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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Removes Teaching License Requirement for Long-Term Substitute Teachers
Last action · March 19, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Lincoln Fillmore and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah eliminates the teaching license requirement for long-term s under specific conditions, effective May 6, 2026. School districts must still prioritize licensed educators when they are available and require all substitute teachers to undergo background checks. Additionally, non-licensed substitutes are limited to 20 days in a single classroom per school year unless no licensed educator is available.
School districts gain increased flexibility in staffing classrooms during teacher absences while maintaining background check mandates and priority hiring rules for licensed educators.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
school districts
School districts must prioritize licensed educators when hiring substitutes and follow updated qualification rules for long-term substitute assignments.
substitute teachers
Non-licensed individuals are newly permitted to serve as long-term substitute teachers under specific conditions while remaining subject to background check requirements.
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
Do substitute teachers still need to pass a background check?
Are school districts still required to hire licensed teachers if they are available?
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
40 actions- Mar 19, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 3, 2026SenateSenate/ to Governor
- Mar 3, 2026SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Feb 20, 2026Senate SecretaryEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Feb 17, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 34 earlier actions
- Feb 17, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from Senate for Enrolling
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 12, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 12, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
- Feb 12, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 12, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Feb 9, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 4, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Not Considered
- Feb 2, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 28, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 27, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Jan 27, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Jan 27, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Jan 27, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Jan 26, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Jan 26, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Jan 22, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Jan 22, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Jan 22, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Jan 22, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Jan 21, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 13, 2026SenateSenate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 13, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0052
- Jan 13, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0052
- Jan 7, 2026SenateSenate/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Dec 29, 2025Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0052
- Dec 29, 2025Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0052
- Dec 29, 2025Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Dec 29, 2025Legislative 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- Significance50How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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