Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 431 Second Substitute (2024GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Pierucci, C.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/19/2024

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• creates the educator support hotline;
• requires the state board to administer the support hotline;
• creates the Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program (the program);
• establishes the required criteria for a local education agency or regional education service agency (LEA) or regional education service agency to apply for a grant under the program; and
• requires an LEA to provide paid postpartum recovery leave.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

TEACHER RETENTION
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Candice B. Pierucci
Senate Sponsor: 
____________
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill creates multiple programs to support teacher retention efforts.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ creates the educator support hotline;
▸ requires the state board to administer the support hotline;
▸ creates the Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program
(the program);
▸ establishes the required criteria for a local education agency or regional education
service agency (LEA) or regional education service agency to apply for a grant
under the program; and
▸ requires an LEA to provide paid postpartum recovery leave. 
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2025:
▸ to State Board of Education - State Board and Administrative Operations -
Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Pilot Program as a
one-time appropriation:
• from the Public Education Economic Stabilization Restricted Account,
One-time, $4,800,000
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
53E-10-801
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
53F-5-222
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
53G-11-208
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53E-10-801
 is enacted to read:
 53E-10-801.
Educator support hotline.
(1) The state board shall:
(a) create the educator support hotline to provide an educator with professional
resources and supports; and
(b) allow an educator the option to call the hotline anonymously.
(2) An educator may use the hotline to:
(a) report school or LEA practices impairing an educator's ability to perform the
educator's job;
(b) receive technical assistance for fulfilling job responsibilities and duties;
(c) receive referrals for additional resources and supports;
(d) inquire about professional development opportunities being offered by the state
board; and
(e) make general inquiries related to an educator's professional needs.
(3) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
state board may make rules regarding the administration of the hotline.
(4) The state board shall:
(a) track aggregated deidentified data regarding hotline use and types of hotline calls;
(b) compare the data described in Subsection (4)(a) with data collected in the educator
exit survey described in Section 
53G-11-304
; and
(c) present the data comparison described in Subsection (4)(b) annually in a state board
meeting.
Section 2. Section 
53F-5-222
 is enacted to read:
 53F-5-222.
Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Pilot
Program.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Master teacher" means a classroom teacher who has been approved by the teacher's
administrator for an eligible initiative described in Subsection (6).
(b) "Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Pilot Program" or
"program" means the program created in Subsection (2).
(c) "Regional education service agency" or "RESA" means the same as the term is
defined in Section 
53G-4-410
.
(d) "Teacher leader work" means nonadministrative leadership tasks including leading,
mentoring, and evaluating teachers, while avoiding formal administrative roles, other than
those relating directly to teacher leadership or development, for the teacher engaging in the
tasks.
(2) There is created a two-year pilot program known as the Mentoring and Supporting
Teacher Excellence and Refinement Pilot Program to provide funding to an LEA to improve
retention of strong educators who remain in the classroom and have access to growth
opportunities in the form of innovative teacher leadership tracks outside of contractual
educator steps and lanes to:
(a) foster development of leadership skills in participating teachers; and
(b) provide the opportunity for a master teacher to impact and provide guidance for
fellow teachers seeking to refine instructional skills.
(3) The state board shall:
(a) solicit proposals from LEAs and RESAs to receive a grant under this section; and
(b) award grants to LEAs or RESAs on a competitive basis based on the LEA's or
RESA's application described in Subsection (4)(a).
(4) To receive a grant under this section, an LEA or RESA shall:
(a) submit an application to the state board that:
(i) describes the program tier for which the LEA or RESA is applying;
(ii) describes the eligible initiatives for which the LEA or RESA will use the grant
amount;
(iii) provides evidence of the required matching funds described in Subsection (4)(b);
and
(iv) outlines the metrics the LEA or RESA will use to measure success of the program;
and
(b) provide matching funds for a grant from a program tier as follows:
(i) a 10% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 1 level grant amount;
(ii) a 15% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 2 level grant amount; and
(iii) a 20% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 3 level grant amount.
(5) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
state board shall make rules:
(a) subject to legislative appropriations, outlining the grant amount for each program
tier described in Subsection (4)(b);
(b) describing the application requirements including:
(i) the required format for submission; and
(ii) relevant deadlines;
(c) establishing a scoring rubric; and
(d) describing any required reporting and performance measures.
(6) An LEA or RESA that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant award
for an eligible initiative including:
(a) allowing a teacher to be released from all or part of an existing teacher contract to
engage in teacher leader work for a period determined by the LEA including indefinitely;
(b) providing extended contracts outside of steps and lanes, resulting in increased pay
for increased work or for new roles involving teacher leader work on a schedule outside of
steps and lanes as determined by the LEA or RESA and the teacher; and
(c) building or expanding LEA or RESA leadership tracks including incentives for
differentiated teacher leader work pay scales for classroom teachers.
(7) The state board may use up to 6.25% of the money appropriated for the purposes
described in this section to pay for administrative costs the state board, an LEA, or a RESA
incurs in implementing the program.
(8) Upon request of the Education Interim Committee, an LEA that receives a grant
and the state board shall report to the Education Interim Committee on the program's progress
and outcomes.
Section 3. Section 
53G-11-208
 is enacted to read:
 53G-11-208.
Paid leave -- Postpartum recovery leave -- Leave sharing.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) (i) "Paid leave hours" means leave hours an LEA provides to an LEA employee
who accrues paid leave benefits in accordance with the LEA's leave policies.
(ii) "Paid leave hours" includes annual, vacation, sick, paid time off, or any other type
of leave an employee may take while still receiving compensation.
(iii) "Paid leave hours" is not limited postpartum recovery leave.
(b) "Postpartum recovery leave" means leave hours a state employer provides to a
postpartum recovery leave eligible employee to recover from childbirth.
(c) "Postpartum recovery leave eligible employee" means an employee of an LEA who:
(i) accrues paid leave benefits in accordance with the LEA's leave policies; and
(ii) gives birth to a child.
(2) Beginning July 1, 2027, each LEA shall:
(a) provide postpartum recovery leave in an amount that is at least equivalent to the
postpartum recovery leave available to state employees under Section 
63A-17-511
: and
(b) allow a postpartum recovery leave eligible employee who is part-time or who
works in excess of a 40-hour work week or the equivalent of a 40-hour work week to use the
amount of postpartum recovery leave available under this section on a pro rata basis.
(3) An LEA shall provide for the use and administration of postpartum recovery leave
under this section in a manner that is not more restrictive than the postpartum recovery leave
available to state employees under Section 
63A-17-511
.
(4) An LEA may not charge postpartum recovery leave against paid leave hours to
which a qualified employee is entitled as described in Subsection 
63A-17-511
(6).
(5) An LEA may provide leave that exceeds the benefits of the state leave policies
described in this section.
Section 4. 
FY 2025 Appropriation.
The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
2024, and ending June 30, 2025. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
fiscal year 2025.
Subsection 4(a). 
Operating and Capital Budgets.
Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, the
Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts indicated for
the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
ITEM 1
 To State Board of Education - State Board and Administrative Operations
From Public Education Economic Stabilization Restricted
Account, One-time
$4,800,000
Schedule of Programs:
Mentoring and Supporting Teacher
Excellence and Refinement Pilot
Program
$4,800,000
Section 5. 
Effective date.
This bill takes effect on July 1, 2024.