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SB 189UTAHSession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Utah Establishes High-Growth Framework and Transition Loan Rules for Reorganizing School Districts

Original title: School District Funding Amendments

Last action · March 6, 2026: Senate/ filedSponsors: Emily Buss and 2 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

This bill establishes a framework for addressing enrollment growth disparities when school districts reorganize, authorizing voluntary high-growth transition loan arrangements and outlining asset and liability allocation rules.

Why it matters

Reorganizing school districts must navigate complex asset splits and enrollment disparities, impacting how local tax dollars, facilities, and transportation fleets are divided among s.

Background
  • School district reorganization in Utah involves splitting an existing school district to form one or more new independent school districts, requiring complex divisions of property, debt, and operational assets. context
  • The State Board of Education oversees public education policy and administration across Utah school districts. 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.

Directly affected

Successor school districts

Newly created and reorganized school districts gain authorization to enter voluntary loan arrangements, develop transition plans, and participate in asset and liability allocation.

Directly affected

Divided school districts

Existing school districts undergoing reorganization must prepare detailed asset and liability inventories, adhere to spending and compensation restrictions, and eventually cease to exist on the allocation date.

Directly affected

State Board of Education

The State Board is authorized to track and report on growth patterns, notify high-growth districts, provide model interlocal agreements, and appoint arbiters upon disagreement.

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 qualifies a successor school district as a high-growth successor district?
A qualifies if it has been in operation for at least two full fiscal years with an average annual enrollment increase of at least 3%, or if it demonstrates projected enrollment growth of at least 5% annually based on residential construction permits, population projections, and other demographic data.
Are successor districts required to enter into voluntary high-growth transition loan arrangements?
No, s are not required to enter into interlocal agreements for these loan arrangements; participation is entirely voluntary.
How are physical school buildings and land divided when a school district reorganizes?
Physical assets, physical liabilities, and associated property are allocated directly to the school district in which the physical asset is located.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the Senate · on the House floor.

Procedural history

55 actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ filed
  2. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  3. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  4. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ strike enacting clause
  5. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ 3rd Reading Calendar to Rules
  6. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ circled
Show 49 earlier actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  2. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  3. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
  4. Mar 4, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  5. Mar 3, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  6. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  7. Mar 3, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 3rd reading
  8. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ uncircled
  9. Mar 3, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0189S04
  10. Mar 3, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0189S04
  11. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ circled
  12. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ substituted
  13. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ uncircled
  14. Mar 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0189S04
  15. Mar 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0189S04
  16. Feb 27, 2026Senate
    Senate/ circled
  17. Feb 27, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 3rd reading
  18. Feb 26, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 2nd reading
  19. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Senate/ substituted
  20. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Senate/ uncircled
  21. Feb 25, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0189S03
  22. Feb 25, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0189S02
  23. Feb 24, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0189S03
  24. Feb 23, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0189S02
  25. Feb 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0189S03
  26. Feb 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0189S03
  27. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Senate/ circled
  28. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Senate/ substituted
  29. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd reading
  30. Feb 19, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0189S02
  31. Feb 19, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0189S02
  32. Feb 9, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
  33. Feb 9, 2026Senate
    Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted
  34. Feb 6, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  35. Feb 6, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  36. Feb 4, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0189S01
  37. Feb 3, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0189S01
  38. Feb 1, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0189S01
  39. Feb 1, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0189S01
  40. Jan 27, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  41. Jan 27, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  42. Jan 27, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0189
  43. Jan 27, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0189
  44. Jan 23, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  45. Jan 23, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received bill from Legislative Research
  46. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0189
  47. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0189
  48. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  49. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Bill 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

Emily BussSenate · District 11FPrimary sponsor
Heidi BalderreeSenate · District 22RepublicanCosponsor
Tracy MillerHouse · District 45RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Formalization of High-Growth Framework in Reorganizations

The legislation introduces standardized mechanisms for managing rapid growth disparities and voluntary loan pools between newly divided school districts.

State Board of Education

Connected Entities

State Board of Education, Utah Population Committee, Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee and 3 more
OrganizationState Board of Education“State agency directed to track, report, and provide guidance on growth patterns ”Map →
OrganizationUtah Population Committee“Entity providing population growth projections”Map →
OrganizationPublic Education Appropriations Subcommittee“Legislative subcommittee receiving annual reports from the State Board”Map →
PersonEmily Buss“Chief Sponsor of the bill in the Senate”Map →
OrganizationOffice of the Legislative Auditor General“Office receiving inventory and liability reports during school district reorgani”Map →
PersonTracy J. Miller“House Sponsor of the bill”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy25
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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