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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Overhauls K-12 Social Studies Requirements and Mandates Elementary Instruction by 2031
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsors: Doug Welton and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
Utah public schools must now teach American constitutional government and United States history as separate, two-semester courses that cannot be repeated for graduation credit, and must implement regular elementary social studies instruction by July 1, 2031.
Changes high school graduation coursework rules by splitting civics and history requirements into non-duplicative semester blocks, while requiring local school districts to embed social studies into elementary grade levels.
- The Utah State Board of Education establishes academic standards and rules for public schools across the state. context
- Local Education Agencies in Utah include school districts and charter schools responsible for local school operations. context
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.
Utah public school students
Local Education Agencies
School districts and charter schools must adopt compliant social studies curricula, provide elementary instructional time, ensure teacher professional development, and report progress.
State Board of Education
The board must establish rules, develop resource repositories, assign literacy coaches, and report to the Education Interim Committee.
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
When do schools have to implement the elementary social studies requirements?
Can a high school student take the same semester course twice to satisfy graduation requirements?
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 · in the Senate.
Procedural history
29 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ strike enacting clause
- Mar 4, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Mar 4, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
Show 23 earlier actions
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ held
- Mar 3, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 25, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 25, 2026House Rules CommitteeBill Substituted by Sponsor in House Rules Comm
- Feb 24, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0518S01
- Feb 24, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0518S01
- Feb 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0518S01
- Feb 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0518S01
- Feb 12, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Feb 12, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0518
- Feb 11, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0518
- Feb 9, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 9, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Feb 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0518
- Feb 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0518
- Feb 9, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 9, 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.
Restructuring of High School Social Studies Credits
The legislation shifts graduation requirements by mandating non-duplicative, multi-semester sequences for both government and history.
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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