Utah legislation · 2026 General Session
Utah HB227: Student Journalist Amendments
Status: Failed, March 6, 2026
This bill establishes standards for student expression in school-sponsored media and limits school liability for student-produced content.
What the bill says
From the introduced text, January 12, 2026:
0 Student Journalist Amendments 2026 GENERAL SESSION STATE OF UTAH Chief Sponsor: Carol S. Moss Senate Sponsor: LONG TITLE General Description: This bill establishes standards for student expression in school-sponsored media and limits school liability for student-produced content. Highlighted Provisions: This bill: - establishes standards for student expression in school-sponsored media; - specifies limitations on student expression and requirements for prior restraint; - provides employment protections for student media advisers; - requires school boards to adopt policies on school-sponsored media; - limits school liability for student-produced content; and - makes technical changes. Money Appropriated in this Bill: None Other Special Clauses: None Utah Code Sections Affected: AMENDS: 53G-10-203 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 412 ENACTS: 53G-10-208 , Utah Code Annotated 1953 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah: Section 1. Section 53G-10-203 is amended to read: 53G-10-203 . Expressions of belief -- Discretionary time -- School-sponsored media. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Discretionary time" means noninstructional time during which a student is free to pursue personal interests. (b) (i) "School-sponsored media" means any material that is prepared, substantially written, published, or broadcast, in any media, by a student journalist at a school under the direction of a student media adviser and distributed or generally made available to members of …
Sponsors
- Moss, Carol S. (D, 34) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : House/ filed
- : House/ strike enacting clause
- : House/ comm rpt/ sent to Rules
- : House Comm - Not Lifted from Table
- : House Comm - Held
- : House Comm - Tabled
- : House/ to standing committee
- : House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- : House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- : LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0227
Votes
- House Comm - Tabled (January 27, 2026): 9 yea, 3 nay, passed
Subjects: Education, On-campus Speech, K-12 Education, Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
Common questions
- What is HB227?
- HB227 is a bill in the Utah Legislature (2026 General Session): Student Journalist Amendments.
- What does HB227 do?
- This bill establishes standards for student expression in school-sponsored media and limits school liability for student-produced content.
- What is the status of HB227?
- Failed as of March 6, 2026. Latest action: House/ filed (March 6, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB227?
- Moss, Carol S. (D, 34).
- Where is the official record for HB227?
- On the Utah Legislature website: https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0227.html
Source: official Utah record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.