Legislative Bills

HB0354 | Truth in Taxation Revisions

Description

General Description:

This bill modifies requirements for property tax increases.

Highlighted Provisions:

This bill would require voter approval for any increases to property tax rates until 2027.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0354

Year:

2024

Status:

House/ filed

Last Action:

Mar 01, 2024

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Oppose

Utah PTA Resolution:

EDU 2023-1 | Education Funding

Impact on Children:

The only revenue stream for schools that LEAs have control over is the property tax rate. There is a process that they must follow to notice and vote on an increase, and public comment is a significant part of that process. Property taxes are a stable funding mechanism, and restricting their ability to raise those rates could have negative consequences on our schools.

Commission:

Education

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

Utah PTA and its constituent associations continue to urge the legislature to make public education revenue allocations and funding effort a high priority.

HB0354 | Firearm Access Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill provides that a firearm shall be stored securely and provides penalties.

Highlighted Provisions:

13 ▸ provides that a firearm shall be securely stored or rendered inoperable by a locking
14 device;
15 ▸ sets penalties for violations; and
16 ▸ provides that if a person accesses an unlocked firearm and commits a crime, the
17 owner may be criminally liable.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0354

Year:

2023

Status:

House/ filed

Last Action:

Mar 03, 2023

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Support w/ Comment

Utah PTA advocates for gun safety and violence prevention measures for the benefit and safety of children while recognizing the importance of responsible gun ownership and Second Amendment rights to the citizens of Utah.

Impact on Children:

For nearly 30 years, National PTA has advocated for common-sense and comprehensive gun safety and violence prevention measures while preserving the lawful use of firearms for sport and personal protection. This bill would help ensure that firearms are stored safely..

Commission:

Safety

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

Utah PTA Legislative Policy:

To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.
To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities:

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

National PTA and Utah PTA Position Statements:

National PTA and Utah PTA Position Statements:
National PTA Position Statement- GUN SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Any effort to improve the safety of our nation's youth and our communities must be
comprehensive and include gun safety and violence-prevention measures.

Safe storage of firearms including the use of safety locks and other safety devices to prevent youth from obtaining and discharging a gun

National PTA Public Policy Agenda

National PTA believes that gun violence can and will decrease through these and other measures. Adoption of the measures above will make our communities, as well as our schools, safe for everyone. National PTA believes we must enact common sense legislation that will reduce gun violence and help protect all children and youth while protecting the lawful use of firearms for sport and personal protection.

HB0355 | Standards and Graduation Requirements Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill amends provisions regarding high school graduation requirements.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0355

Year:

2020

Status:

House/ filed

Last Action:

Mar 12, 2020

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Support

Utah PTA Resolution:

EDU 2006-1 | High School Graduation Requirements (retired)

Impact on Children:

This legislation has the potential to allow the Utah State Board of Education or a local school board of education to provide students with flexibility to take rigorous courses beyond math, science, and language arts in a variety of subjects including world languages, technology, fine arts, social studies, health and PE that meet individual goals outlined in their student plan for college and career readiness.

Commission:

Education

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

Utah PTA Resolution EDU 2006-1 High School Graduation Requirements - Resolved, That Utah PTA encourage rigor in student academic pursuits, but also value each student’s diverse needs and post high school plans by encouraging statewide practices and requirements that achieve balance and flexibility in student curriculum. Resolved, That Utah PTA support school rigor in a wide variety of subjects and oppose efforts that too narrowly define academic rigor solely as language arts, math, and science. Resolved, That Utah PTA ask the State Board of Education to encourage the implementation of flexible four-year plans as part of the SEOP process for grades 9-12 to help students explore and better focus their high school courses toward post high school plans.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities:

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities #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.

Links

Utah PTA Resolution EDU 2006-1 High School Graduation Requirements

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities 2019-20

HB0357S02 | Public Education Funding Stabilization

Description

General Description:

This bill provides for growth and stabilization in public education funding.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0357S02

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

Utah PTA Position Comment:
Utah PTA supports HB 357 Sub 1. We appreciate the constitutional guarantee found within the Uniform School Fund of funding for the public education system and the promise of funding for the Minimum School Program, enrollment growth, and inflation. We support the creation of the public education economic stabilization fund to support our schools during an economic downturn.

We recognize that HB357 Sub 1 and SJR9 must pass together, however we do have concerns with the vagueness of the statement “children and individuals with a disability” and as to what that will mean in the future for items to be funded out of the education fund. Utah PTA would request that more specificity were added to the statement before it goes before a vote of the people in November.

Utah PTA Resolution:

EDU 2010-2 | Education Funding (retired)

Impact on Children:

This bill is designed to protect, grow, and stabilize Public Education Funding. It is tied to a Constitutional Amendment to expand the Constitutional earmark to provide more flexibility in government funding.

This bill moves the Minimum School Program (MSP), which includes the weighted pupil unit, funding to the constitutionally protected Uniform School Fund dedicated to K-12 public education. It will include enrollment growth and the annual inflation for the Minimum School Program in the Base Budget. It creates the Public Education Economic Stabilization Restricted Account which will be used to fund MSP, enrollment growth, and inflation during times of economic downturn.

The passage of this bill is contigent upon the passage of SJR9 - A constitutional amendment to expand the use of income tax revenue to support services for children and individuals with a disability.

Commission:

Education

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

Utah PTA Resolution EDU 2005-1 - Resolved, That Utah PTA encourage the legislature to adequately fund critical educational needs, including but not limited to, class size reduction, teacher salaries, technology, textbooks and supplies.

Utah PTA Legislative Policy:

The legislative program of the Utah PTA is derived from the work of PTA in home, school, and community. PTA efforts “to secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth” are based upon:

The realization that maintaining a free and public education system is a cornerstone of democracy—that the Utah Public Education System is created in the state Constitution to “secure and perpetuate” freedom.

General Principles for Consideration of Proposed Legislation:

Continued maintenance of the constitutional guarantee of financial support for public schools as the first claim on state revenues.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities:

1.Support education legislation which maintains the constitutional guarantee that the Legislature shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of a public education system, which shall be open to all children of the state; and that all revenue from a tax on income shall be used to support the system of public education and higher education.

2. Support education appropriations which fully fund enrollment growth and increase the WPU by 6%.

Links

Utah PTA Resolution EDU 2010-2 Funding for Education

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities 2019-20

Stabilizing Education Funding for a Better Tomorrow

HB0358 | Guardianship Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill amends provisions related to court appointed guardians for minors.

Highlighted Provisions:

This bill adds situations for when a court may appoint a guardian for an un-emancipated minor; establishes preponderance of the evidence as the burden of proof for appointing a guardian for a minor; and makes technical changes.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0358

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:

FAM 2018-1 | Foster Care Standards

Impact on Children:

This bill allows for courts to grant kinship caregivers to a minor (like a grandparent) without terminating parental rights of the parent. This would allow the minor basic necessities like medical needs and enrollment in school. The kinship law does not allow for this currently.

Commission:

Family Life

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

That Utah PTA encourage the legislature to pass laws that will ensure that the best interests of the child be given primary emphasis in placement matters

Utah PTA Legislative Policy:

High standards for those who work in all areas concerned with children and youth.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities:

Support legislation, funding, and community partnerships that provide programs and resources to strengthen families and children’s social and emotional learning and well-being including, but not limited to: positive behavior programs and classes including art, music, physical education, civic engagement, and character development; early childhood education, parenting skills, and juvenile justice reforms.

Legislative Bills

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