HB0014 | School Threat Penalty Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill addresses threatening or falsely reporting an emergency at a school.

Highlighted Provisions: 

Requires a student to be suspended or expelled from a public school if the student makes a false emergency report targeted at a school; enhances the penalties for making a threat against a school; makes it a second degree felony for an actor to make a false emergency report in certain circumstances;

Bill Details
Bill Number: 
HB0014
Year: 
2024
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 12, 2024
Sponsor
Representative
Ryan D. Wilcox
Republican - District 7
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
View Fiscal Note
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support
Utah PTA Resolution: 
SAF 2022-1 | Safe School Policies
Impact on Children: 

Utah PTA supports increasing the safety for children at school. False reports draw resources away from legitimate incidents. False reports disrupts learning and increases mental distress of students.

Commission: 
Safety
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions: 

Support programs chosen by the individual schools or LEAs that promote feelings of safety and establish a positive and supportive school culture;

Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

SAFETY: Support funding to strengthen school safety measures. This includes the improvement of school infrastructure to ensure safety and security, implementation of comprehensive safety training, adoption of evidence-based strategies for community violence intervention and means reduction, as well as the education of families and communities on school safety protocols, children's online security, and the assessment of digital threats posed to schools across Utah.