Legislative Round-Up 2024

The Utah 2024 legislative session has officially ended! Below is a summary of what did and didn’t pass as well as funding updates. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Aubrey Snyder. 

What Passed:

• HB 261: Equal Opportunity Initiatives. Representative Katy Hall was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill will prohibit institutions of higher education, public education systems, and governmental employers from requiring certain submissions, attend training, or establishing an office that promotes differential treatment before, during, or after admission or employment. To learn more about how this HB 261 may impact Utah State University, you can visit the FAQ page here.
• HB 347: Educational Rights Amendments. Representative Raymond Ward was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill will require an local education agency to provide an environment that does not pose a predictable threat of serious bodily injury or is disruptive by a pattern of behavior. This bill may negatively impact students with disabilities and their right to education in the least restrictive environment. You can read the IDRPP’s position on the bill here.
• HB 388: Person-Centered Services Amendments. Representative Cheryl Acton was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill will require the Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) to provide notice, hold a hearing, and fund equivalent services if a change in rule or policy results in a reduction or elimination of day programs, supported employment programs, or employment preparation services. This bill will ensure that sheltered work programs continue to be funded in Utah.
• SB 32: Caregiver Compensation Amendments. Senator Wayne Harper was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill will add step-parents to the list of family members who can be reimbursed for Caregiver Compensation under a Medicaid waiver.
• SB 159: Public School Discipline and Conduct Plans Amendments. Senator David Buxton was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill will create and put funding towards creating Teacher and Student Success Program, the Teaching Self-Government Skills for Success, Classroom Communication, and Discipline Framework Pilot Program, a pilot program to support schools to implement conduct and behavior plans.
• SCR 4: Concurrent Resolution Urging Changes to ADA Website Accessibility. Senator Wayne Harper was the primary sponsor of this bill. This resolution will encourage Congress to review the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide small and other businesses with more time to remedy violations without penalty. The IDRPP will continue to advocate with individuals with disabilities to ensure accessibility in physical and digital spaces and plans to collaborate with partners to address this issue at a Federal level.

In addition to these bills, (1) the DSPD waitlist will receiving $5 million ongoing from the General Fund to provide access to services for individuals with disabilities and (2) the Nursing Home Medicaid Rate Increase was funded with $1.0 million ongoing from the General Fund; this will raise reimbursement rates for nursing homes serving Medicaid clients. For more information on what was funded during the 2024 Legislative Session, you can read a summary here.

What Didn’t Pass:

• HB 139: Mental Health Treatment Study. Representative Marsha Judkins was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill would have required the Office of Substance Use and Mental Health to conduct a study on the delivery and accessibility of mental health treatment and supports in Utah. You can read the IDRPP’s position on the bill here.
• HB 197: Requirements for Supported Decision-Making. Representative Marsha Judkins was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill would have made supported decision-making a recognized alternative to guardianship in the state of Utah. You can read the IDRPP’s position on the bill here.
• HB 205: Minimum Wage Amendments. Representative Brett Garner was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill would have repealed minimum wage exemptions for individuals with disabilities, ensuring all people with disabilities would be paid at least minimum wage for their work.
• HB 324: Disability Services Amendments. Representative Steven Lund was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill would have created the Coordinated Care Services for Children with Disabilities Grant Program within the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, providing in-home and behavioral health services to individuals with disabilities under 19.
• HB 393: Service for People with Disabilities. Representative Jennifer Dailey-Provost was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill would have created the Services for People with Disabilities Perpetual Trust Fund to support funding for services for people with disabilities on the DSPD waitlist.
• HB 463: Medicaid Funding Amendments. Representative Brady Brammer was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill would have required a cut to Medicaid services if Medicaid experienced a shortfall, resulting in negative impacts to disability service providers and individuals receiving services.
• HB 485: Special Education Amendments. Representative Marsha Judkins was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill would have created and put money towards the Special Education Co-teacher Pilot Program. The program’s aim was to improve outcomes for students with disabilities and create more inclusive schools.
• HB 492: Special Education Hearings Amendments. Representative Marsha Judkins was the primary sponsor of this bill. This bill would have created a training program to certify attorneys in special education legal services, ensuring greater capacity in the legal system for students with disabilities and their families.

In addition to these, Home and Community-Based Services providers, offering Medicaid services in individuals’ homes and communities, did not receive any increase in funding to support services.

For information on USU-specific legislative items, please refer to the following webpage that provides a summary of all the bills and appropriations that were passed this session: https://www.usu.edu/today/story/utah-state-legislature-brief-how-usu-fared-in-the-2024-legislative-session/