HB0417 | School Materials Amendments

Description
General Description: 

This bill amends provisions regarding student access to sensitive material within the public education system.

Highlighted Provisions: 

This bill directs districts in choosing instructional material, prohibits LEAs from prohibiting public recitation nor display of materials, provides for private right of action against LEAs, waives governmental immunity and amends criminal provisions.

Bill Details
Bill Number: 
HB0417
Year: 
2024
Status: 
House/ filed
Last Action: 
Mar 01, 2024
Sponsor
Representative
Ken Ivory
Republican - District 39
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Amount: 
$0
None
View Fiscal Note
Utah PTA Response
Utah PTA Position
Oppose w/ Comment

Utah PTA is opposed to children's exposure to sexually explicit materials. Teachers and librarians work hard to support their students and provide them with appropriate materials. Putting criminal penalties on teachers for providing materials to their students is poor policy and will have a chilling effect on recruiting and retaining exceptional educators.

Impact on Children: 

This bill will have a detrimental effect on teachers and make it harder to recruit and retain good teachers and librarians. While PTA is opposed to exposing children to sexually explicit materials, subjective materials can be open to interpretation and this will cause confusion and uncertainty.

Commission: 
Education
Utah PTA Public Policy Program
Utah PTA Legislative Priorities: 

EDUCATION. Support an adequately funded public school system by funding an 8% WPU increase over and above growth and inflation; implement policies to increase proficiency levels by improving attendance, reducing class sizes, and supporting teachers; increase academic excellence for all Utah students; and prioritize local control to LEAs and individual schools.

National PTA and Utah PTA Position Statements: 

National: Libraries and Educational Material

National PTA believes that students need access to information in order to explore and experience the diversity of ideas in a pluralistic society. PTA recognizes and supports the rights of parents to guide their children in choosing appropriate reading and educational materials. PTA supports teachers in developing classroom libraries to include appropriate reading and educational materials. PTA also supports the rights of both public libraries and school libraries to provide factually correct and historically accurate information and materials that are free of censorship based on bias, partisanship or doctrinal disapproval.

National PTA Public Policy Agenda

Encourage the development of inclusive curricula and materials that are historically accurate, age and developmentally appropriate and provide a means for students to explore diverse concepts, cultures and perspectives.