# Utah H.B. 1: Public Education Base Budget Amendments

Utah H.B. 1, Public Education Base Budget Amendments, is a 2026 General Session House bill sponsored by Stephen L. Whyte (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-01-31 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-14).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB1-2026GS
- As of: 2026-10-14
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Utah H.B. 1
- State: Utah
- Session: 2026 General Session
- Title: Public Education Base Budget Amendments
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-19
- Last action: 2026-01-31, Governor Signed
- Sponsor: Stephen L. Whyte (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Education, K-12 Education, School Finance, State School Funding Distribution
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 6 (99 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 23

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Funding supports food for schoolchildren: benefit, medium. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, Utah provides about $374.14 million for Child Nutrition. It also provides about $31.54 million for USDA Foods in School. The Utah State Board of Education oversees this funding for food and nutrition services. These provisions do not set a per-child benefit…
- Utah Fits All receives scholarship funding: benefit, medium. The law allocates $122.6347 million for Utah Fits All student scholarships and program administration. This funds the scholarship program but does not set an individual award amount in this provision. The allocation also does not state new eligibility rules, so it alone does not show whether a fami…
- More funding for school career centers: benefit, medium. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, the CTE Catalyst Center receives $35.5378 million. That year also includes $146,400 for career education, $174,600 for special education, and $228,400 for CPR training grants. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, the law adds $65.25 million for the Catal…
- More funding for students’ career training: benefit, medium. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, Utah provides $132.8098 million for career and technical education. This Basic School Program funding covers 27,271 weighted pupil units, which are used to calculate school funding. Separate additional funding includes $19.6602 million for career education a…
- New reserve supports teachers and schools: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, the law creates an education stabilization account within the Uniform School Fund. Its funding includes 15% of the difference between estimated next-year ongoing revenues and current-year ongoing appropriations from the named school and income-tax funds. An 11% limit tied to…
- Funding supports student health and counseling: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, Utah provides $23.48 million for student health and counseling support. The law also adds $1 million for student mental health screenings and $1 million for suicide prevention. Another $328,100 supports state administration of the health and counseling progr…
- Charter schools get startup and financing funds: benefit, low. The law provides $2.334 million for State Charter School Board administration and $550,000 for statewide charter school training. New charter school startup funding receives $2.2184 million. The law also puts $1.5114 million from repayments into the Charter School Revolving Account, which supports…
- Funding supports deaf and blind students: benefit, low. The law provides $21.1173 million for administration and $13.1382 million for transportation and support at Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. It provides $1.9369 million for instructional materials access, $13.0995 million for the School for the Deaf, and $9.9277 million for the School for t…
- Funding supports hospitality and tourism education: benefit, low. Utah provides $223,800 for the Hospitality and Tourism Management Education Account. The funding covers July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. It supports education in those fields, rather than a direct household payment.
- Funding supports online and home-school students: benefit, low. The law provides $1.488 million for the Statewide Online Education Program. Home School Student Support receives $2.0597 million, and Small High School Support receives $2.339 million. These allocations fund education services, not stated per-family payments.
- Funding supports students’ college and career paths: benefit, low. For July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, Utah provides $27.1769 million for Concurrent Enrollment. This supports high school students taking college-level courses. The law also adds $320,800 for College and Career Counseling that year. Neither allocation sets an individual student payment.
- Local boards control career center staffing: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, local school and charter school boards can choose how career and technical education centers are managed. They can decide whether a center needs its own administrator. When setting criteria for weighted pupil funding, the state board cannot dictate a center's operating struc…
- More funding for student safety and support: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, the law provides $410,400 for student mental health screenings. It also allocates $40,000 for Dual Immersion, $100,000 for Special Education State Programs, and $70,000 for Youth-in-Custody. That year includes $200,000 for the State Safety and Support Progra…
- Repayments support loans for school buildings: benefit, low. The law provides $1.4656 million from repayments to the School Building Revolving Account. The account helps eligible Utah schools finance building needs. This allocation does not create a direct household payment or a new household repayment duty.
- School funding supports digital learning tools: benefit, low. The law funds computer science with $6.6913 million and the education technology management system with $1.9008 million. It provides $2.1809 million for elementary reading assessment software and $10.764 million for early literacy software licenses. School data collection and analysis receives $900…
- School funding supports students and educators: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, related school programs receive the following allocations. Student services include $1.2378 million for gang prevention and intervention, $113,400 for Youth in Custody, and $690,400 for Adult Education. Accelerated students receive $513,300, Concurrent Enrol…
- Schools get easier English-learning emergency funding: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, emergency funding thresholds fall from 75% and 30 additional English-learning students to 40% and 10. Both increases are measured against a school's previous three-year average; applicants must show substantial need and insufficient existing funds. The State Board can also a…
- Local school levy programs receive funding: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, the Voted Local Levy Program receives $11.0175 million. The Board Local Levy Program receives $15.4051 million. These allocations support school district levy programs; they do not specify a household tax change or direct payment.
- Homeowners face updated school property tax: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, the statewide basic-school local funding target rises from about $810.59 million to $866.84 million. The preliminary property tax rate falls from 0.001408 to 0.001352, but this is not the final rate. Districts must charge the certified minimum rate to qualify for state basic…
- Education pilots gain funding; leadership funding falls: mixed, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Excellence in Education and Leadership funding falls by $45 million. The Teacher Excellence Pilot receives $2.9892 million, and the Self-Government Skills Pilot receives $100,000. Statewide Financial Management Systems Grants receive $1.3962 million. Educati…
- Student enrichment funding rises and falls: mixed, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, fine arts outreach receives $200,000 for Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools. Its Provisional Program receives $70,000. Informal Science Education Enhancement receives $279,000, while the science Provisional Program loses $17,700. For July 1, 2026,…
- School contingency funds fall; educator funding rises: mixed, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Enrollment Growth Contingency funding falls by $19.101 million. Mid and Final Year Distribution Balancing funding falls by $50 million, and Foreign Exchange funding falls by $107,200. Extended-year funding for special educators rises by $25,200. These change…
- School grants grow while some programs shrink: mixed, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, School Safety and Support grants receive $50 million. The law also provides $2 million for Early Warning, $500,000 for child sexual abuse prevention grants, and $14.4838 million for Utah Fits All scholarships. Funding falls by $50,700 for Autism Awareness, $…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Stephen L. Whyte (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Heidi Balderree (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-01-29 | Senate | Senate/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | Senate | Senate/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | Senate | Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension | pass | 28 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | House/ uncircled | fail | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | House/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 71 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-26 | House | House/ circled | fail | 0 | 0 |   |

## Actions (28)

- 2026-01-31: Governor Signed
- 2026-01-30: House/ to Governor (House)
- 2026-01-30: House/ received enrolled bill from Printing (House)
- 2026-01-30: House/ enrolled bill to Printing (House)
- 2026-01-30: Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- 2026-01-29: Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
- 2026-01-29: Bill Received from House for Enrolling
- 2026-01-29: House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling (House)
- 2026-01-29: House/ received from Senate (House)
- 2026-01-29: Senate/ to House (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Senate/ uncircled (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Senate/ circled (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced) (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Senate/ received from House (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: House/ to Senate (House)
- 2026-01-28: House/ passed 3rd reading (House)
- 2026-01-28: House/ uncircled (House)
- 2026-01-26: House/ circled (House)
- 2026-01-26: House/ 3rd reading (House)
- 2026-01-26: House/ 2nd reading (House)
- 2026-01-26: House/ lifted from Rules (House)
- 2026-01-20: House/ 1st reading (Introduced) (House)
- 2026-01-20: House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst (House)
- 2026-01-20: House/ received bill from Legislative Research (House)
- 2026-01-19: Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2026-01-30: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0001.pdf)
- Introduced, 2026-01-19: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0001.pdf)

## Related bills

- H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments (signed)
- H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments (signed)
- H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments (signed)
- H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments (signed)
- H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments (signed)
- H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments (signed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0001.pdf)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0001.pdf)

## Related
- [H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB94-2026GS)
- [H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB101-2026GS)
- [H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB178-2026GS)
- [H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB134-2026GS)
- [H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB136-2026GS)
- [H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB220-2026GS)
- [Utah bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah/bills)
- [Utah state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB1-2026GS (as of 2026-10-14).