S.B. 77 Dual Language Immersion Amendments

What this bill does

S.B. 77 would update Utah's dual language immersion rules by setting qualified-teacher requirements for upper-level concurrent enrollment courses taught in high schools, letting universities partner with districts to find teachers in six languages, and adding language proficiency tests for grades 10 through 12. It would also require the State Board of Education to report to an appropriations subcommittee by October on the funding needed for grades 3 through 12 assessments.

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Every vote

• 3 yes, 0 no, 4 absentSenate Education Committee: vote to change the bill · Jan 26, 2026Who voted how
• 2 yes, 1 no, 4 absentSenate Education Committee: vote to approve it · Jan 26, 2026Who voted how
• 27 yes, 0 no, 2 absentFirst of two Senate votes · Feb 9, 2026
• 27 yes, 0 no, 2 absentFinal Senate vote · Feb 13, 2026
• 8 yes, 0 no, 7 absentHouse Education Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 24, 2026Who voted how
• 63 yes, 0 no, 12 absentFinal House vote · Feb 26, 2026Who voted how

Hearings and debates

• Jan 26, 2026 Senate Education Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (18 turns)

  1. Committee chair2:58:29

     That is unanimous. Senator McKay. So we've got SP 77 dual Language Immersion amendments. Senator McKay, there is a substitute online.

  2. Unknown speaker2:58:57speaker not certain

     Are we gonna lose, did we just lose our quorum? No, I think based on the amount of leadership on this committee, it really just takes you and Senator Baldry to be present for there to be committee quorum, I think. Okay. We just have quorum. Thank you. We just have quorum. Yeah, No, I'm leadership too, so I can leave. Yeah, so she doesn't count. It's the same way in Rev Tax. In Rev Tax we have Senator Brammer and I make quorum. Okay. If Baldry Lives, can I go ahead, please. Can I kill Your bill? Okay. Um,

  3. Sen. Daniel McCay2:59:29

     this is a bill that was, uh, a bill that we had last session, that on the last night when the last hour, uh, the house got really excited about a vaping bill. And this bill got pushed off the house calendar, so we get to do it again, uh, which is equally delightful. Um, and how, and Senate Bill 77 is, uh, is about our dual language immersion program. Uh, we realized there were some issues related to, uh, the qualifications as they were related to the statute. And so, uh, we had the advocates, especially my predecessor, former Senator Howard Stevenson, uh, who is online and ready to help with the, uh, and offer some help on the presentation. So I'm gonna ask if we can online him if that's possible. Uh, and then, uh, we'll, uh, have Howard present. Uh, happy to, uh, finish that up. And then we will answer questions should they be needed.

  4. Committee chair3:00:29

     Senator, it looks like the Senator is in Petra, so that's helpful. Uh, thank you for presenting from across the side of, from the other side of the world.

  5. Unknown speaker3:00:39speaker not certain

     Thank you. Go Ahead. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Go Ahead.

  6. Sen. Daniel McCay3:00:42

     Um, this ensures that these students, 50,000 students who are enrolled in dual language immersion, uh, have the assurance that we made when they signed up, that they would be able to take upper level college courses in the language after passing the AP test in ninth grade. Uh, this ensures that those are upper level courses that the teachers are qualified, and the bill also provides that the proficiency assessment for language that are given in third through eighth grade also extend through the 12th grade. This passed unanimously through the process, uh, in the Senate and the House Committee last year. Uh, but as was noted, was tied up because of an important bill that made it, uh, not pass on the final night in the house. Im important is debatable, but that's a whole nother Issue. Thank you.

  7. Committee chair3:01:47

     Does that conclude your presentation?

  8. Sen. Daniel McCay3:01:49

     I conclude our presentation. Yep. Okay. Senator Riebe.

  9. Sen. Kathleen A. Riebe3:01:53

     Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had a few people reach out to me asking why we are changing the test. Is, is there a change in the test right now that we, and what's the reason behind it?

  10. Sen. Daniel McCay3:02:05

      Senator? The test, uh, Mr. Chairman, if I may Go ahead. The, uh, the provider of the test was changed by the State Board of Education, uh, last year. Um, and this bill simply provides that that same provider will provide these proficiency assessments for up to grade through grade 12.

  11. Committee chair3:02:35

      Okay. Any other questions? Nope. Seeing, uh, no other lights in the committee, we're gonna come to members of the public for comment. Is there anyone from the public that would like to comment on this? Any online seeing now, or none? We're gonna come back to the Committee for Action. Remember, there's a substitute. Oh, we, we do

  12. Committee chair3:03:03

      Need to move the Substitute. Okay. So the substitute is, uh, substitute one. Uh, would someone like to move that? Go ahead. Senator Riebe,

  13. Sen. Kathleen A. Riebe3:03:22

      I move to delete and title Body Senate bill 0 0 7 7 Dual Language Immersion Amendments. And replace it with Sub one First substitute. Thank you. No sub one. Just kidding.

  14. Committee chair3:03:43

      Okay. So the motion on the table is to delete and title a body, uh, SB 77, and replace it with first substitute SB 77 Dual Language Immersion Amendments. All in favor say Aye. Aye. Aye. Chair rules. That is unanimous. Senator Baldry, do you wanna, Oh, okay. We need a motion? Yes.

  15. Sen. Heidi Balderree3:04:18

      Um, um, recommend with favorable recommendation, Senate Bill 77, substitute one to the full body of the Senate.

  16. Committee chair3:04:26

      Okay. The motion is to send out SB 77, substitute one, uh, dual language immersion amendments with favorable recommendation. All in favor say, oh. Discussion to the motion. We'll come back to you To sum, Thank you very much.

  17. Sen. Heidi Balderree3:04:47

      Um, I know, uh, you know, touching this DLI, uh, touching the dual Language immersion program is always an interesting, uh, conversation, but I can assure you that now for two years we've worked with state board, worked with state, uh, with the state education community, and worked with the relevant stakeholders. That's why there isn't a lot, any negative, uh, pushback or feedback on the bill. So, in a lot of ways this is fairly, uh, insubstantial or inconsequential. It just cleans up this language. I appreciate the committee's support. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

  18. Committee chair3:05:18

      Thank you. Okay. So, uh, bald baldry, I'll waive. Okay. So the motion is to send out SB 77 first substitute dual language immersion amendments with favorable recommendation. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Is there anyone online? No. Okay. Opposed? No. Okay. Uh, so the always have it two to one. Thank you very much. Okay. Next item on the agenda.

• Feb 9, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (4 turns)

  1. Sen. Daniel McCay20:42

     but, uh, this basically, uh, codifies our requirements and our needs to fit the, uh, dual language immersion commitments throughout the state. I've heard from a lot of higher ed and I've heard from a lot of educators who appreciate and support this bill. Um, it does require a qualified teacher to teach in each, uh, in each of these organizations. And it does have, uh, does have proficiency requirements related to the dual language immersion program. It also allows a local, uh, education, uh, uh, and LEA to partner with certain institutions to help bridge that gap. Um, and then, uh, it also requires universities to teach certain upper level concurrent enrollment courses. For the purpose of meeting this DLI requirement for that Mr. President, I'm happy to yield to questions.

  2. Presiding officer (Senate President)21:28

     Thank you Senator McKay for the presentation. Dual language. I'm not seeing any discussion, so I'll go to you for a motion.

  3. Sen. Daniel McCay21:36

     Thank you Mr. President. I'll move the first substitute Senate bill 77 dual language immersion amendments. Be read for a third time.

  4. Presiding officer (Senate President)21:42

     Thank you. And the question is, shall first substitute? First substitute Senate bill 77. Be read a third time roll call vote. Senator Vickers Baldy Lewin Brammer Bus Comore. Sorry. Escamia Aye. Fillmore Aye. Grover Aye. Harper Aye. Kinins Ipson Aye. Johnson Aye. Juab McKay Mikel Aye. Milner Musselman Owens Pitcher Plum Rebi Sandal Stevenson Stratton Vickers Weiler Wilson Aye. Winterton Aye. President Adams Aye. First substitute Senate, Senate Bill 77 having received 27 yay votes. Zero and a votes two being absent shall be read a third time. Second substitute Senate bill 81 Second substitute Senate bill 81. Dyslexia testing Amendments. Senator Plumb.

• Feb 11, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (8 turns)

  1. Senate President (presiding)27:15

     Aye. Any opposed? Roll up Motion passes. The bill is substituted. Senator.

  2. Sen. Daniel McCay27:21

     Thank you President. Uh, again, Senate Bill 77 is an effort to try and help with, uh, add concurrent enrollment possibilities for, um, uh, for our DLI programs. What we've seen with our, uh, dual language immersion is they're largely, they're very popular with parents and with students. Uh, we've seen, uh, tremendous outcomes as a result, improved outcomes for students in, in similar socioeconomic status, uh, as a result of participation in the DLI programs. And this is just an opportunity to, uh, allow for concurrent enrollment, uh, at the dl, uh, to help build bridge and, and gaps in our DLI program and help these, uh, high school students that are in DLI still be able to achieve, uh, and also be able to participate with their, uh, with their new found, uh, language that Mr. President, I'm happy to yield to questions.

  3. Senate President (presiding)28:16

     Thank you. Uh, looking for questions to the bill. Senator Plumb, are you up seeing no questions? I think we have a fiscal note on the substitute, so I'm gonna go back to you for a motion then.

  4. Sen. Daniel McCay28:34

     Thank you. I'll make a motion that second substitute Senate bill 77 dual language immersion amendments pass.

  5. Senate President (presiding)28:40

     Senator, I'm not gonna recognize that motion. I can't find the Fiscal. Yeah, I don't see the fiscal note either.

  6. Senate President (presiding)28:45

     So why don't I circle it back up.

  7. Unknown speaker28:46speaker not certain

     I'll make motion to circle and we'll check the Best motion to circle. All

  8. Senate President (presiding)28:48

     in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Roll motion pass as the bill circle, we'll come back to third so you can deal with that after. If you physical, it catches up.

• Feb 13, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (10 turns)

  1. Presiding officer (President)23:53speaker not certain

     Senator, thank you very much. We circled it.

  2. Sen. Daniel McCay23:56

     Uh, now it's, uh, ready to run. Just give everybody a chance to look at that second substitute that was on there. It's been there for almost a week, uh, time to get it moving.

  3. Sen. Daniel McCay24:04

     In 2016, the Utah legislature legislature created the bridge program, uh, that for accelerated foreign language, uh, to help expand the DLI programs into high schools. The Bridge program enables students who pass the AP language test to enroll in the 3000 level upper division university concurrent enrollment courses in high school, on high school campuses. Um, at $15 a credit, these students save thousands in college tuition, uh, that can easily do a double major Senate bill. 77 makes some correction to bridge teacher qualifications, uh, helps universities work more collaboratively together to, to find qualified teachers for our students. SB 77 also adds proficiency assessment for grades 10 through 12 provide complete proficiency assessment review. Um, last but not least, Senate Bill 77 uh, directs the Utah State Board of Education to report to the Public Education Appropriation Subcommittee by October, um, the appropriation needed to fund grades three through 12 assessments in all four, uh, uh, in all four language skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Uh, this will, uh, ensure that the DLI Bridge program is truly creating a bilingual, uh, bilingual graduates that Utah needs for our, uh, for our children.

  4. Sen. Daniel McCay25:21

     For that Mr. President, I'll, uh, waive some. I'll waive, I'll finish, uh, speaking Open for questions. There you go. I'm open for questions.

  5. Presiding officer (President)25:29

     Thank you, Senator. Uh, looking for questions on, uh, Senator McKay's Bill dual language immersion. Seeing no questions today, Senator, I'm gonna go to you for a motion.

  6. Sen. Daniel McCay25:40

     Thank you. I'll waive summation. Move that second substitute Senate bill 77 dual language immersion amendments pass.

  7. Presiding officer (President)25:45

     Thank you. The question is, shall second substitute Senate Bill 77 pass roll call vote.

  8. Unknown speaker25:51speaker not certain

     Senator Ipson Baldry Lein Brammer bus Cullimore Aye. Ms. Camilla Aye. Fillmore Grover Harper Kins Ipson Aye. Johnson. Aye. K Juab McKay Mikel Milner Musselman Owens pitcher Aye. Lum Rebi Sandal Aye. Stevenson Stratton Vickers. Vicars Weiler Aye. Wilson Aye. Winterton Aye. President Adams

  9. Presiding officer (President)26:44

     Aye. Second substitute Senate bill 77, having received 27 yay votes, zero nay votes, two being absent passes this body and will be sent to the house for their consideration.

  10. Presiding officer (President)27:01speaker not certain

      Senator Brammer,

• Feb 20, 2026 House Education Committee
• Feb 24, 2026 House Education Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (7 turns)

  1. Committee chair1:57:01

     All right. For those that are following along, we are Senate Bill 77, second substitute, dual Language Immersion Amendments Floor.

  2. Sen. Daniel McCay1:57:09

     Thank you very much. Senate Bill 77 is a consensus bill that we've worked on through the interim, uh, trying to, it's actually, uh, second year we've worked on it. Um, the primary goal is to reinforce and support our dual language immersion program. Um, obviously, I mean, I could say enough about it, but, uh, you guys have spent enough on the last bill. Um, Senate Bill 70 77 makes some corrections to the Bridge teacher qualifications. It helps universities work more collaboratively, collaboratively, together to find teachers for all of our students in six languages, uh, across Utah. It also adds proficiency assessments for grades 10 through 12, provides complete proficiency assessments to know how students are actually doing grades three through 12. Finally, Senate Bill 77 directs the, uh, the Utah State Board of Education to report to the Public Education Appropriation Subcommittee. By October, the appropriation needed to fund grades three through 12 assessments in all four languages, in all four language skills, speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Uh, this will ensure the Dual Language Immersion Bridge program is truly creating bilingual graduates that Utah needs for the 21st century. That Mr. Chairman, I yield my presentation.

  3. Committee chair1:58:19

     Thank you, Senator McKay to the members of the committee for clarifying questions. Seeing none to the members of the public or the members of the public to speak to this bill? I Do. We have any online? All right. Uh, we're gonna go to the members of the Committee for Action. Representative Eliason.

  4. Rep. Steve Eliason1:58:41

     Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to make a motion that we favorably recommend Senate Bill 77 second substitute.

  5. Committee chair1:58:46

     The motion is in order. Would you like to speak to it? I'll Let the sponsor speak to it. Alright. Uh, to the members of the committee, seeing no lights to the sponsor to sum,

  6. Sen. Daniel McCay1:58:55

     I'll waive thank the committee for the time.

  7. Committee chair1:58:56

     Thank you. Uh, back to the maker of the motion. Waive. All right. The motion before is to recommend favorably Senate bill 77 second substitute dual language immersion amendments. All in favor, please say aye. A Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Thank you. None opposed? That carries unanimously. That was record time. Sorry for the long delay, Senator.

• Feb 26, 2026 House floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (17 turns)

  1. Unknown speaker1:32:26

     Second substitute Senate bill 77 Dual language immersion amendments by Senator McKay. This bill was heard in education with the vote of 8 0 7. The house sponsors Representative Pucci, Representative Pucci.

  2. Rep. Candice B. Pierucci1:32:40

     Thank you Mr. Speaker Pro, Tim. Colleagues, if you'll remember back to the last night of our session, uh, last year, this bill was, I stood up and then we ended session. So I'm so glad we are here now and not at the end of session. Uh, this bill is about our dual language immersion program. It actually was enacted in by the legislature in 2008. We actually have over 50,000 students enrolled in this program, and there are over 341 schools in our state. It is regarded as one of the finest program in the country. Uh, Utah's dual language immersion program actually has been visited by 42 states, 20 countries, and numerous embassies from around the world because it is so world renowned and well known. It's also one of the contributing factors to why the State Department FBI and intelligence community also recruit out of Utah because we have a unique community that has diversified language skills. Um, and so we have worked really hard on this. In 2016, the legislature actually created the bridge program, which helped accelerate foreign language, uh, program learning in Utah into high schools. And the bridge program lets students who passed the AP language test to enroll in 3000 level upper division university concurrent enrollment courses, but stay on a high school campus. So it's a fantastic choice for them after they pass that 3000 level class. Um, students are granted college granted college credit, uh, for all of the 1,002,000 level language courses, and they can graduate high school just a few credits short of a language minor at $15 per credit. This saves students thousands of dollars in college tuition and can easily be done as a double major and increase their higher ability. So what SB 77 does, building on this makes some corrections to our bridge program around teacher qualifications and it helps universities work much more collaboratively to together to find qualified teachers for our students in six languages across Utah. This bill also adds the proficiency assessment for grades 10 through 12 to provide complete, um, assessments to know how these students are actually doing when you have them taking this language, learning from third to 12th grade. This will really help ensure that the dual language immersion bridge program is truly creating the bilingual graduates Utah needs for the 21st century and helps maintain our standing as one of the best programs in the country. And with that, I'll open for questions.

  3. Speaker pro tem (presiding)1:35:22

     Thank you Representative Pucci discussion to the bill Representative Thurston.

  4. Rep. Norman K Thurston1:35:27

     Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to reserve the right to make a motion, Mr. Speaker ProAm. Um, and then we'll also will the sponsor yield to a series of questions. Representative Pucci, will you yield to a series of questions?

  5. Rep. Candice B. Pierucci1:35:40

     Yes. Okay.

  6. Rep. Norman K Thurston1:35:42

     So on line 67, the way I am reading this, it says that the, in order for a high school teacher, an LEA employee, to qualify they must have a master's degree or higher. Could you tell me, does that master's degree have to be in language or can it just be any master's degree?

  7. Rep. Candice B. Pierucci1:36:02

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker Pro tem and I will need to clarify that with the drafting attorney. My understanding is it's just a master's degree.

  8. Rep. Norman K Thurston1:36:11

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker pro tem. So my second question is, if a teacher has demonstrated language proficiency of advanced high or higher, um, why does it matter that they have a master's degree if they're competent? In other words, if they're competent and they know what they're doing at a very high level, why does it matter what kind of schooling they Uintah?

  9. Rep. Candice B. Pierucci1:36:35

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker proto. And that is a fair question. I think the reason, uh, behind this, and again, when we talk about clarifying the quality of the education in the classroom, uh, they're receiving college credit for this. So they're hoping that the goal would be that the teachers that are teaching this at the high school level would also be similar to say the same qualifications of a professor, uh, in a college setting.

  10. Rep. Norman K Thurston1:37:02

      So my final question, and Mr. Speaker pro tem, if I may, all concurrent enrollment teachers in Utah have to have a master's degree. Okay. So I'll just ask my last question then that, that maybe changed my thinking. But, um, would it, would it help in any way to just strike that language from line 67 holds a master's degree or higher? Would that make more teachers, more qualified teachers available so that more students could get more credit and more, more students could be prepared for further learning? Mr. Speaker ProAm,

  11. Rep. Candice B. Pierucci1:37:37

      Thank you, Mr. Speaker ProAm. If we were to do that, then the language learning program would be the only concurrent enrollment program that doesn't have that requirement in place. And so I don't think, um, we've made a conscious policy decision to have that requirement on concurrent enrollment, again, because it's college credit. So I think it would probably undermine the actual DNA and intend to the bill to make that change.

  12. Rep. Norman K Thurston1:38:00

      Thank you, Mr. Speaker ProAm. I, I, I will not make the motion that I had to reserve the right to make, but I think this calls attention to something that we are experiencing in our higher ed system, uh, credential creep. That we somehow believe that, um, what degree you got or how many hours you took is more important than your abilities. And I think that's preventing some very good teachers in our high schools from teaching students. Um, and for we're saying, look, if you want to, if you want to do this, you at your own expense have to go back. And sometimes the schools pay for it, but you have to go time, energy to get a master's degree that doesn't necessarily make you a better teacher for these kids. I think there are a lot of, a lot of wonderful high school teachers out there that teach French, Japanese, Russian, maybe psychology, maybe other courses as well, but they don't have a master's degree. And I think that this is something that needs to be addressed in the future. And, and I hope that we can have a study that says, if you're qualified, you're qualified. The degree doesn't matter. Um, in fact, we have a bill that says, for state employment, you can't require a specific degree for state employment. You can only require the person to be qualified. And there are a lot of ways to be qualified, and I'll just pause it, that our higher ed system is missing the mark when they value degrees over competency. So I think it's a, a conversation that we need to have in the future to remove that requirement from all concurrent ed. If the teacher's qualified, the teacher's qualified, don't make them go back. Uh, it's, it is, it's a form of monopoly really, because we're telling them you gotta have a master's degree and you gotta have a master's degree from us so that they can get more students to do it forward. So I, I think that what I would prefer in the future is that we have that conversation and that's not a question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker ProAm.

  13. Speaker pro tem (presiding)1:39:45

      Thank you Representative Thurston, and further discussion to the bill representative Corinne Peterson.

  14. Rep. Karen M. Peterson1:39:50speaker not certain

      Thank you. I'd just like to rise in support of this legislation watching. Um, all of this evolve over the years where we are, um, really offering our students, uh, incredible opportunities to continue their education, uh, in language, uh, because of the dual immersion programs that we have has been really spectacular. And I like, um, that this bill is thinking about the next steps to that. I also wanna respond just to, um, some of the questions that have been raised. It is really important for our higher education institutions to be able to be, have their programs accredited. And um, one of the things when we think about accreditation and when we think about, um, you know, what we expect from a university level education, which is what these students are getting, they're not just getting another high school course, they're getting university level education. There, there are going to be certain, uh, standards that we need to meet so that we can, uh, say that that education is a quality education. So I stand in strong support of the bell and as, as it's currently written. Thank you.

  15. Speaker pro tem (presiding)1:40:43

      Thank you Representative Peterson. Further discussion to the bill. See none representative Rucci for summation.

  16. Rep. Candice B. Pierucci1:40:50

      Thank you, Mr. Speaker Proto. And I apologize to my good colleague from Utah County. I was trying to pull this up and my internet wasn't working and I had to re-log in. If you, uh, and, and also appreciate colleagues who nudged on this. If you look at line 66 to 70 holds a master's degree or higher, has at least 18 completed credit hours of graduate work in an academic field related to the program or acquires exception for approval without a master's degree from the partnering institution and the LEAI think that's really important and uh, allows for that collaboration to happen, um, with our higher education institutions and our high schools so that these students can have credits that are real credits when they get into college. And that's the bill.

  17. Speaker pro tem (presiding)1:41:39

      Thank you. Representative Pucci voting is open on second substitute Senate Bill 77 dual language amendments. Representative Schiff seeing all present, having voted voting will be closed. Second substitute Senate bill 77 having received 63 yay votes and zero na votes will be signed by the speaker pro tem and return to the Senate for the signature of the president. Mad Reading Clerk