Utah legislation · 2026 General Session
Utah HB163: Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program Amendments
Status: Signed into law, March 19, 2026
This bill expands scholarship eligibility to include licensed teachers pursuing special education endorsements.
What the bill says
From the enrolled text, February 23, 2026:
0 Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program Amendments 2026 GENERAL SESSION STATE OF UTAH Chief Sponsor: Ryan D. Wilcox Senate Sponsor: John D. Johnson Cosponsor: Jason E. Thompson LONG TITLE General Description: This bill expands scholarship eligibility to include licensed teachers pursuing special education endorsements. Highlighted Provisions: This bill: - expands scholarship eligibility to include licensed teachers pursuing special education endorsements; and - makes conforming changes. Money Appropriated in this Bill: None Other Special Clauses: None Utah Code Sections Affected: AMENDS: 53F-5-218 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapters 136, 342 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah: Section 1. Section 53F-5-218 is amended to read: 53F-5-218 . Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Paraprofessional" means an individual who: (i) works with students in an LEA as a paraprofessional or in a similar teaching assistant position; and (ii) is not licensed to teach. (b) "Program" means the Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program that this section creates created in this section . (c) "School counselor" means an educator who is: (i) licensed as a school counselor in accordance with state board rule; and (ii) assigned to provide direct and indirect services to students in accordance with a school counseling program model that the state board provides. …
Sponsors
- Ryan Wilcox (R, 7) · primary sponsor
- Johnson, John D. (R, 3)
- Jason Thompson (R, 3)
Latest actions
- : Governor Signed
- : House/ to Governor
- : House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- : House/ enrolled bill to Printing
- : Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- : Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
- : Bill Received from House for Enrolling
- : House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- : House/ received from Senate
- : Senate/ to House
Votes
- Senate/ passed 3rd reading (February 19, 2026): 25 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate/ passed 2nd reading (February 18, 2026): 25 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation (February 12, 2026): 4 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House/ passed 3rd reading (February 5, 2026): 71 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House Comm - Favorable Recommendation (January 27, 2026): 13 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Education, K-12 Education, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), School Personnel, Education Grant Programs, Special Education
Common questions
- What is HB163?
- HB163 is a bill in the Utah Legislature (2026 General Session): Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program Amendments.
- What does HB163 do?
- This bill expands scholarship eligibility to include licensed teachers pursuing special education endorsements.
- What is the status of HB163?
- Signed into law as of March 19, 2026. Latest action: Governor Signed (March 19, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB163?
- Ryan Wilcox (R, 7), with 2 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB163?
- On the Utah Legislature website: https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0163.html
Source: official Utah record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.