Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 3005 First Substitute (2020S3)

Sponsor

Sen. Henderson, D.

Final action

Governor Signed 4/22/2020

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• waives the requirement to pass a basic civics test or alternate assessment as a condition of graduation for certain students graduating between January 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020;
• waives the requirement for school districts to complete employee evaluations for the 2019-20 school year;
• waives statutory requirements to administer assessments not administered before school closures on March 16, 2020; and
• requires the State Board of Education (state board) to submit a report to the Education Interim Committee that:
• identifies statutory requirements impacted by assessment waivers; and
• provides an explanation for statutory requirements with which the state board or local education agencies will not fully comply due to the assessment waivers.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

EDUCATION MODIFICATIONS
THIRD SPECIAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Deidre M. Henderson
House Sponsor: 
V. Lowry Snow
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill waives certain statutory requirements impacted by school closures in the
2019-20 school year.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ waives the requirement to pass a basic civics test or alternate assessment as a
condition of graduation for certain students graduating between January 1, 2020,
and September 30, 2020;
▸ waives the requirement for school districts to complete employee evaluations for the
2019-20 school year;
▸ waives statutory requirements to administer assessments not administered before
school closures on March 16, 2020; and
▸ requires the State Board of Education (state board) to submit a report to the
Education Interim Committee that:
• identifies statutory requirements impacted by assessment waivers; and
• provides an explanation for statutory requirements with which the state board or
local education agencies will not fully comply due to the assessment waivers.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
53E-1-204
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
53E-4-205.1
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
53E-4-315
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
53G-11-504.1
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53E-1-204
 is enacted to read:
 53E-1-204.
State board report to Education Interim Committee on statutory
requirements impacted by assessment waivers.
(1) As used in this section, "assessment waiver" means the waiver of assessments
described in Section 
53E-4-315
.
(2) On or before the Education Interim Committee's October 2020 meeting, the state
board shall submit a written or oral report to the Education Interim Committee that:
(a) (i) identifies the statutory requirements, including programs, reports, evaluations,
and accountability measures, impacted by the assessment waiver; and
(ii) describes how each statutory requirement described in Subsection (2)(a)(i) is
impacted by the assessment waiver;
(b) (i) describes the data which the state board:
(A) has not collected or will not collect because of the assessment waiver; and
(B) has collected or will collect despite the assessment waiver; and
(ii) if the state board has collected or will collect data that it will not publish or report,
explains why the state board will not publish or report the data;
(c) identifies the statutory requirements with which the state board or an LEA has not
fully complied or will not fully comply because of the assessment waiver;
(d) describes the extent to which the state board or an LEA has complied or will
comply with statutory requirements described in Subsection (2)(c); and
(e) explains why the state board or an LEA has not fully complied or will not fully
comply with the requirements described in Subsection (2)(c).
(3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Utah law, submission of the written or
oral report described in Subsection (2) fulfills a statutory requirement:
(a) that the state board addresses in accordance with Subsection (2); and
(b) with which the state board or an LEA has not fully complied as described in
Subsection (2)(c).
(4) This section supersedes any conflicting provisions of Utah law.
Section 2. Section 
53E-4-205.1
 is enacted to read:
 53E-4-205.1.
Waiver of basic civics test graduation requirement.
(1) As used in this section, "basic civics test" means the same as that term is defined in
Section 
53E-4-205
 or an alternate assessment described in Subsection 
53E-4-205
(2)(b).
(2) A student who graduates high school between January 1, 2020, and September 30,
2020, is not required to meet the requirements of Section 
53E-4-205
 as a condition of receiving
a high school diploma if:
(a) the student is unable to complete the basic civics test due to public health related
school closures;
(b) the student's LEA submits an application to the state board for a waiver of the
requirement to complete the basic civics test that includes an explanation for why the student
was unable to complete the basic civics test due to public health related school closures; and
(c) the state board grants a waiver requested under Subsection (2)(b).
(3) The state board may grant a waiver under this section if the state board determines
that a student who graduates between January 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020, was unable to
complete the basic civics test due to public health related school closures.
(4) This section supersedes conflicting provisions of Utah law.
Section 3. Section 
53E-4-315
 is enacted to read:
 53E-4-315.
Waiver of requirement to administer certain assessments.
(1) A statutory requirement to administer an assessment with which an LEA or the
state board has not fully complied at the time of statewide school closures beginning on March
16, 2020, is waived for the 2019-20 school year.
(2) Nothing in this section prohibits an LEA or the state board from administering an
assessment.
(3) This section supersedes any conflicting provisions of Utah law.
Section 4. Section 
53G-11-504.1
 is enacted to read:
 53G-11-504.1.
Waiver of employee evaluation requirement.
(1) For the 2019-20 school year, a school district is not required to evaluate or report
the performance of each school district employee in accordance with rules of the state board
adopted in accordance with this part.
(2) This section supersedes any conflicting provisions of Utah law.
Section 5. 
Effective date.
If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
the date of veto override.