The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Bill HB 409 establishes paid leave for state employees and teachers serving as legislators
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsors: Clint Okerlund and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill requires state employers and local education agencies to provide paid leave to employees and teachers who serve as state legislators for s. The measure allows employers to seek partial reimbursement from the legislator's legislative chamber, while barring legislators from receiving legislative salary or retirement contributions for days covered by this leave.
State employees and school teachers elected to the Utah Legislature gain statutory access to paid leave for legislative duties without facing workplace retaliation, while their employing agencies can recover leave costs up to the amount saved from suspended legislative salaries.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
State employees and teachers who are legislators
They receive statutory entitlement to paid leave for authorized legislative days and protection against workplace retaliation.
State employers and local education agencies
They are required to grant paid leave upon request and are eligible for partial reimbursement from legislative chambers.
Legislative chambers
They are authorized to reimburse employers for legislator leave costs up to the total savings from suspended legislator salaries and retirement contributions.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my state employer or school district punish me for taking leave to attend legislative sessions?
How are employers compensated for the cost of paying an employee who is serving as a legislator?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · on the Senate floor.
Procedural history
39 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ strike enacting clause
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
Show 33 earlier actions
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Mar 4, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0409S02
- Mar 3, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0409S02
- Mar 3, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Mar 3, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Mar 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0409S02
- Mar 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0409S02
- Feb 27, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 27, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 27, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0409S01
- Feb 27, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 26, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0409S01
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ held
- Feb 25, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ substituted
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0409S01
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0409S01
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Feb 19, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 13, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 2, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 30, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0409
- Jan 30, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0409
- Jan 28, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 28, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0409
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0409
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 28, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Formal Legislative Leave for Public Employees
The state establishes a structured mechanism allowing public employees and teachers serving as lawmakers to take paid leave while enabling employers to recover costs from legislative salary savings.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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