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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah expands religious and conscience accommodations for college students
Last action · March 25, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Mike Petersen and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah colleges and universities are now required to accommodate student objections to mandatory course assignments or exams based on sincerely held religious or conscience beliefs, provided the change does not fundamentally alter the course. The law also prohibits instructors from compelling students to take public positions on matters of public concern and takes effect on May 6, 2026.
Higher education students gain explicit statutory protections to skip or modify required academic tasks due to religious or conscience conflicts without suffering academic penalties, while instructors gain formal review standards and appeal paths for evaluating accommodation requests.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Higher education students
Students gain expanded rights to request academic accommodations for religious and conscience beliefs and protection against forced public speech.
Instructors
Instructors must respond to accommodation requests, maintain confidentiality, issue written denials when applicable, and adhere to restrictions regarding compelling student speech.
Institutions of higher education
Institutions must establish accommodation policies, designate neutral arbiters and points of contact, publish required information online, and submit annual compliance reports.
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
What is considered a reasonable accommodation under this law?
Can an instructor force a student to write a letter to an editor or lawmaker?
What happens if an instructor denies a student's accommodation request?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
51 actions- Mar 25, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 16, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 16, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 12, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 11, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 45 earlier actions
- Mar 11, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 10, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 10, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Mar 10, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ concurs with Senate amendment
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House with amendments
- Mar 6, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ floor amendment
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
- Feb 26, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 26, 2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ amended
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Amendment Recommendation
- Feb 19, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 17, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 17, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 5, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0204S01
- Feb 5, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0204S01
- Feb 5, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 5, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Feb 4, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 4, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0204S01
- Feb 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0204S01
- Jan 23, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 16, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0204
- Jan 16, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0204
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 8, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0204
- Jan 8, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0204
- Jan 8, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 8, 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
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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