During today’s Special Legislative Session, Utah lawmakers considered and passed two higher education–related bills in preparation for the 2026 General Legislative Session: SB 1001 and SB 1002, which together comprise a comprehensive recodification of Utah’s higher education code. The recodification makes no substantive policy changes.

Legislation of Interest

(PASSED) SB 1001— Higher Education Recodification (Senator Ann Millner, Representative Val L. Peterson): A technical recodification of Utah Code Title 53B, State System of Higher Education. The bill renumbers and reorganizes Title 53B as Title 53H, Higher Education, and makes changes to the structural makeup of the higher education code. This recodification includes structural changes, reformatting, renumbering, general consolidation, and the repealing of outdated code. SB 1001 also amends definitions to eliminate inconsistent terms that have been used interchangeably throughout the higher education code.

(PASSED) SB 1002— Higher Education Recodification External References (Senator Ann Millner, Representative Val L. Peterson): A companion bill to SB 1001, Higher Education Recodification, SB 1002 renumbers references to the higher education code throughout the Utah Code, which became outdated and inconsistent with the passing of SB 1001. This bill contains no policy changes to the code.

The bills await the Governor’s signature.

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