Legislative Bills

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SB0162 | Education Expenses Tax Credit During Public Health Emergency

Description
General Description: 

This bill enacts a nonrefundable income tax credit for certain education expenses during a public health emergency.

Highlighted Provisions: 

Enacts a nonrefundable individual income tax credit that an individual may claim for a dependent's education expenses incurred as a result of a change in school enrollment or instruction caused by a public health emergency.

Bill Details
Year: 
2021
Status: 
Senate/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 05, 2021
Sponsor
Senator
Republican - District 16
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Oppose
Impact on Children: 

This bill diverts tax dollars to private interests with no transparency or accountability.

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

That Utah PTA oppose vouchers, tax credits and deductions and other similar funding sources for public and private preschool, elementary and secondary school tuition and other education-related expenses for students.

Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

Support education legislation which guarantees that public funds intended for the funding of the public education system not be allocated for private interests including vouchers, tax credits, or other means.

SB0166S01 | Education Entity Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill provides a home-based education entity and micro-education entity with certain similar duties, requirements, waivers, and rights as private and charter schools.

Highlighted Provisions: 

▸ requires a county to consider micro-education and home-based education entities as
15 a permitted use in all zoning districts within a county;
16 ▸ subjects a micro-education entity to the same occupancy requirements for Class B
17 Occupancy and prevents a home-based education entity from being subject to any
18 occupancy requirements beyond a primary dwelling requirements;
19 ▸ defines:
20 • education cooperative;
21 • extracurricular lessons;
22 • home-based education entity; and
23 • micro-education entity;
24 ▸ exempts a micro-education entity and a home-based education entity from
25 immunization requirements and compulsory education requirements
26 ▸ prevents government entities from regulating micro-education entity and
27 home-based education entity instructors, student assessments, and food preparation

Bill Details
Year: 
2023
Status: 
Senate/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 03, 2023
Sponsor
Senator
Republican - District 17
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Oppose

SB0166 Legalizes various loopholes that endanger the lives of children while doing little to educate them. Health and safety hazard loopholes include: prohibition for immunization requirements; prohibition for food preparation inspection; no requirements for background checks for educators.  To the safety and health hazards this bill proposes, it also adds a permissive education environment: no student to teacher ratio; no attendance requirements; no curriculum, no assessment and no credentials for teachers. This bill would be unconscionable for public schools, and is equally unacceptable for any student outside the public school system.

Utah PTA Resolution: 
Impact on Children: 

All Utah students deserve to learn in a safe environment.  This bill disregards both safety and learning.

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

that Utah PTA and its constituent associations encourage all efforts to address school safety to involve all stakeholders, especially students, parents, and families, and consider a variety of factors including the physical and psychological safety of students

SB0166S03 | School Readiness Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill amends and enacts preschool provisions.

Bill Details
Year: 
2019
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 26, 2019
Sponsor
Senator
Republican - District 18
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$12,000,000
This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2020: to Department of Workforce Services - Operations and Policy - Workforce Development Division, as an ongoing appropriation: from the General Fund, $6,000,000; to State Board of Education - General System Support - Teaching and Learning, as an ongoing appropriation: from the Education Fund, $500,000; and to the State Board of Education - Initiative Programs - UPSTART, as an ongoing appropriation: from the Education Fund, $5,500,000.
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Pending
Utah PTA Resolution: 
Impact on Children: 

This repeals a non-working, older system, and aligns the work and coordination of multiple committees. It expands the UPSTART program and makes it more than just a pilot program.

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

That Utah PTA and its constituent bodies work collaboratively with existing early childhood programs to better coordinate services; and be it further; That Utah PTA and its constituent bodies advocate for policies and funding to improve early childhood services throughout the state.

SB0167S03 | Sexual Exploitation Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill concerns the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Highlighted Provisions: 

modifies the offense of sexual exploitation of a minor;
creates the offense of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor;

Bill Details
Year: 
2022
Status: 
Governor Signed
Last Action: 
Mar 22, 2022
Sponsor
Senator
Republican - District 2
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Support
Impact on Children: 

This bill will create the offense of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and increase penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor

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

Resolved, That Utah PTA and its constituent associations promote and support the adoption and
enforcement of laws, at all levels of government, to end the recruitment, force or involvement
of a minor in conduct or violence of a sexually nature and all forms of sexual exploitation;

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.

SB0168 | Commission for Student-centered Public Education Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill creates the Commission for Student-centered Public Education.

Highlighted Provisions: 

"14 ▸ creates the Commission for Student-centered Public Education (commission);
15 ▸ directs the commission to create a systems framework for enabling the K-12 public
16 education system to become more student centered;
17 ▸ directs the commission to hire a consultant to assist the commission with
18 development of the systems framework; and
19 ▸requires the commission to report to the Legislature and the governor."

Bill Details
Year: 
2022
Status: 
Senate/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 04, 2022
Sponsor
Senator
Republican - District 18
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$500,000
This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2023: to the Legislature -- Legislative Services -- Pass-Through: from Education Fund, One-time, $500,000.
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Oppose w/ Comment

Utah PTA supports the purpose of the commission, but is concerned about the creation of a new body separate from the constitutionally mandated school board of education.
 

Impact on Children: 

Utah PTA is supportive of the USBE vision behind the Portrait of the Graduate and its corollary model of teaching Personalized Proficiency Based Learning.

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

That Utah PTA recognizes the State Board of Education as the body elected to establish policy and standards for education in the State of Utah;