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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah grants charter schools equal rights to purchase surplus and decommissioned school property and requires governing board oaths
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsors: Candice Pierucci and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill modifies provisions related to charter schools, including property disposition, governance requirements, and the Charter School Revolving Fund.
Charter schools gain direct parity with cities, towns, and counties to acquire closed school buildings and surplus land at fair market value, while facing mandatory resale restrictions and mandatory oaths for governing board members.
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.
Charter schools
Charter schools gain equal standing with local governments to purchase surplus land and decommissioned buildings, access new loan structures through the Charter School Revolving Fund, and become subject to mandatory board member oaths and property resale restrictions.
School districts and LEAs
School districts must notify charter schools and eligible entities when declaring property surplus or disposing of closed school buildings, restrict surplus sale proceeds to debt reduction or capital facilities, and retain potential repurchase options on certain property sales.
Charter school governing board members
Individual board members are newly required to take and subscribe to a formal oath of office before beginning their duties.
Eligible entities (cities, towns, counties)
Local government entities share equal purchasing rights with charter schools for surplus school property and decommissioned facilities without priority over one another.
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 charter schools buy surplus school district land or closed school buildings?
What are the rules if a charter school decides to sell property it acquired through these provisions?
What is required of charter school governing board members under this bill?
How are charter school facility loans funded under the new legislation?
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
45 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ strike enacting clause
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ failed
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
Show 39 earlier actions
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Not Considered
- Feb 18, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 12, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 12, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0241S03
- Feb 11, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0241S03
- Feb 11, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 10, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ substituted
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ uncircled
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ circled
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 10, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0241S03
- Feb 10, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0241S03
- Feb 4, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0241S02
- Feb 3, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0241S02
- Feb 2, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 2, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Jan 30, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0241S02
- Jan 30, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0241S02
- Jan 26, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0241S01
- Jan 26, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0241S01
- Jan 22, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Not Considered
- Jan 22, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0241S01
- Jan 22, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0241S01
- Jan 21, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 21, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 21, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0241
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 19, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0241
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 13, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0241
- Jan 13, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0241
- Jan 13, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 13, 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.
Parity in Surplus Property Acquisition
The legislation formally elevates charter schools to equal standing with local municipalities and counties when acquiring surplus school district property and decommissioned school buildings.
Transition of Revolving Fund Administration
Assets, unused money, and loan obligations of the Charter School Revolving Account are transferred to the newly created Charter School Revolving Fund under the Utah Charter Finance Authority.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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