H.B. 142 School Fee Waiver Amendments

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Every vote

• 12 yes, 0 no, 3 absentHouse Education Committee: Amendment Recommendation · Jan 27, 2026Who voted how
• 12 yes, 0 no, 3 absentHouse Education Committee: vote to approve it · Jan 27, 2026Who voted how
• 73 yes, 0 no, 2 absentFinal House vote · Feb 5, 2026Who voted how
• 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absentSenate Education Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 19, 2026Who voted how
• 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absentSenate Education Committee: Consent Calendar Recommendation · Feb 19, 2026Who voted how
• 26 yes, 0 no, 3 absentFinal Senate vote · Feb 25, 2026Who voted how

Hearings and debates

• Jan 27, 2026 House Education Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (16 turns)

  1. Committee chair1:07:56

     So with that, we'll invite, uh, Representative Welton, uh, to join us and, uh, present house bill 1 42.

  2. Rep. Doug Welton1:08:10

     Just Thank you. Sorry. You should be good now. All Right. It's good to be with you in a different capacity. You'll see way more of me at this seat than you would like to this session. I think. Um, I like, uh, Representative Peterson, only true trips for you. Uh, this is the two two troops for, for you, bill. So this is a bill that we heard last session. We'll go really fast. Um, uh, this committee re uh, approved in the past, but right now, um, in the status quo, we provide, uh, few waivers for students that, uh, or socioeconomically disadvantaged. They don't, they don't have the ability to pay for trips, but we understand that the trips in education raises all those opportunities are good for all kids. And we don't want those kids to, to be able to be, to miss out on those opportunities. And so, uh, if you are low income, then you get your trips paid for, for free, and we're okay with that to a certain extent. However, there are a few students who are taking advantage of that to the tune of like $10,000 worth of trips in a, in a year. And they're, and it's not a lot. And so we're really not targeting anyone in, in particular, but we do think that there should be a reasonable cap. When I looked in my district as, as far as the number of trips that a student takes, uh, it's, it's a little less than one for the average student, because even students that are not, um, disadvantaged, have to make hard decisions on how many trips they're going to go on. You. You can't go on band in choir and debate and closeup in one year. Like that's, there's a real hard cap for every single student that exists out there. So what this says is we're gonna allow everybody to take, that's, that qualifies for a few waiver. You can take, uh, two trips, uh, that'll be waived or completely waived. The first trip is waived. The second trip would allow an LEA to sit down with a student and examine their situation and see if there's like a, um, a reasonable, uh, work that could be done to, to help pay or offset the trip. They could waive the, the trip completely or they could say, um, we're gonna ask you to do, you know, 10 hours of, of, uh, uh, work after a basketball cleaning up or something like that. Um, and then after that, they can go on as many trips as they want. But trips three and beyond, they just have to pay for by themselves. And so that's essentially what it is. We did put some, some, um, language in there that was requested last year to make sure that we're not, uh, catching up kids who are going to like a state basketball tournament or something like that. So if you notice in the language, this is for like, uh, trips that are two nights or more, and, uh, out-of-state trips. So that is the bill.

  3. Committee chair1:10:53

     Alright. Thank you Representative Welton. Are there any questions for the sponsor? Alright. Seeing no questions, we'll go to public comment. Are there any that are here to speak to this bishop? To this bill? You online? All right. Uh, we have no public comments. Uh, back to the committee for action item.

  4. Committee chair1:11:23

     All right. Uh, representative, Representative Eliason, oh, here we go.

  5. Rep. Steve Eliason1:11:27

     Just one second. Apparently my fingers aren't warm enough. We good? Okay. You're good Now. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I'd like to make a motion that we move, um, that we move, uh, hp uh, 1 42 with a favorable recommendation from this committee. So, I'm just gonna note there is a substitute online. Oh, is it amendment? Or it's an amendment? There's an amendment online. I apologize. Then, like, I will change my motion. And I would like to make a motion that we adopt amendment number one to house bill 1 42.

  6. Committee chair1:12:03

     Alright, the motion is that we adopt, uh, amendment number one to house bill 1 42. Would you like to speak to that motion?

  7. Rep. Steve Eliason1:12:11

     I'll let the, uh, sponsor speak to it.

  8. Committee chair1:12:12

     Alright. To the sponsor. It's

  9. Rep. Doug Welton1:12:14

     Just a slight technical change that makes sure that this is for trips and not every fee waiver out there. So this is specific to trips.

  10. Committee chair1:12:22

      Okay. Thank you. Any questions? Any other comments from members of the committee? Alright. The motion is that, uh, we adopt the first amendment to HB 1 42 school waiver fee, school fee waiver amendments. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Uh, none Opposed that a motion carries.

  11. Rep. Steve Eliason1:12:40

      So we're now at HB 1 42, uh, as amended, uh, Representative Eliason, Uh, I make a motion that we pass out with the favorable re recommendation HB 1 42 school fee waiver amendments as amended.

  12. Committee chair1:12:53

      Alright, we have a motion to pass out, uh, with a favorable recommendation house bill 1 42. Would you like to speak to that motion?

  13. Unknown speaker1:13:01speaker not certain

      Um, I think it's good policy. I like that. Uh, especially on that second waiver. I do like that they have a little skin in the game, so to speak. Yeah, I think that's healthy for kids to know that things aren't free. They, they can help contribute. So, I, I'm very in favor of this bill. Thank you. Thank you.

  14. Committee chair1:13:17

      Alright. To the sponsor.

  15. Rep. Doug Welton1:13:19

      Uh, yeah, I agree. I think this, uh, protects the integrity of giving kids opportunity while also having a, a reasonable cap for

  16. Committee chair1:13:26

      Okay. The members of the committee see no further comment. Um, to the maker of the motion to sum I waive. Alright. All in favor of, uh, recommended favorably house bill 1 42 School wa school fee waiver amendments. As a amended, please say aye. A. Aye. Any opposed? And opposed? That motion carries unanimously. Thank you Representative Welton. Thank you.

• Feb 5, 2026 House floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (5 turns)

  1. Speaker (presiding)42:07

     House Bill 1 42 School fee waiver amendments by Representative Welton. This bill was heard in education with a vote of 12 0 3. Representative Welton.

  2. Rep. Doug Welton42:19

     Thank you Mr. Speaker. This is a bill that, uh, we heard last year that passed this body unanimously and has also been through two committee hearings, three committee hearings, actually including one senate that passed unanimously. Uh, in Utah we spend a lot of time trying to make sure that our students have fair access to, to academic opportunities. And one of those things is, is school trips. And currently under the, the system, uh, we allow few waivers for students who are, who meet socio, uh, criteria where they don't have the money to, to afford their trips. And currently they can go on as many trips as they want. So you could spend, we have some kids that are spending $10,000 a year and going on trips and while, uh, we fully recognize the opportunity created by trips and finances and things like that, and we want to make sure that even that playing ground as much as possible. There's a very hard reality that 90% of our students meet is that they can only go on one trip a year. Beyond that, they have to make hard choices as a family to decide whether to go on a trip or whether or not to, to engage in very serious fundraising, things like that. If you were to go to your district and pull the data, my wager is the average student in your district is going on, uh, one trip or less per year. So what this bill does is caps the amount of trips that students can go on at two trips. So you can take two trips per year at no cost to you. Beyond that, you can go on as many trips as as you want, you just have to find a way to pay for 'em. Uh, there is a caveat here on the second trip that it would allow the LEA to work with a student to say, alright, is there a reasonable path for you to do some work to help pay for this trip? Um, they could also completely waive the trip and say, you know what? You're in a very difficult sit situation. We're gonna worry the cost for this second trip as well. So, uh, all students get two trips for free that qualify for that socioeconomic, uh, fee waiver that we, we have. Uh, one other thing I'd like to point out is that this does not include overnight state association trip. So if you're competing in a, in a high school basketball tournament or state wrestling or choir or any of those things in state, this doesn't catch up any of those kids. They can still go and, and participate in all these activities. What we're really looking at is overnight trips. If two nights or more, these are usually a thousand dollars plus trips and, uh, all we're doing is putting a reasonable cap that matches the reality that, uh, all of our students face.

  3. Speaker (presiding)44:44

     Thank you Representative Welton discussion to the bill? None. Back to you, Representative Welton for summation.

  4. Rep. Doug Welton44:54

     I'll waive. Thank you. Summation has been waived.

  5. Speaker (presiding)44:56

     Voting will now be open on HB 1 42. Seeing all President having voted voting is now closed. HB 1 42 passes this body with 73 yes votes, zero no votes, and will be sent to the Senate for its consideration.

• Feb 19, 2026 Senate Education Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (15 turns)

  1. Committee chair2:07:33

     Okay. So the next item on the agenda is, uh, Representative Welton HB 1 42 School Fee Waiver Amendments.

  2. Rep. Doug Welton2:07:47

     Thank you, Mr. Chair and Committee. Um, I will be quick on this as this is the bill that we presented to you last session, and it actually passed this committee and every level. We just ran out of time on this. Um, but as a brief recap, um, in Utah State law, we have, uh, school fee waivers. So if you fall below a certain socioeconomic status, then we believe that, uh, opportunity comes in the form of money. And so we, we waive fees and we waive fees for trips. And so you can go on trips, um, which I think is an important thing, and I am fully supportive of that. However, what we found in some cases, there are students who are taking $10,000 worth of trips in a year and they're going on multiple trips. And the reality is for everyone in this room, there is a hard cap on how many trips that you can actually take. If you were to pull any of your LEAs, I think your average student is going on fewer than one trip a year. If you just break out the data, so about one trip a year. And so this says you can go on as many trips as you want, and the state will pay for up to two, uh, for free at no cost. And then beyond that, you're welcome to go, but you've gotta pay for your own, your own trips. Um, the second one, there is a piece where, uh, an LEA can sit down with the individual and say, you know what, we're gonna fully waive this second trip. Or we do think that there is a place that you can come and, and do a little bit of work or do some service or something like that. Um, they can work that out depending on the situation with the individual. Um, but they could also give like two full free trips, um, that are, are covered under the school fee waiver option. Uh, this does not cover, uh, any U-H-S-A-A trips. So like this wouldn't, so if you're doing, uh, a band turn, uh, a band tournament, state tournament for wrestling, anything that's multiple days and you've gotta travel, this is not in that this has been carved out or those trips have been carved out. So we're talking specifically multi night trips out of state trips that are usually a thousand dollars plus you get two. Uh, and then beyond that, uh, there's a hard reality that everybody faces that they have to figure things out. So that's the essence of the the bill. Thank you. I have a question.

  3. Committee chair2:09:55

     Okay. That complete completes your presentation. It does. Thank you. Okay, go ahead. Uh,

  4. Unknown speaker2:09:59speaker not certain

     The, the little, like the little counties that I represent, some of them come up here to the capitol and they're reimbursed by the state for that. And then they might go to the aquarium and on, on another trip or to lagoon, but that they don't reimburse it. Does it count if it's, is it for, because the school districts can't afford it or is it because, or the state pays for one of them? The counties or what the school districts pay for the others or something?

  5. Rep. Doug Welton2:10:22

     No, this is for individual students. So if a, if a student, Oh, all right. So it's not like a field trip Or anything? No, not, not a field trip. Doesn't cover any of that. Thank you. So this is just a student if your, if your, if your score taking a trip to California for a marching band tournament you're talking about now.

  6. Unknown speaker2:10:37speaker not certain

     Okay. Thanks.

  7. Committee chair2:10:40

     Senator Riebe, did you have a comment paid for it anyway? Okay. Seeing no other lights, we're gonna go to members of the public. Anyone here want to speak to this bill? Uh, seeing none, we're gonna come back to the Committee for action. Senator Baldry, go ahead.

  8. Sen. Heidi Balderree2:10:58

     Thank you. Recommend that is it. There's a first sub, just regular. Okay, great. Excuse me. P 1 42. I recommend that we pass out with CRO favorable recommendations to the full body of the Senate House Bill 1 42.

  9. Committee chair2:11:13

     Okay. So the motion is to send out HP 1 42 with a favorable recommendation. Any discussion to that motion? Seeing none, we're gonna come back to the bill sponsor.

  10. Rep. Doug Welton2:11:25

      Uh, I think it's a, a common sense safe solution for everybody that's responsible for taxpayer dollars.

  11. Committee chair2:11:33

      Thank you. Senator Balderree?

  12. Sen. Heidi Balderree2:11:35

      I'll waive. Okay.

  13. Committee chair2:11:37

      So the motion is to send out HP 1 42 school fee waiver amendments with favorable recommendation. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Chair rules? That is unanimous. Thank you. Okay, so Representative Koford,

  14. Rep. Jill Koford2:11:55

      Sorry. Yes. May may make a motion to put that on the consent calendar.

  15. Committee chair2:11:59

      Okay. The motion is to put that on consent, uh, discussion of that motion. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Uh, chair rolls. That as unanimous. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Uh, Representative Koford.

• Feb 25, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (5 turns)

  1. Sen. Heidi Balderree21:45

     responsibility of school programs. Uh, it's for individual students. Does not include group field trips. Uh, students may take as many trips as they want, but only, uh, for those who are indigent, but only two will be paid for, which puts all students on an equal playing field as a majority of students can only go on less than one trip if they're self-funding. Um, this only affects multi night trips, not events like state wrestling, state choir or Shakespeare Festival. And it, uh, revolves around number of trips and not the dollar amount. And fundraising will always remain an option. With that, I conclude my presentation.

  2. Senate President (presiding)22:18

     Thank you for the presentation. Senator, I need demo. Did I hear motion? Uh, please call the question. The question is, shall house bill one forty two pass. Roll call vote.

  3. Senate President (presiding)22:27

     Senator Balderree Aye. Lewin Brammer Bus Comore Escamilla Grover Harper Kins Ipson Johnson. Juab McKay, Mikel Milner Musselman Owens Pitcher Plum Rebe Sandal Stevenson Stratton Vickers Weiler Wilson. Aye. Winterton President Adams Aye. House bill 1 42. Having received 26 Shaa votes, zero nay votes. Three being absent passes, this body will be signed by the president.

  4. Senate President (presiding)23:28

     Return to the house for the signature of the speaker house Bill 2 46 House Bill 2 46. Local government drug testing amendments. Senator Baldry.

  5. Sen. Heidi Balderree23:37speaker not certain

     Senator Baldry. Thanks again. Mr. President. Uh, local government drug testing amendments. Modernizes Utah's local government drug testing statute by allowing oral fluid testing, clarifying which sample types may be required