Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 244 (2021GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Kennedy, M.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/17/2021

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• requires institutions of higher education to:
• reasonably accommodate student absences from scheduled examinations or academic requirements if they create an undue hardship due to the student's sincerely held religious beliefs; and
• annually publish information about the general procedure to request an accommodation; and
• directs the Board of Higher Education to make policies related to the religious accommodation.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

STUDENT RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Michael S. Kennedy
House Sponsor: 
Val L. Peterson
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill requires institutions of higher education to reasonably accommodate student
absences from scheduled examinations or academic requirements due to a student's
sincerely held religious beliefs.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ requires institutions of higher education to:
• reasonably accommodate student absences from scheduled examinations or
academic requirements if they create an undue hardship due to the student's
sincerely held religious beliefs; and
• annually publish information about the general procedure to request an
accommodation; and
▸ directs the Board of Higher Education to make policies related to the religious
accommodation.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
53B-27-401
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53B-27-401
 is enacted to read:
 53B-27-401.
Student religious accommodations.
(1) An institution shall:
(a) reasonably accommodate a student's absence from an examination or other
academic requirement under the circumstances described in Subsection (2) for reasons of:
(i) the student's faith or conscience; or
(ii) the student's participation in an organized activity conducted under the auspices of
the student's religious tradition or religious organization; and
(b) ensure that an accommodation described in Subsection (1)(a) does not adversely
impact the student's academic opportunities.
(2) An institution shall make an accommodation described in Subsection (1) if:
(a) the time at which an examination or academic requirement is scheduled to occur
creates an undue hardship for a student due to the student's sincerely held religious belief; and
(b) the student provides a written notice to the instructor of the course for which the
student seeks the accommodation regarding the date of the examination or academic
requirement for which the student seeks the accommodation.
(3) The board shall establish policies related to the accommodation described in
Subsection (1) that:
(a) require an institution to provide the accommodation with respect to when the
student participates in examinations and other academic requirements;
(b) allow an instructor who receives a notice described in Subsection (2)(b) to:
(i) schedule an alternative examination time before or after the regularly scheduled
examination; or
(ii) make accommodations for other academic requirements related to the
accommodation; and
(c) require an instructor who receives a notice described in Subsection (2)(b) to keep
confidential a student's request for the accommodation.
(4) (a) The board shall annually:
(i) create a list of the dates of religious holidays for the following two years; and
(ii) distribute the list described in Subsection (4)(a) to an institution.
(b) The creation and distribution of the list described in Subsection (4)(a) does not
prohibit a student from seeking, or an institution from granting, an accommodation for a date
of a religious holiday that is not included on that list.
(5) An institution shall:
(a) designate a point of contact for information about an accommodation described in
Subsection (1);
(b) establish a process by which a student may submit a grievance with regards to
implementation of this section; and
(c) publish the following information on the institution's website and update the
information annually:
(i) the board's religious accommodation policies described in Subsection (3);
(ii) the point of contact described in Subsection (5)(a);
(iii) the list described in Subsection (4);
(iv) a description of the general procedure to request an accommodation described in
Subsection (1); and
(v) the grievance process described in Subsection (5)(b).