This was a difficult legislative session with some wins, partial wins, and a number of losses. Utah lawmakers passed 582 bills this year. We kept tabs on many of them, adding 23 bills to our tracker; 14 bills we supported, two bills we opposed and the rest we monitored. Of the bills we supported, 10 passed (although two of them were included in another bill, so didn’t pass in their original bill), and the two bills we opposed both died.
While not a comprehensive list of what happened this session, here are some updates on key areas and bills.
Childcare Access and Affordability
Unfortunately, little was done this session to help address the childcare crisis in Utah. Of the five childcare bills we supported, only two passed and neither will have a big impact on access or affordability. After comments made by some legislators during a few of the debates, it is clear there is a lack of understanding of childcare in our state including the barriers families face in finding quality, affordable childcare, and family structures that require both parents to work.
One of the priority bills we supported, SB 221 Child Care Revisions, was killed on the House floor on the second to the last day of the session despite passing the Senate with overwhelming support. The bill would have reinstated important child protections and ensured informed parental choice.
HB382 Child Care Modifications never made it out of House Rules. This bill that we supported would have helped keep childcare providers in the workforce by extending childcare subsidies to their children. While the policy supporting this program passed last year, it was not funded and therefore has not been implemented.
Education
One of our top priorities was securing additional funds for the School Readiness program (high-quality preschool). Last year, there were over $24 million in requests by high-quality providers to serve Utah’s most vulnerable students, yet only $12 million to distribute. To address this shortage, we asked for an increase of $5 million in ongoing funds. The programs received $2 million a year for three years of TANF funds (short for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which are federal dollars). While not ideal, we consider this to be a win since the program has not had a funding increase in five years.
HB100 Food Security Amendments, making school lunch free for students living 185% below the federal poverty level, passed after removing free breakfast and summer food from the bill. While a good step forward, the legislature only provided one-time funding for the bill, so we will need to go back next year to ensure the program continues.
Health
Thanks to you, HB178 Noncitizen Health Insurance Policies Amendments never made it out of rules. This bill would have eliminated the State Children’s Health Insurance Program that provides health insurance to immigrant children. As supporters of the bill that created the program, we were thrilled to be joined by so many of you in opposing the bill that would have removed this benefit.
As one of the bills we opposed, we were glad when SB257 Medicaid Accounts Amendments died before even getting a committee hearing. This was a similar bill to one we defeated last year that defined a “Medicaid shortfall” broadly and required specific cuts when a shortfall occurred. If passed, the bill would have triggered cuts before a true shortfall, ignored the current process for a shortfall, and would have had a significant negative impact on Medicaid recipients.
Basic Needs
Unfortunately, our 211 Utah request for appropriation was not included in any of the budget bills passed this session, despite it being recommended for $1.19 million in reallocated, ongoing funds by the sub-appropriation committee. This request would have supported 211 Utah’s statewide shift to providing hands-on service navigation, following through with people to make sure they get the help they’re seeking. Even without this new state support, 211 Utah will continue to provide amazing assistance to Utahns in need.
Revenue and Tax
Expanding the child tax credit (CTC) to include children under six years old PASSED in HB106 Income Tax Revisions. We are excited about the expansion of this credit and look forward to making more improvements to ensure eligible families can access the full credit. The bill also included a 0.05% income tax cut and a tax credit for businesses providing childcare.
While we were happy to see the CTC expansion, we do have concerns with the annual income tax cuts the legislature has been making. If the legislature is serious about wanting to get rid of the income tax (this has been discussed by many), as a state we need to have transparent conversations and engage in planning that ensures children, families and communities are not harmed.
For more information on the bills we followed this legislative session, you can check out our bill tracker here.
While groups like United Way of Salt Lake work hard advocating for policies that benefit Utah kids and families, we now turn our attention to how those policies are put into practice. State agencies will be working to write rules and implement the new laws, which must be closely monitored. This next step is often more difficult than passing the bills during the session, and in most cases, the most important part of the process.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement! Without your voice, our work would not be possible.
Written by Elizabeth Garbe, Vice President of Public Policy.
