Legislative Bills

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HB0344S01 | Sex Offender Restrictions Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill provides additional restrictions on individuals who must register as a sex offender.

Bill Details
Year: 
2020
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 28, 2020
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 3
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support

This bill provides that a sex offender may not instruct, supervise, or care for a minor in a professional capacity; accept a minor into the sex offender's home; or serve as a coach, manager, or trainer of a minor

Impact on Children: 

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

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

Utah PTA and its constituent associations will support evidence based programs to decrease risk factors and increase protective factors in our homes, schools and communities; and be it further Resolved, Utah PTA and its constituent associations will support legislation and measures that will promote healthy behaviors with our youth 

Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

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

Coordination and planning by all agencies with clear definition of responsibility at each level of government.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

4. Support safe practices and environments for all children.

National PTA and Utah PTA Position Statements: 

That  National  PTA  and  its  constituent  associations  collaborate  with  school administrations, institutions of higher learning, and community partners to ensure that every school: 

Provides support services for victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence,

HB0345 | Driving Penalty Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill increases fines and penalties for speeding in a school zone and failure to obey school bus signals.

Highlighted Provisions: 

This bill: increases fines for speeding in a school zone; increases fines and compensatory services for failure to obey school bus signals

Bill Details
Year: 
2024
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 18, 2024
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 42
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support
Utah PTA Resolution: 
Impact on Children: 

This bill aims to enhance the safety of school zones and school bus encounters in Utah, by increasing fines for speeding in school zones and disregarding school bus signals.

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

Resolved, That Utah PTA, along with its constituent bodies, encourage all Utah law enforcement agencies to enforce state and local laws regarding stop arm violations.

Resolved, That Utah PTA, along with its constituent bodies, support all efforts to make school bus stops safer.

Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
 

HB0345S02 | School Resource Officers Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill amends provisions relating to a local education agency's ability to contract with a law enforcement agency for school resource officer services.

Highlighted Provisions: 

This bill places conditions on the ability of a local education agency (LEA) to contract with a
law enforcement agency for school resource officer services, including requiring:
• that the contract procure services in secondary schools;
• governing board review of the contract;
• the collection of certain information by the LEA; and
• a biennial review of certain policies and information

Bill Details
Year: 
2021
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 17, 2021
Sponsor
Representative
Democrat - District 23
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Local Issue
Impact on Children: 

National PTA Position Statement: Addressing Institutional or Systemic Racism
We recognize that action at the local level has a direct impact on our communities. Local advocacy should focus on issues such as disparate discipline; equitable education for immigrant children; recruitment and retention of Black and Brown teachers; housing development policies; access to healthcare; juvenile and criminal justice; and other such issues which are relevant to local schools, communities and states. We will work to ensure more comprehensive guidelines and training are required on the use of force by school resource officers, other law enforcement officers and security personnel.
 

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.

National PTA and Utah PTA Position Statements: 

National PTA Position Statement: ADDRESSING INSTITUTIONAL OR SYSTEMIC RACISM
Institutional racism is racism embedded as a routine practice within society or an organization, cumulatively and disparately impacting historically disadvantaged peoples.

Ongoing institutional racism and deeply embedded injustices, prejudices and inequities in the fabric of our nation have caused the violent deaths of innocent Black and Brown men, women and children over the years at the hands of a percentage of police officers and ordinary citizens.

National PTA Public Policy Agenda

PTA Calls on Congress and the Administration to Meaningfully Incorporate Policies that Promote Safe, Supportive and Inclusive Practices in Schools for All Students. PTA firmly believes that all students—including students from historically marginalized populations—have the right to a quality, equitable education in a safe, supportive and inclusive school.

PTA believes that the education system should engage in rigorous self-examination to identify and eliminate practices and policies which are systemically racist. PTA supports policies and legislation that ensure equity for every student, are grounded in social justice and support the whole child and family. Policies and legislation must:
✓ Encourage schools to use positive behavioral interventions and supports that are effective, fair and consistently implemented. Such practices may include restorative justice and trauma-informed care.
 

HB0347S03 | Educational Rights Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill requires an LEA to provide a safe and minimally disrupted educational environment.

Highlighted Provisions: 

This bill requires an LEA provide an educational environment that is safe for all students and staff including students and staff in special education; requires an LEA to ensure an educational environment has minimal disruptions.

Bill Details
Year: 
2024
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 12, 2024
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 19
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Unnecessary
Impact on Children: 

This bill would cause LEAs to bear the costs of court cases and the money would not be able to come from Special Education funding. This would negatively affect all students. There is no fiscal note attached to this bill and no guidance on where Special Education students would go if not in the classroom. 

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

INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS BUILD STRONGER COMMUNITIES

That National PTA, and its constituent associations build inclusive communities by working with experts in the education field to develop programs and
resources to educate the community about how the educational system impacts families and students with special needs; and be it further

Resolved, That National PTA, and its constituent associations encourage and work with the entire school community to include families and children with special needs; and be it further

Resolved, That National PTA, and its constituent associations work with their local school districts to research and advocate for the implementation of the most inclusive programs that best serve students with special needs.

Utah PTA Legislative Policy: 

General Principles for Consideration of Proposed Legislation: Equity in the form of equal justice, privileges, opportunities, and responsibilities in every phase of life for all children and youth, while recognizing that each child is unique with individual needs and talents.

HB0348S02 | Participation Waiver Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill clarifies how a school responds when a student refrains from participation in school due to a student's or a student's parent's religious belief or right of conscience.

Highlighted Provisions: 

Clarifies how a school responds when a student refrains from participation in school due to a student's or a student's parent's religious belief or right of conscience

Bill Details
Year: 
2023
Status: 
Governor Signed
Sponsor
Representative
Republican - District 38
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Local Issue
Impact on Children: 

Protects a student from having to engage in any aspect at school that violates their religious belief or right of conscience.

Commission: 
Student Leadership
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions: 

support practices which enhance teacher capacity, school leadership, family and student engagement, student-centered learning climates, and instruction and curriculum alignment;
and encourage local and state school boards as well as school level administration and school level leadership teams to seek input from parents when developing policies to improve education

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

3. FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. Support policies which will increase family and community engagement and promote local positive parental involvement across the state of Utah.