Legislative Bills

HB0315 | Effective Teachers in High Poverty Schools Incentive Program Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill makes changes to the Effective Teachers in High Poverty Schools Incentive Program.

Highlighted Provisions:

"14 ▸clarifies that special education teachers are eligible for the Effective Teachers in
15 High Poverty Schools Incentive Program (incentive program);
16 ▸ makes kindergarten teachers eligible for the incentive program;
17 ▸adds a second method for teachers in grades 1 through 3 to be eligible for the
18 incentive program;"

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0315

Year:

2022

Status:

Governor Signed

Last Action:

Mar 23, 2022

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Support

Utah PTA Resolution:

EDU 2011-1 | Excellence in Teaching

EDU 2019-1 | Best Practices in Education

Impact on Children:

Children benefit from high quality teachers starting in kindergarten. This bill helps to bring quality teachers into high poverty schools.

Commission:

Education

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

Resolved, That Utah PTA and its constituent associations engage principals and teacher as partners with the PTA to develop relationships, increase capacity within the schools, and improve communities.

Resolved, That Utah PTA support adequate funding for and encourage consideration of financial incentives to recruit and retain highly qualified and effective educators, including appropriation of adequate funding to upgrade salary schedules;

HB0315S01 | Recreational Therapy Medicaid Coverage Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill enacts provisions relating to recreational therapy coverage under Medicaid.

Highlighted Provisions:

Allows Medicaid reimbursement for recreational therapy for those enrolled in Medicaid, and has been referred to recreational therapy by a physician.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0315S01

Year:

2023

Status:

Governor Signed

Last Action:

Mar 15, 2023

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Support

Utah PTA Resolution:

HEA 2020-1 | Emotional/Mental Health and Well-Being

Impact on Children:

Recreational Therapy can be used for the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of an individual, including children.

Commission:

Health

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

That Utah PTA advocate for funding and legislation for integrated home and classroom intervention programs; continued research and clinical trials of treatment medications to support children and youth;and support insurance parity for mental illness;and be it further

|

Description

General Description:

Highlighted Provisions:

This bill would restrict the Trust Land agencies ability to sell Trust Lands for the most beneficial outcome to the beneficiaries.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/hb0320.html

Year:

2024

Status:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Pending

Utah PTA Resolution:

EDU 2015-1 | School Trust Lands

Impact on Children:

This bill would impose costly restrictions on all sales of Trust Lands regardless of the size of the sale. Lines 41-53: This would consume an enormous amount of the Trust Land monies to fulfill each time any land is sold, and is not a wise use of the beneficiaries monies. Line 133 only allows for rejection of proposal and not for approval. It tries to allow the Leg. Committee in the interim to outright reject any proposal, but not the allowance to approve the transaction. Line 144 requires notification of the legislator if any portion of the land lies in their district. This is intended to insert more legislative power into the process. We have learned from Trust Lands history that more legislative insertion results in a decrease in the funds and effectiveness of the Trust Lands. Thus why the Trust Lands agencies were constitutionally created so that they would serve the beneficiaries solely and not bend to governmental power grabs. Line 157 would not allow any sale of land to the federal government unless the transaction results in a net decrease of lands owned by the federal government in that county. Trust Lands agency SITLA is bound to serve the beneficiaries of the trust. They need to be allowed to buy/sell land areas that are not serving the Trust in order to trade for lands/areas that will better serve the Trust and beneficiaries. The school children of Utah are the majority beneficiary of the Trust Lands. If we do not do all we can to ensure that Trust Lands are used to the highest benefit of the beneficiaries, then we are not serving the school children of Utah.

Commission:

Trust Lands

Education

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

That Utah PTA work to encourage Federal and State officials to fulfill their responsibilities under the Enabling Act by assisting the State in proper management of School Trust Lands for their intended purpose to support public schools; and in cases where management for trust purposes would conflict with other important purposes, such as protection of archaeological, aesthetic, or other environmental or cultural resources, that the Federal Government or State purchase, or trade the affected lands for other lands of comparable value

HB0323S01 | High Poverty Schools Teacher Bonus Program Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill makes amendments related to criteria for schools and teachers eligible for the Effective Teachers in High Poverty Schools Incentive Program.

Highlighted Provisions:

This bill:
▸ amends the eligibility requirements for teachers in high poverty schools to receive a salary bonus in the 2020-2021 school year;
▸ provides that a school that qualified as a high poverty school in the 2018-2019 or
2019-2020 school year qualifies as a high poverty school for the 2020-2021 school year;
▸ requires the State Board of Education to publish a list of high poverty schools

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0323S01

Year:

2021

Status:

Governor Signed

Last Action:

Mar 17, 2021

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Support

Utah PTA Resolution:

EDU 2011-1 | Excellence in Teaching

Impact on Children:

This bill allows for teachers in high poverty schools to continue to receive their incentive bonus this year in the absence of statewide testing.

Commission:

Education

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

That Utah PTA support adequate funding for and encourage consideration of financial incentives to recruit and retain highly qualified and effective educators

HB0323S02 | School Mental Health Funding Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill addresses provisions relating to school-based mental health support.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0323S02

Year:

2020

Status:

Governor Signed

Last Action:

Mar 28, 2020

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Support

In Utah, suicide is the leading cause of death for children ages 11-17; and the State of Utah ranks 5th in the nation for suicide deaths in 2018;

Suicidal children usually do not want to die, but are unable to recognize other solutions for problems;

There are a myriad of reasons why children die by suicide or have suicidal thoughts and it cannot be traced back to one event;

Many suicidal children start off with mental health symptoms including anxiety, depression, lack of coping and decision-making skills, and lack of connection;

Many suicidal children exhibit significant warning signs before they attempt or die by suicide and most people, including parents, trusted adults and friends either do not recognize the seriousness of these warning signs or ignore them because they do not know what to do to help; It is imperative that children get screened for mental health issues.

Utah PTA Resolution:

HEA 2019-1 | Prevention & Promotion of Health Behaviors

HEA 2019-2 | Youth Suicide Prevention

Impact on Children:

Utah PTA and its constituent associations will participate and support methods to assess and recognize the risk and protective factors in their local schools, families, and communities;

Utah PTA and its constituent associations will continue to support methods to gather information that will assist in monitoring, anticipating and predicting youth behaviors;

That Utah PTA and its constituent associations advocate for more research and funding in determining the causes of suicide, and advocate for best practices in treating mental illness and suicidal ideation,

Utah PTA and its constituent associations support that each school district’s crisis intervention procedures include intervention in feeder schools and in the community;

Utah PTA and its constituent associations encourage the Utah Legislature to provide adequate funding to provide suicide prevention programs in every district and school in the State of Utah

Commission:

Safety

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

Utah PTA Legislative Policy:

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

Maximum local control when it serves the best interest of all children and youth.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities:

5. Support additional funding to help with the overwhelming mental health crisis including, but not limited to: programs and classes including art, music, civic, character, and physical education; more school psychologists, counselors, nurses, and social workers; and professional development.

6. Support measures to instill proven and effective prevention methods to promote healthy behaviors in children to be able to overcome the ills of society including suicide, tobacco use, vaping, underage drinking, drug abuse, sexual exploitation, bullying, and any form of addiction that is harmful to our children’s well-being.

7. Support legislation, funding, and community partnerships that provide programs and resources to strengthen families and children’s social and emotional well being through affordable housing, homelessness initiatives, education, and parenting skills, and juvenile justice reforms.

National PTA and Utah PTA Position Statements:

EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS Position Statement

National PTA Public Policy Agenda

Include effective parent and family stakeholder engagement provisions in education and youth-related reauthorization bills

Links

EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS Position Statement

Legislative Bills

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