Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 184 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Miller, Tracy

Final action

Governor Signed 3/26/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• clarifies action plans and the implementation of action plans;
• adds a requirement to train on the Open and Public Meetings Act;
• expands the list of entities to receive training on the School LAND Trust Program;
• refines the process for reviewing school compliance with the program;
• adds new responsibilities for the state superintendent; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

3
53G-7-1206
School Trust Land Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Tracy J. Miller
Senate Sponsor: David P. Hinkins
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill streamlines the School LAND Trust Program by shifting responsibilities and 
improving transparency.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
clarifies action plans and the implementation of action plans;
adds a requirement to train on the Open and Public Meetings Act;
expands the list of entities to receive training on the School LAND Trust Program; 
refines the process for reviewing school compliance with the program;
adds new responsibilities for the state superintendent; and
makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53G-7-1206
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 20
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
53G-7-1206
 is amended to read:
53G-7-1206. School LAND Trust Program.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Charter trust land council" means a council established by a charter school 
governing board under Section 
53G-7-1205
.
(b)
"Council" means a school community council or a charter trust land council.
(c)
"LAND trust plan" means a school's plan to use School LAND Trust Program money 
to implement a component of the school's success plan.
(d)
"School community council" means a council established at a district school in 
accordance with Section 
53G-7-1202
.
(e)
"Teacher and student success plan" or "success plan" means the same as that term is 
defined in Section 
53G-7-1301
.
(2)
This section creates the School LAND (Learning And Nurturing Development) Trust 
Program under the state board to:
(a)
provide financial resources to public schools to enhance or improve student academic 
achievement and implement a component of a district school or charter school's 
teacher and student success plan; and
(b)
involve parents of a school's students in decision making regarding the expenditure 
of School LAND Trust Program money allocated to the school.
(3)
To receive an allocation under Section 
53F-2-404
:
(a)
a district school shall have established a school community council in accordance 
with Section 
53G-7-1202
;
(b)
a charter school shall have established a charter trust land council in accordance with 
Section 
53G-7-1205
; and
(c)
the school's principal shall provide a signed, written assurance that the school is in 
compliance with Subsection (3)(a) or (b).
(4)
(a)
A council shall create a program to use the school's allocation distributed under 
Section 
53F-2-404
 to implement a component of the school's success plan, including:
(i)
the school's identified most critical academic needs;
(ii)
a recommended
 course of
 action
 plan
 to meet the identified academic needs;
(iii)
a specific listing of any programs, practices, materials, or equipment that the 
school will need to implement 
a component of the school's success plan
the 
action plan
 to have a direct impact on the instruction of students and result in 
measurable increased student performance; and
(iv)
how 
the school intends to spend the school's allocation of funds under this 
section
each proposed expenditure in the action plan will be used to implement a 
component of the action plan
 to enhance or improve academic excellence at the 
school.
(b)
(i)
A council shall create and vote to adopt a LAND trust plan in a meeting of the 
council at which a quorum is present.
(ii)
If a majority of the quorum votes to adopt a LAND trust plan, the LAND trust 
plan is adopted.
(c)
A council shall:
(i)
post a LAND trust plan that is adopted in accordance with Subsection (4)(b) on 
the School LAND Trust Program
 reporting
 website; and
(ii)
include with the LAND trust plan a report noting the number of council members 
who voted for or against the approval of the LAND trust plan and the number of 
council members who were absent for the vote.
(d)
(i)
The local school board of a district school shall approve or disapprove a LAND 
trust plan.
(ii)
If a local school board disapproves a LAND trust plan:
(A)
the local school board shall provide a written explanation of why the LAND 
trust plan was disapproved and request the school community council who 
submitted the LAND trust plan to revise the LAND trust plan; and
(B)
the school community council shall submit a revised LAND trust plan in 
response to a local school board's request under Subsection (4)(d)(ii)(A).
(iii)
Once a LAND trust plan has been approved by a local school board, a school 
community council may amend the LAND trust plan, subject to a majority vote of 
the school community council and local school board approval.
(e)
A charter trust land council's LAND trust plan is subject to approval by the:
(i)
charter school governing board; and
(ii)
budget officer whom the charter school governing board appoints.
(5)
(a)
A district school or charter school shall:
(i)
implement the program as approved;
(ii)
provide ongoing support for the council's 
program
plan and responsibilities
; and
(iii)
meet state board reporting requirements regarding financial and performance 
accountability of the program.
(b)
(i)
A district school or charter school shall prepare and post an annual report of the 
program on the School LAND Trust Program
 reporting
 website before the council 
submits a plan for the following year.
(ii)
The report shall detail the use of program funds received by the school under this 
section and an assessment of the results obtained from the use of the funds.
(iii)
A summary of the report shall be provided to parents of students who attend the 
school.
(6)
An LEA shall record the LEA's expenditures of School LAND Trust Program funds 
through a financial reporting system that the board identifies to assist schools in 
developing the annual report described in Subsection (5)(b).
(7)
The president or chair of a local school board or charter school governing board shall 
ensure that the members of the local school board or charter school governing board are 
provided with annual training on the requirements of this section.
(8)
(a)
The state board shall provide 
annual 
training
 opportunities
 to the entities 
described in Subsection (8)(b) on:
(i)
the School LAND Trust Program;
 and
(ii)
(A)
the responsibilities and formation of:
(A)
a school community council
 consistent with Section 
53G-7-1202
; or
(B)
a charter trust land council
.
 consistent with Section 
53G-7-1205
; and
(iii)
as applicable, council responsibilities as described in Section 
53G-7-1203
.
(b)
The state board shall provide the training to:
(i)
a local school board or a charter school governing board;
(ii)
a district business administrator or a charter business official;
(ii)
(iii)
a school district or a charter school; and
(iii)
(iv)
a school community council.
(9)
The state board shall annually review 
each
a
 school's compliance with applicable law, 
including rules adopted by the state board in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah 
Administrative Rulemaking Act, by:
(a)
reading each
 School
 LAND 
trust
Trust Program
 plan submitted;
 and
(b)
reviewing
 proposed
 expenditures
 to be
 made from School LAND Trust Program 
money
.
; and
(c)
conducting an annual compliance review of an LEA using a sample of schools.
(10)
The superintendent shall calculate and initiate the annual School LAND Trust 
distribution to schools through the state board's finance system to each LEA as outlined 
in Section 
53F-2-404
.
(11)
The superintendent shall administer the School LAND Trust website to provide 
transparency and accountability to school communities and the public of School LAND 
Trust plans, reports, and expenditures of trust distributions.
(10)
(12)
The state board shall designate a staff member who administers the School 
LAND Trust Program
:
(a)
to serve as a member of the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Committee 
created under Section 
53D-2-202
; and
.
(b)
who may coordinate with the Land Trusts Protection and Advocacy Office director, 
appointed under Section 
53D-2-203
, to attend meetings or events within the School 
and Institutional Trust System, as defined in Section 
53D-2-102
, that relate to the 
School LAND Trust Program.
Section 2. 
Effective date.
This bill takes effect on 
July 1, 2025
.
1-13-25 4:26 PM