Education Legislation Advisory Commission Amendments

6
36-36-101
36-36-102
36-36-103
63I-1-236
0
Education Legislation Advisory Commission Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Keven J. Stratton
House Sponsor:
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill creates the Education Legislation Advisory Commission.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines a term;
creates the Education Legislation Advisory Commission;
outlines the commission's membership;
grants the committee various powers and duties; and
establishes a repeal date for the committee.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
63I-1-236
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapters 320, 506 and 507
ENACTS:
36-36-101
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
36-36-102
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
36-36-103
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
36-36-101
is enacted to read:
36. Education Legislation Advisory Commission
1. Education Legislation Advisory Commission
36-36-101
. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, "commission" means the Education Legislation Advisory
Commission created in Section
36-36-102
.
Section 2. Section
36-36-102
is enacted to read:
36-36-102
. Education Legislation Advisory Commission created.
(1)
There is created the Education Legislation Advisory Commission to:
(a)
study public education-related issues in the state;
(b)
consider public education-related issues that stakeholders bring to the commission;
(c)
propose and provide feedback to legislators on proposed education-related
legislation; and
(d)
make recommendations regarding public education issues in the state.
(2)
The commission membership shall include:
(a)
the following eight voting members:
(i)
four members of the Senate, whom the president of the Senate appoints, no more
than three of whom may be from the same political party, including:
(A)
the cochair of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee;
(B)
the cochair of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee; and
(C)
the cochair of the Education Interim Committee; and
(ii)
four members of the House of Representatives, whom the speaker of the House of
Representatives appoints, no more than three of whom may be from the same
political party, including:
(A)
the cochair of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee;
(B)
the cochair of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee; and
(C)
the cochair of the Education Interim Committee; and
(b)
the following nonvoting members:
(i)
the state superintendent of public instruction or the state superintendent's designee;
(ii)
the commissioner of higher education or the commissioner's designee;
(iii)
the governor's senior advisor for education or the governor's designee; and
(iv)
16 individuals the Legislative Management Committee shall appoint to the
commission from a list of individuals the State Board of Education and state
superintendent recommend including:
(A)
four elected members of the State Board of Education, no more than three of
whom may be from the same political party;
(B)
two members of local school district boards;
(C)
two school district superintendents;
(D)
three public school teachers, none of whom may be from the same school or
grade level;
(E)
one charter school director;
(F)
one special education professional;
(G)
one charter school teacher; and
(H)
two parents from separate school districts whom the Legislative Management
Committee may select after consultation with the Utah Parent Teacher
Association.
(3)
(a)
If the Legislative Management Committee chooses to not appoint an individual on
the list described in Subsection
(2)(b)(iv)
, the Legislative Management Committee
may ask the State Board of Education and state superintendent to submit an
additional list of recommendations.
(b)
The Legislative Management Committee may not appoint an individual who is not
recommended by the State Board of Education and state superintendent.
(4)
(a)
The Legislative Management Committee shall appoint or reappoint the members
described in Subsection
(2)(b)(iv)
to a two-year term.
(b)
When a vacancy occurs in the membership for any reason, the Legislative
Management Committee, in consultation with the cochairs of the committee, shall
appoint a replacement for the unexpired term, in accordance with the membership
requirement for the vacant position described in Subsection
(4)(a)
.
(5)
The president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives shall, to the
extent possible, appoint members under Subsection
(2)(a)
that represent both rural and
urban areas of the state.
(6)
(a)
The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed
under Subsection
(2)(a)(i)
as a cochair of the commission.
(b)
The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
of Representatives appointed under Subsection
(2)(a)(ii)
as a cochair of the
commission.
(7)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection
(7)(b)
, Legislative Joint Rules, Title 7, Chapter
1, Part 2, Creation and Organization of Legislative Committees, governs quorum
requirements for the commission.
(b)
The commission may not include members of the commission described in
Subsection
(2)(b)
for purposes of:
(i)
determining a quorum; or
(ii)
counting votes toward an action of the commission.
(8)
(a)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the chair of the commission
may allow a nonvoting member described in Subsection
(2)(b)
to cast a ceremonial
vote.
(b)
The commission shall record a ceremonial vote in the records of the commission.
(c)
The commission may not count a ceremonial vote of a nonvoting member toward the
outcome of any vote or action of the commission.
(9)
(a)
Compensation and expenses of a member of the commission who is a legislator
are governed by Section
36-2-2
and Legislative Joint Rules, Title 5, Legislative
Compensation and Expenses.
(b)
A commission member who is an employee of the state may not receive
compensation in addition to the member's regular state compensation for the
member's service on the commission but may be reimbursed by the state for expenses
incurred if preapproved by a
cochair of the committee as described in Subsections
(6)(a)
and (b).
(c)
(i)
Except as provided in Subsection
(9)(c)(ii)
, a commission member who is not
described in Subsection
(9)(a)
or
(b)
may not receive compensation for the
member's service on the committee beyond what is allocated for their service by
their employing entity.
(ii)
A commission member may be reimbursed by the state for expenses incurred if
preapproved by a cochair of the commission as described in Subsections
(6)(a)

and
(b)
.
(10)
At the request of the Legislative Management Committee, the State Board of
Education, and the state superintendent shall create and deliver to the Legislative
Management Committee a list of individuals in accordance with Subsection
(2)(b)(iv)
.
(11)
The commission may create one or more subcommittees to advise the commission on
any issue related to education.
(12)
The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support to
the commission.
Section 3. Section
36-36-103
is enacted to read:
36-36-103
. Duties and powers of commission.
(1)
The commission shall:
(a)
consider and make recommendations to the Education Interim Committee, the Public
Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Higher Education Appropriations
Subcommittee on the following policies:
(i)
public education issues stakeholders raise, from the following stakeholders:
(A)
members of the Legislature;
(B)
the State Board of Education;
(C)
the Board of Higher Education;
(D)
an institution of higher education listed in Section
53B-1-102
; and
(E)
local education agencies as defined in Section
53E-1-102
;
(ii)
proposed education-related legislation as the commission cochairs determine;
(iii)
findings and recommendations from legislative and internal audits regarding
education;
(iv)
potential legislation for consideration by the Education Interim Committee; and
(v)
other public education issues of statewide importance as the commission cochairs
determine; and
(b)
consult with the stakeholders listed in Subsection
36-36-102(3)(a)(i)
to fulfill the
commission's duties under this section.
(2)
The commission may:
(a)
meet up to six times per calendar year with an option to meet two more times subject
to commission cochair determination without approval from the Legislative
Management Committee;
(b)
make recommendations to the Education Interim Committee on potential committee
legislation; and
(c)
make recommendations to the House and Senate Education Standing Committees.
Section 4. Section
63I-1-236
is amended to read:
63I-1-236
. Repeal dates: Title 36.
(1)
Title 36, Chapter 17, Legislative Process Committee, is repealed January 1, 2028.
(2)
Section
36-29-111
, Public Safety Data Management Task Force, is repealed July 1,
2029.
(3)
Title 36, Chapter 28, Veterans and Military Affairs Commission, is repealed January 1,
2030.
(4)
Section
36-29-112
, Justice Court Reform Task Force, is repealed July 1, 2025.
(5)
Title 36, Chapter 36, Education Legislation Advisory Commission, is repealed
December 1, 2028.
Section 5.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
2-9-26 1:33 PM