and allows a retiree to return to work after 90 days for a public employer in the retirement system with a few pay restrictions. In contrast, SB 140 Utah Retirement System Amendments (Sen. Wayne Harper R-Dist. 16) proposed allowing school districts to cover Tier II employee contribution rates above the 10% statutory cap instead of transferring the cost to employees. The Senate refused to consider the bill.

Despite being described by legislators as a “lean” budget year, the legislature still passed a significant tax cut. SB 69 Income Tax Amendments (Sen. Chris Wilson R-Dist. 2) reduced the state income tax rate from 4.65% to 4.55%, resulting in a decrease of about $170 million to the income tax fund,

which funds public education. 

The UEA opposed any tax cuts, while public schools had so many unmet needs.

Finally, $35 million in one-time money was appropriated to offset the local impact associated with implementing HB 415 School Fees Amendments (Rep. Mark Strong R-Dist. 47), which prohibits schools from charging certain student fees beginning in the 2025-26 school year.

HB 221 Future Educator Stipends was a priority issue brought by UEA to Rep. Karen Peterson (R- Dist. 13). The bill creates a grant program to pay students in an educator preparation program during their student teaching semester.

SB 137 Teacher Empowerment (Sen. Lincoln Fillmore R-Dist. 17) modifies the existing educator Paid Professional Hours program to expand and clarify the uses of the educator-directed flexible funds. The bill also modifies educator evaluation through a multi-year pilot program focused on formative feedback and professional growth. 

HB 431 Teacher Retention (Rep. Candice Pierucci R-Dist. 49) mandates that school districts offer paid postpartum leave to employees by 2027. It also establishes a two-year ‘master teacher’ pilot program, allowing teachers to serve as leaders while remaining in the classroom.

Finally, SB 173 Market Informed Compensation for Teachers (Sen. Lincoln Fillmore R-Dist. 17) creates a new program to change the existing Teacher Salary Supplement Program so school districts determine “high needs” areas to receive a stipend rather than the state-designated areas of math, science, computer science, and special education. The bill also creates a new program to designate the top-performing 25% of teachers and provide a significant bonus of up to $20,000 each.

HB 29 Sensitive Materials Review Amendments (Rep. Ken Ivory R-Dist. 39) creates definitions for “objective” and “subjective” sensitive materials and clarifies review processes for materials challenged as sensitive. The bill also implements a statewide ban on materials if as few as three school districts remove an “objective” material. It would also allow the State Board of Education to choose to review the banned material and decide whether to overturn the statewide ban.

HB 269 Public School History Curricula Amendments (Rep. Michael Peterson R-Dist. 2) adds the Ten Commandments to a list of “historical documents” that can be studied in history and government classes.

HB 303 School Curriculum Requirements (Rep. Jeffrey Stenquist R-Dist. 46) would prohibit school employees from promoting political or social beliefs, sexual orientations, or gender identities through instruction, materials, or displaying symbols, images, or language.

UEA opposed the bill because of its vague language and concern over chilling classroom discussion and critical thinking.

Ultimately, the bill failed on the House floor.

Lawmakers quickly passed two controversial anti-equity bills within the first week of the legislative session. 

HB 257, Sex-based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying, and Women’s Opportunities (Rep. Kera Berkland, R-Dist. 4), introduces provisions for sex-designated restrooms, showers, and locker rooms for students and employees in the public education system. This bill mandates that students and employees use the restroom corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificates.

The UEA opposed the bill, arguing that local school districts have already implemented policies reflecting community values on bathroom use. The bill could also be used to single out transgender students and educators for isolating and discriminatory treatment.

HB 261 Equal Opportunity Initiatives (Rep. Katy Hall R-Dist. 11) prohibits education institutions from having an office named “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) and restricts certain discriminatory practices and training related to DEI. Initially, the policy proposals primarily targeted higher education institutions. HB 261 quickly included K-12 public education.

The UEA opposed the bill because it was unclear to educators and imposed restrictions on certain training.

Both bills passed with super-majorities in both chambers and were immediately signed by Governor Cox.

Direct attacks on workers’ rights prompted strong solidarity among Utah’s labor organizations, significantly hindering HB 285 Public Sector Labor Organizations Amendments (Rep. Jordan Teuscher R-Dist. 44)  and HB 429 State Employment Revisions (Rep. Kay Christofferson R-Dist. 53). This unity fostered unprecedented collaboration in lobbying efforts, culminating in the defeat of both bills.

HB 285 underwent several revisions during the session. It aimed to restrict the collection of dues through payroll deduction and significantly limit associations’ access to public buildings. HB 285 passed a House committee early in the session despite hundreds of union members from across the state showing solidarity against the bill.

Following the committee hearing, the bill stalled and was ‘circled’ on the House of Representatives voting board, indicating a pause in proceedings.

All indications suggest the sponsor didn’t have the votes to pass the bill.

With no more votes, the bill died when the session ended. 

The UEA thanks the countless members who contacted their lawmakers to vote against HB 285, which would have significantly affected the association. 

HB 429 aimed to remove career service protections for certain executive branch employees. The bill passed the House of Representatives but died in a Senate Committee by a vote of 2-3.