Legislative Bills

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HB0172 | Food Sales Tax Modifications

Description
General Description: 

This bill reduces the tax imposed on amounts paid or charged for certain food.

Highlighted Provisions: 

 This bill:
12          ▸     removes the state sales and use tax from amounts paid or charged for food and food
13     ingredients;
14          ▸     excludes candy from the definition of food and food ingredients;

Bill Details
Year: 
2023
Status: 
House/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 03, 2023
Sponsor
Representative
Democrat - District 10
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support
Impact on Children: 

Removing the state sales tax is one way we can help children and families in Utah afford good nutrition. The relief is immediate instead of waiting for a tax refund. It is a policy changed supported by Utahns Against Hunger.

Commission: 
Health
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

The Utah PTA Purposes

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

To raise the standards of home life.

General Principles for Consideration of Proposed Legislation:
Prioritizing the needs of all children and youth, while adhering to fiscal responsibility in government.

National PTA and Utah PTA Position Statements: 

HEA 2022-4 | PROPOSED Child Nutrition and Food Insecurity Resolution
That Utah PTA and its constituent associations call on state, district and local leaders to take action to reduce and eliminate hunger and food insecurity for Utah’s children through policy and funding;
 

National PTA Public Policy Agenda

To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.
Engage the public in united and equitable efforts to secure the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of all children and youth.
 

HB0173S01 | Local School Board Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill addresses actions of a school district that may be subject to a referendum.

Highlighted Provisions: 

This bill provides that a law passed by a local school board, including a law imposing a new tax or a tax increase, may be referred to the voters of the school district for their approval or rejection. 

Bill Details
Year: 
2024
Status: 
House/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 01, 2024
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 49
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Oppose
Utah PTA Resolution: 
Impact on Children: 

Making local school board decisions subject to referendum will increase uncertainty in board decisions and will cost LEAs more money by raising rates for loans. Will also make it difficult for them to enter into contracts and make other financial decisions.

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

That Utah PTA and its constituent associations support the maintenance of a stable and adequate funding mechanism to support public education based on the following principles: enrollment growth; inflation; support of a K-12 education Economic Stabilization Restricted Account; funding the USBE Strategic Plan;

HB0174 | Psychiatry Medical Residents Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill requires the University of Utah Health Sciences to select additional psychiatry residents.

Bill Details
Year: 
2019
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 28, 2019
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 45
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Pending
Impact on Children: 

Bill is to provide more psychiatrists as we have a shortage of mental health professionals.

Commission: 
Health
Education
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions: 

That National PTA and its constituent associations strongly encourage efforts to establish comprehensive community mental health providers to offer preventative and treatment services to children and adults and comprehensive school mental health programs that include adequate access to school psychologists, school counselors and school social workers;

HB0175S03 | School Fees Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill amends and enacts provisions related to elementary and secondary school fees.

Highlighted Provisions: 

1          This bill:
12          ▸     amends definitions;
13          ▸     prescribes the fees a local education agency (LEA) may charge a secondary school
14     student for a curricular or a co-curricular activity for a certain duration;
15          ▸     authorizes an LEA to charge a secondary school student a fee for an extracurricular
16     activity for a certain duration;
17          ▸     prohibits an LEA from charging a general fee;
18          ▸     amends provisions related to fees for textbooks;
19          ▸     prohibits charging a student in grade 6 a fee for a remediation program; and
20          ▸     makes technical and conforming changes.

Bill Details
Year: 
2023
Status: 
House/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 03, 2023
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 47
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$35,000,000
This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2024: to State Board of Education -- Minimum School Program -- Related to Basic School Programs, as a one-time appropriation: from Uniform School Fund, One-time, $35,000,000.
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Oppose w/ Comment

This bill allocates $35 million to LEAs to finance the missing fees, however that funding is insufficient and if the funding is not appropriated will lead to an unfunded mandate.

Impact on Children: 

The Utah constitution stipulates that “public elementary and secondary schools shall be free”. Eliminating school fees for families would relieve a significant burden for many families, however, if funding is inadequate or not provided, than students do not have a quality learning experience and LEAs must make up the difference taking funding from other important areas. 

According to the census bureau annual public school Spending Per Pupil review, Utah consistently ranks in the bottom three in expenditures per student.

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

Resolved, That Utah PTA and its constituent associations continue to urge the legislature to make public education revenue allocations and funding effort a high priority; and, be it further

Resolved, That Utah PTA and its constituent associations encourage the legislature to adequately fund critical educational needs, including but not limited to, class size reduction, teacher salaries, technology, programs, supplies, and evidenced-based practices that have an impact on student achievement;

Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

General Principles for Consideration of Proposed Legislation:

4. Prioritizing the needs of all children and youth, while adhering to fiscal responsibility in government.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

1. EDUCATION FUNDING. Support an adequately funded public school system by: supporting a 6.5% WPU increase over and above growth and inflation to be used for purposes such as recruiting, supporting, and retaining teachers; supporting increased access to full-day kindergarten by funding K-12 students at a full WPU; and supporting policies to increase proficiency levels in public schools, improving attendance, and increase academic excellence for all Utah students.

HB0175S02 | Education Accountability Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill provides that for the 2018-2019 school year, the State Board of Education is not required to assign to each school an overall rating using an A through F letter grading scale.

Bill Details
Year: 
2020
Status: 
House/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 12, 2020
Sponsor
Representative
Democrat - District 46
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support
Impact on Children: 

Establishes a statewide accountability system that does not use letter grade but focuses on other metrics.  

Perceptions of school quality may impact the hiring and retention of quality educators and support staff.

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

Utah PTA Resolution EDU 2014-1 Public School Accountability
Resolved, That Utah PTA support systems of accountability for public schools that take into account qualitative characteristics, including a welcoming environment, family engagement efforts, administrative leadership, and community collaboration; in addition to quantitative measurements, such as educator qualifications, student absenteeism, average student tested proficiency and student academic growth; and be it further
Resolved, That Utah PTA advocates against the implementation of any accountability system that reduces the evaluation of a school to a single grade or score, that ranks schools beyond statistical confidence, and that grades on a bell curve;

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

3 - Support accountability for all public schools that take into account the needs of students, teachers, and communities.

HB0177S04 | Health Education Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill amends provisions related to health education.

Highlighted Provisions: 

This bill:
▸ requires the State Board of Education (state board) to establish curriculum
requirements that include instruction in:
• consent, including what does not constitute consent;
• sexual violence behavior prevention; and
• sexual assault resource strategies;
▸ amends provisions related to when a student receives health education instruction;
▸ requires a local education agency (LEA) to review data on sexual assault for each
county in which the LEA is located;

Bill Details
Year: 
2021
Status: 
House/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 05, 2021
Sponsor
Representative
Democrat - District 37
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support

While Utah PTA supports the concepts to be taught as proposed in this legislation, we are concerned about the conflict between the use of the word "consent" as defined in the bill and the legal definition of "consent." Legally, no minor can give "consent" to sexual activity with another person.

Impact on Children: 

This bill will add into our sexual education curriculum instruction that will empower students to gain knowledge and strategies to avoid and mitigate unwanted sexual advances.

When children are taught about consent, coercion; sexual violence behavior deterrence; and sexual assault mitigation they are better equipped to keep themselves safe and from experiencing sexually violent behavior. It would give them tools to express their limits and that they deserve to be treated in a respectful way.

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

That Utah PTA seek and promote state curriculum objectives which teach behavioral strategies to help students remain abstinent or resume abstinence until marriage

Resolved, That Utah PTA educate its membership about current statistics, trends, and protective and risk factors of early sexual involvement;

Resolved, That Utah PTA encourage state and local public campaigns to create a social expectation of premarital abstinence; and be it further
Resolved, That Utah PTA encourage our state and national legislators to support funding of programs that provide resources for parents to assume their role as primary sex educators of their children;

Resolved, That Utah PTA support varied counseling approaches outside of school course work, with parental permission, for those students who need additional sustained support to delay sexual involvement or return to sexual abstinence;
 

Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

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

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

5. Support measures to promote safe and healthy environments and behaviors for children to prevent suicide, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking,

HB0179S02 | Founders and Constitution Recognition

Description
General Description: 

This bill addresses the recognition of the country's founders and the United States Constitution.

Highlighted Provisions: 

Designates the month of September as American Founders Month and sets aside Sept 17th as Constitution Day

Bill Details
Year: 
2023
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 13, 2023
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 58
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support
Impact on Children: 

This bill would create a day for all school children to read directly from the constitution and participate in a civics education lesson about constitutional principals.

Commission: 
Individual Development
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions: 

That Utah PTA and its constituent associations promote character development through civic education and the development of civic disposition by encouraging families to provide opportunities for students to discuss current events and civic issues in their home, participate in service and community outreach projects, and to engage civilly and respectfully in the community

Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

To develop, between educators and the general public, such united efforts as will secure, for all children and youth, the highest advantages in physical, social, and spiritual education.

HB0180S02 | Child Welfare Placement Review Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill amends provisions of the Utah Juvenile Code related to the termination of parental rights.

Highlighted Provisions: 

addresses the analysis a juvenile court undertakes when evaluating whether to
terminate parental rights

Bill Details
Year: 
2023
Status: 
House/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 03, 2023
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 50
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support
Impact on Children: 

addresses the analysis a juvenile court undertakes when evaluating whether to
terminate parental rights

Commission: 
Community Engagement
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions: 

That Utah PTA and its constituent associations advocate for adequate laws to protect children in all areas of child abuse, neglect, maltreatment, and exploitation

Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

Prioritizing the needs of all children and youth

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

5. SAFETY. Support evidence-based community violence intervention and means reduction strategies.

HB0182 | Interventions for Reading Difficulties Program Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill repeals the Interventions for Reading Difficulties Program.

Highlighted Provisions: 

This bill repeals the Interventions for Reading Difficulties Program. repeals a sunset date that the repeal renders obsolete; and makes technical and conforming changes.

Bill Details
Year: 
2023
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 14, 2023
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 74
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support
Impact on Children: 

SB 127 Early Literacy Outcomes Improvement passed 2022 is a more comprehensive approach to reading and makes HB 182 redundant.

Commission: 
Special Needs Specialist
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions: 

Resolved, That Utah PTA and its constituent associations support schools in implementing best practices in meeting the needs of diverse students . . .

HB0182S05 | Student Survey Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill amends student survey requirements.

Highlighted Provisions: 

This bill requires an LEA to update policies to require parental consent for any non-academic survey given to a student; to obtain parental consent annually in writing; to obtain new parental consent from parents of a transferring student; and makes technical changes.

Bill Details
Year: 
2024
Status: 
House/ enrolled bill to Printing
Last Action: 
Mar 14, 2024
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 14
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Oppose
Impact on Children: 

Bill would make it more difficult for schools to have students fill out a survey

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

Resolved, Utah PTA and its constituent associations will continue to support methods to gather information (such as the SHARP survey) that will assist in monitoring, anticipating and predicting youth behaviors