2026 Legislative Update — Week 2 - Utah System of Higher Education
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2026 Legislative Update — Week 2

Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City

Jan 26 – 30, 2026


Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee

The Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee (HEAS) met on Jan. 26, 28, and 30. The subcommittee heard presentations on institutional updates, performance, and 2026 General Session budget requests from the following colleges and universities:


The Commissioner’s office also presented on the upcoming second year of the three-year Strategic Reinvestment process, a new request for appropriations (RFA) from Rep. Thompson to address extreme behaviors in select K-12 schools through a pilot partnership with the Utah State University social work program, and an RFA from Sen. Balderree to fund Spanish translation services for SafeUT texting applications. 


Upcoming HEAS meetings

All meetings begin at 8 a.m.


Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee

On the Jan. 29, the Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee heard presentations from USHE on the 2026 Legislative General Session Higher Education capital budget requests and from the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst on the Higher Education Capital Base Budget. The Subcommittee also heard individual presentations from institutions regarding the following requests:


Legislative Audit Subcommittee

On Jan. 30, the Legislative Audit Subcommittee reviewed A Performance Audit of Utah State University’s Governance, Leadership, and Culture. Following a presentation by the Office of the Legislative Auditor General (OLAG), USU President Brad Mortensen, USU Board of Trustees Chair Tessa White, Utah Board of Higher Education Chair Amanda Covington, and Commissioner Geoffrey Landward responded to the audit and emphasized their commitment to ongoing efforts already underway to strengthen expectations, oversight, and consistency at USU and across the System. Institutional and Board responses to audit findings are detailed in the full report.


Legislation of Interest

(PASSED) SB 1 – Higher Education Base Budget (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Supplements or reduces appropriations otherwise provided for the support and operation of state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026 and appropriates funds for the support and operation of state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. This bill passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor.

(PASSED) SB 6 – Transportation and Infrastructure Base Budget (Sen. Don Ipson, Rep. Doug Welton): Addresses the higher education and technical capital projects fund. Provides intent language for the Coliseum Restoration Project at Southern Utah University. This bill passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor. 

HB 84 – Higher Education Dangerous Weapon Amendments (Rep. Walt Brooks): Allows for the carrying of a firearm on a public institution of higher education campus without a concealed carry permit. The first substitute (not yet adopted) would update the bill to establish that an individual 18-20 years old may open carry an unloaded firearm in any public location not prohibited by state or federal law, but would prohibit an individual 18-20 years from carrying a loaded firearm on a public higher education campus unless the individual has a valid concealed firearms permit. This bill is in the House Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb 2.

HB 88 – Public Assistance Amendments (Rep. Trevor Lee): Amends provisions regarding exceptions to verification of lawful presence for the receipt of certain public assistance benefits. The first substitute, if adopted, would impact higher education by prohibiting agencies or political subdivisions of the state (including USHE institutions) from providing to an individual “who is without lawful presence in the United States” a public benefit that is funded by state or local funds, including tuition assistance and other services. The substitute would also strike language in statute that currently states institutions do not have to verify a student’s lawful presence in the US to exempt the student from paying the out-of-state portion of tuition under Utah Code 53H-11-203. The second substitute, if adopted, provides an exception to governmental immunity, allows a private right of action for an individual who is injured by a violation of this bill, and provides for criminal or civil penalties if a government or agency employee knowingly fails to comply with certain provisions of this bill. The second substitute also requires agencies and departments under the bill to conduct quarterly audits of compliance with this section and provides that the Office of the Legislative Auditor General may conduct a biennial audit of each state agency or department to verify compliance with this section. This bill is in the House Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

HB 166 – Open Carry of a Firearm Amendments (Rep. Verona Mauga): Creates the offense of prohibited open carry of a firearm within 500 feet of large public gatherings as defined in the bill. This bill is in the House Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb 2.

HB 180, 2nd Substitute – Dangerous Weapons on Campus Amendments (Rep. Andrew Stoddard): The original bill established that individuals with a concealed carry permit may not openly carry a firearm on the grounds of a daycare, elementary or secondary school, or an institution of higher education campus unless the individual is lawfully responding to an active threat. The second substitute changes the bill’s focus to daycares, elementary, and secondary schools, and removes higher education campuses from the purview of the bill. As a result of these changes, this bill will be removed from future iterations of this newsletter. This bill is in the House Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb 2.

HB 204 – Higher Education Student Belief Accommodation (Rep. Michael Petersen): For courses that an institution mandates for graduation or for an academic major, requires public institutions of higher education to reasonably accommodate a student’s objection to a required examination, assignment, or activity if the student requests an accommodation for reasons of the student’s religion or conscience. Requires the institution to establish a process by which a student or educator may submit a grievance with regard to the implementation of this bill. Requires the Board to ensure the protection of students’ sincerely held religious and conscience beliefs and provide guidelines for institutional policies and practices related to this section. This bill has been assigned to the House Education Standing Committee but has not yet been assigned a hearing date as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Jan. 26.

HB 219 – Higher Education Civics Amendments (Rep. Melissa Ballard, Sen. Lincoln Fillmore): Requires the Board to adopt policies requiring USHE institutions to incorporate certain seminal historical and civic-related primary source documents into general education writing courses, where the institution and course instructor determine incorporation is appropriate and advances the learning objectives of the course. Requires a Board policy to preserve the discretion of institutions and faculty to select documents and design assignments, and maintain genre diversity in writing instruction. The original bill required the pilot program at the Utah State University Center for Civic Excellence to ensure general education writing courses in the pilot incorporate seminal documents and clarifies that other USHE institutions may voluntarily adopt this pilot program writing course structure starting in the 2026-27 academic year, but the first substitute (not yet adopted), removes provisions related to the USU Center for Civic Excellence. This bill is in the House Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

HB 279, 1st Substitute – Higher Education Code Amendments (Rep. Val Peterson): Includes private postsecondary educational institutions in certain sections of code that apply to public institutions of higher education and modifies provisions related to institutions of higher education participating in public procurement bidding. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the House Education Standing Committee on Jan. 27 and is on the House third reading calendar as of the publishing of this newsletter on Feb. 2.

HB 297 – Higher Education and Private Equity Amendments (Rep. Jason Kyle): Prohibits higher education institutions from entering or changing major agreements with private capital firms without prior legislative approval through joint resolution. Requires institutions to, upon request, provide the state auditor with all accounts associated with the operation of the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program. Requires the Board to create administrative rules to implement and enforce the provisions of this bill. This bill is in the House Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb 2.

HB 352 – Higher Education Alignment (Rep. Karen Peterson): Requires the Utah Board of Higher Education to organize USHE institutions into regions that include at least one degree-granting institution and one technical college to facilitate more seamless collaboration through horizontal and vertical integration. Enhanced collaborations include examples such as ensuring programs are articulated and stackable, integrating admissions, enrollment, and student services between partner institutions, leveraging shared administrative services, and identifying ways to share select academic programs and research opportunities. Requires the Board to report to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee on the implementation of this section. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee on Jan. 30.

HB 353 – Higher Education Credit Transfer Amendments (Rep. Ryan Wilcox): Amends the Utah Board of Higher Education’s existing statutory obligations to establish clear pathways for transfer and articulation, avoid the unnecessary duplication of courses, and communicate to students opportunities to receive credit for prior learning. Emphasizes that the Board must also consider students transferring from non-USHE institutions when executing on these responsibilities. This bill has been assigned to the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Standing Committee but has not yet been assigned to an agenda as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

HB 373 – Higher Education Innovation (Rep. Karen Peterson): Amends provisions regarding the Nucleus Institute. Allows the Commissioner of Higher Education to undertake the Board’s responsibility of annually determining First Credential, Opportunity, and Karen Mayne Public Safety Officer Scholarship amounts. Creates a pilot grant program for higher education research funding and requires the Board to administer and approve funding grants, potentially through the Nucleus Institute, Talent Ready Utah, or ad hoc committees. Requires the Board to report to the legislature on the research funding grant program. This bill is in the House Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on Feb. 2.

HR 5 – House Rules Resolution – House Standing Committees (Rep. Matt MacPherson): Replaces the House Education Standing Committee with the House Public Education Standing Committee and the House Higher Education Standing Committee. This bill is in the House Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

SB 77, 1st Substitute – Dual Language Immersion Amendments (Sen. Daniel McCay): Provides a new definition of “qualified instructor” and requires a USHE institution that offers an upper-division course in the Utah Language Bridge Program to ensure a qualified instructor teaches or co-teaches the course. If a USHE institution cannot provide a qualified instructor for an LEA in its service region, it requires the LEA to partner with a different USHE institution to provide an upper-division Utah Language Bridge Program course. Requires a USHE institution that offers an upper-division course under the Utah Language Bridge Program to ensure the course counts toward the related foreign language degree the institution offers. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Standing Committee on Jan. 27 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the publishing of this newsletter on Feb. 2. 

SB 95 – Public Speaking Amendments (Sen. Kathleen Riebe): Requires USHE institutions to conduct content-neutral risk assessments for public events with outside speakers and, based on a multi-level threat classification system outlined in the bill, take certain mandatory security measures corresponding to the assigned threat level. Requires coordination between USHE institutions and the Department of Public Safety. Requires an entity sponsoring the guest speaker’s appearance to obtain a specific level of general liability coverage. Mandates training, requires the designation of institutional coordinators, and requires reporting and oversight by the Board and the Legislature for certain provisions of the bill. This bill has been assigned to the Senate Education Standing Committee but has not yet been assigned a hearing date as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb 2.

SB 107 – Education Legislation Advisory Commission Amendments (Sen. Keven Stratton): Creates an Education Legislation Advisory Commission to study education-related issues in the state and propose and provide feedback to legislators on proposed education-related legislation. Membership would include the Commissioner of Higher Education. This bill is in the Senate Rules Committee as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

SB 118 – Mental Health Services in Higher Education (Sen. Jen Plumb): Codifies an existing ongoing appropriation from the 2022 Legislative General Session (was previously detailed only in intent language, not in State Code). Establishes that the institution may use the appropriation for mental health peer coaching programming or for other mental health resources at USHE institutions. Establishes specific requirements for peer coaching programming at USHE institutions. Requires the Board to administer and monitor the funds. This bill was assigned to the Senate Education Standing Committee but has not yet been heard by the committee as of the morning of Feb. 2, when this newsletter was published.

SB 152 – Public and Higher Education Collaboration (Sen. Michael McKell): Requires the Utah State Board of Education (K-12) and the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish and implement a process for disclosing grades 7-12 student data to UBHE and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to support secondary student engagement in college and career readiness programs and facilitate easier access to higher education admissions and financial aid. Requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to inform parents of their right to opt out of sharing this information with higher education entities. Requires compliance with state and federal data laws and requires higher education employees with access to grades 7-12 student data to be trained on federal and state student data privacy laws, proper handling and protection of student data, data breach prevention and response procedures, and authorized uses and disclosure limitations for data received under this part. Requires UBHE to make administrative rules in coordination with USBE. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Standing Committee on Jan. 26 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

SB 195 – Workforce Development (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Authorizes the Governor to delegate to the Board the authority to approve eligible USHE programs to submit to the Secretary of Education for consideration regarding participation in the federal Workforce Pell Grant program. Authorizes the Department of Workforce Services to provide wage record data to the Board. Authorizes the Utah Data Research Center to maintain a program to support data collection, analysis, and exchange with participating state agencies. Establishes the Statewide Youth Apprenticeship Governance Council to coordinate youth apprenticeship programs across the state agencies and education providers. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Standing Committee on Jan. 28 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the publishing of this newsletter on Feb. 2.

SB 207 – Protection from Unfair Treatment Based on Religious or Other Irrelevant Characteristics (Sen. Brady Brammer, Rep. Jordan Teuscher): Requires a USHE institution to reasonably accommodate an individual’s beliefs, faith, or conscience in relation to the institution’s admissions process, a student’s attendance in class, the scheduling of an exam or academic requirement, and participation in specific academic requirements. This bill has been assigned to the Senate Education Committee but has not yet been heard as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

SB 216 – Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding (Sen. Ann Millner, Rep. Karen Peterson): Establishes a process and formula for determining certain enrollment-based funding for USHE institutions. Establishes new performance metrics and goals for performance-based funding specific to institutional roles and missions. This bill has been assigned to the Senate Education Standing Committee but has not yet been assigned to an agenda as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb. 2.

SJR 8 – Joint Resolution to Initiate a Law School at Utah Valley University (Sen. Brady Brammer): Directs Utah Valley University, in consultation with the Utah Board of Higher Education, to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study for establishing a law school, with a specific focus on the institution’s Thanksgiving Point facilities. Requires that the feasibility study shall consider how a law school at UVU would complement existing legal education in Utah and serve populations not currently reached by traditional law school programs. Requires UVU to submit a written report of findings and recommendations to the Education Interim Committee and the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee no later than Nov. 30, 2026. This bill received a favorable recommendation from the Senate Education Standing Committee on Jan. 30 and is on the Senate second reading calendar as of the publishing of this newsletter on the morning of Feb 2.

Media Inquiries

Trisha Dugovic
Communications Director
801.646.4779

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