Utah’s 2024 General Legislative Session is approaching. These annual sessions allow the members of the state House and Senate to congregate, where they discuss and vote on new bills.
About the General Session
To become a law, a bill must be signed by both the House and the Senate and then approved by the governor. The General Session allows all three parties to discuss and vote on new bills.
In addition to tracking tools for bills throughout the session, reading calendars are provided to inform observers of when each one will be addressed. Details on committees and committee agendas are also provided for onlookers.
Each session convenes on the fourth Monday of January and lasts 45 days. The upcoming session will open on Jan. 16, 2024, and conclude on March 1.
More resources are available for anyone curious about passed bills, affected sessions, or current Utah Code. More information on the state legislative process can be accessed in the State Legislative Guide.
Resident Involvement
Utah is divided into specific districts, which each have their own legislator. Utah residents and civilians can express their concerns or suggest an idea for a bill or law by talking to their district’s legislator, which can be found using their home address.
Remember, living in a democratic society means the people have a say in the governance of our state. This is an opportunity to get involved, speak up and be heard.
Talk of the town
Since the session has yet to begin, all information is considered speculative. However, many organizations, such as the Utah Education Association, have published their hopes and goals this year. The UEA explains that this year’s session “presents an opportunity to strengthen our education system, empower educators, and provide the best possible learning environment for our students.” The organization wants to increase funding for a few initiatives, including a program to financially support student-teachers and a campaign to allow more families to qualify for free school lunches.
The UEA also plans to address quality instruction and student equity through improving teacher retention, increasing school safety resources, and establishing programs to bring more educators to hard-to-staff schools and subjects. Finally, the UEA outlines that additional changes to the education policy will be made to enact a moratorium to ease the “overwhelming workload and stress already heaped on Utah educators.”
Republican Representative, Ryan Wilcox, is advocating for reforms to certain education policies in the state as well. Wilcox, who is also the chair of the Utah School Security Task Force is calling for “School Security Amendments,” that will outline protocol and guidelines to deter school shootings and protect students, should one happen.
What To Expect at This Year’s Session
As the upcoming session gets closer, requests for new bills and bills in committee are regularly published and updated. However, there is still much speculation around what bills and proposals can be expected at this year’s session.
The Wasatch Front Regional Council outlines other bills up for discussion at this year’s session. Utahns can expect to see conversations on air quality, economic development, housing, land use, transportation and more.
