Legislative Bills

HB0420 | Turnaround Program Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill amends the criteria for a low performing school to exit the school turnaround program.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0420

Year:

2020

Status:

Governor Signed

Last Action:

Mar 24, 2020

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Support

Utah PTA Resolution:

EDU 2014-1 | Public School Accountability

Impact on Children:

Amends the criteria for a low performing school to exit the school turnaround program based on criteria set by the Utah State Board of Education.

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. Resolved, That Utah PTA recognize the State Board of Education as the appropriate body to form standards of accountability and methods of school evaluation based on these standards; and that any legislative requirements should be made collaboratively with the State Board of Education and the expertise of the State Office of Education.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities:

Utah PTA Legislative Priority #3. Support accountability for all public schools that take into account the needs of students, teachers, and communities.

Links

Utah PTA EDU 2014-1 Public School Accountability

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities

HB0420S01 | School Code of Conduct Protections

Description

General Description:

This bill requires local education agencies to adopt a code of conduct and provides certain protections from retaliation.

Highlighted Provisions:

This bill provides a code of conduct for staff members of the public school system; requires reporting of violations of the code of conduct; requires all staff members to receive training on the code of conduct; prohibits retaliation against a staff member that reports a violation of the code of conduct; and provides a process for a staff member to seek review of an adverse employment action that is taken in retaliation for compliance with the code of conduct.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0420S01

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

Local Issue

Impact on Children:

Putting a code of conduct into law makes it much more difficult for local schools to amend or adjust their code of conduct. Most of this bill is taken directly from the USBE Rule, and the bill is unnecessary. LEAs are already required to put into place a code of conduct, but currently have flexibility to amend as they need to.

Commission:

Education

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

Utah PTA Legislative Policy:

General Principles for Consideration of Proposed Legislation: Maximum local control when it serves the best interest of all children and youth.

HB0421S03 | Intensive Services Pilot Program

Description

General Description:

This bill creates the Intensive Services Special Education Pilot Program to provide funding to local education agencies to supplement the cost of educating a student with intensive special education needs.

Highlighted Provisions:

This bill:
▸ creates the Intensive Services Special Education Costs Pilot Program (program) to provide funding to local education agencies to supplement the cost of educating a student who:
• has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP); and
• for whom the cost of the special education services described in the student' IEP exceeds three times the statewide average per-pupil expenditures;
▸ requires the State Board of Education to make rules establishing a distribution
formula to allocate money appropriated under the program; and
▸ provides a sunset date.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0421S03

Year:

2021

Status:

Governor Signed

Last Action:

Mar 17, 2021

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

$1,000,000

This bill appropriates in Fiscal Year 2022: to the State Board of Education - Minimum School Program - Related to Basic School Program - Special Education - Intensive Services as a one-time appropriation: from the Education Fund, $1,000,000.

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Support

Utah PTA Resolution:

EDU 2005-1 | Education of Students with Disabilities (retired)

Impact on Children:

This bill would provide additional funding for LEAs to supplement the cost of educating students with intensive special education needs.

Commission:

Education

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

That Utah PTA and its organizations continue to support the right of each student
with a disability to have access to an equal education via whatever means reasonable and
necessary to specific disabilities, such as Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s) and 504 Accommodation Plans, which may include transportation, therapy, special services/equipment, reasonable accommodations and other supportive services the child requires to benefit from his/her educational program;

HB0421 | School Land Trust Program Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill modifies the percentage of revenue from trust lands that is distributed from the Land Grant Management Fund.

Highlighted Provisions:

Proposes to make complementary changes to the Utah Code to modify the percentage of revenue from trust lands that is distributed from the Land Grant Management Fund. They removed the sentence under 53F-2-404 that limits distribution to 3%, and changed Section 53F-9-201under Trust distribution by removing 4% and increasing it to 5%.

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0421

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:

EDU 2015-1 | School Trust Lands

Impact on Children:

Conditions have demonstrated that the current Constitutional and statutory 4% restrictions have caused the distribution policy to not meet required intergenerational equity standards by favoring future over present beneficiaries.

Commission:

Trust Lands

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

That Utah PTA encourage State and local officials to take all necessary steps to assure that management of the School Trust Lands is in accordance with trust duties and principles including undivided loyalty to the beneficiaries, a duty to make trust property productive, a duty to keep and render accounts, and a duty to exercise prudence and skill in administering the trust, thereby obtaining much-needed revenue for Utah's public schools;

HB0422S01 | School District Voter Eligibility Amendments

Description

General Description:

This bill creates a student voter pilot project for local school board elections.

Highlighted Provisions:

11          This bill:
12          ▸     defines terms;
13          ▸     allows local school boards to vote to allow students who are 16 and 17 years old to
14     vote in local school board elections; and

Bill Details

Bill Number:

HB0422S01

Year:

2022

Status:

House/ filed

Last Action:

Mar 04, 2022

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note Amount:

None

View Fiscal Note

Utah PTA Response

Utah PTA Position

Pending

Utah PTA encourages positive involvement in the political process by parents and families, which includes more than just voting. The National PTA supports the concept of shared responsibility in the development of school policies and in curriculum decisions. PTA urges all school boards to cooperate with parents, teachers, students, principals, administrators, business, civic and community leaders, and the general public in this process. As students learn and grow in their knowledge and understanding, they can take on more responsibility. Just like the process of learning to drive, where we don't immediately give the keys to the car without going through the driver's education process, we shouldn't be giving the "keys to the car" of voting without going through a similar education process. We encourage school board nominees, as well as all persons running for public office, to find ways to engage with our students to help them as they learn the issues around voting and the political process.

Utah PTA Resolution:

COM 2017-1 | Partisan Politics and Redistricting

Impact on Children:

This bill would allow 16 & 17 year-olds to vote in local school board elections, but only if the local school board votes to allow it.

If they register to vote through this process, they will be automatically registered to vote for all elections at age 18, unless they opt out.

Commission:

Student Leadership

Utah PTA Public Policy Program

National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions:

That Utah PTA and its constituent associations urge the Utah Legislature to bring the government closer to all Utahns by supporting legislation that protects each voter’s right to be heard in an election without partisan politics controlling the election process,
That Utah PTA and its constituent associates encourage parents to be actively involved in the election process, recognizing this to be in the best interest of
children.

Utah PTA Legislative Policy:

(2) parental involvement as an essential component of all policy-making processes pertaining to children;

Legislative Bills

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