UtahUtah colleges accommodate students’ religious and conscience beliefs
Utah colleges accommodate certain belief-related conflicts with exams and assignments, while the state board sets guidance and colleges report on review decisions.
What it does
Utah colleges accommodate certain student absences and objections tied to religious or conscience beliefs. A change to a required exam or assignment in a graduation course or major must not fundamentally alter the course, program, or degree.
Colleges set procedures for accommodation requests and review of certain denials. Instructors may not force students to publicly take a position on a community issue as their own.
Colleges publish how students can request accommodations and raise concerns, then report certain review decisions to the state board. The board sets guidance for college policies.
Argument forStudents could make up work when a belief conflicts with an exam or assignment, and colleges must keep accommodation requests confidential unless disclosure is allowed by law.
Argument againstA requested change could alter an essential course standard, though a neutral reviewer decides whether it would change learning goals or required skills.
More detail
Utah colleges accommodate certain absences and objections tied to students’ religious or conscience beliefs. The rules cover students at Utah institutions of higher education. Accommodations may include excusing participation, changing a deadline or schedule, or offering another exam or assignment. Students must give instructors written notice in advance. For an absence, the exam or requirement’s scheduled time must create an undue hardship because of the belief conflict. For a required exam or assignment in a graduation course or major, the requested accommodation must not fundamentally alter the course, program, or degree. The law took effect May 6, 2026.
Colleges maintain procedures for accommodation requests and denials, including review of certain denials. These rules apply to instructors and institutions of higher education in Utah. College procedures also cover confidentiality and review of certain denials. A neutral reviewer with relevant academic and subject expertise decides whether a requested accommodation would fundamentally alter a course, program, or degree. An instructor who denies a request must notify the student and institution and explain the denial. College policies set timeframes for requests and responses. An instructor may not force a student to publicly state a position on a political, social, religious, moral, or community issue as the student’s own. The law took effect May 6, 2026.
The Utah Board of Higher Education sets guidance, and colleges publish accommodation information and report to the board. These duties apply to the Utah Board of Higher Education and Utah institutions of higher education. Published information includes contacts, request procedures, policies, and grievance procedures. Colleges publish and update accommodation information annually, report neutral reviewer decisions to the board, and report their policies by December 1, 2026. The board establishes policies to protect students’ sincerely held religious and conscience beliefs and provides guidance for college policies. The law took effect May 6, 2026. Colleges report policies by December 1, 2026, and report reviewer decisions by December 1 each year.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 25Governor Spencer Cox SignedBecame Law
- Mar 16House/ to GovernorTo Governor
- Mar 16House/ received enrolled bill from PrintingMinor
- Mar 12House/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 12Enrolled Bill Returned to House or SenateMinor
- Mar 11Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
- Mar 11Bill Received from House for EnrollingMinor
- Mar 11House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrollingMajor
- Mar 11House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 10Senate/ to House
- Mar 10Senate/ signed by President/ returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 10Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Mar 7House/ to Senate
- Vote recorded House/ concurs with Senate amendment. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 7House/ concurs with Senate amendmentMajor
- Mar 7House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 7House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 6Senate/ to House with amendments
- Vote recorded Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 6Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspensionPassed Senate
- Mar 6Senate/ floor amendment
- Mar 6Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspensionMinor
- Mar 6Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 5Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules [Senate Rules Committee]Minor
- Feb 26Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 26Senate/ comm rpt/ amended [Senate Education Committee]Major
- Feb 26Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Education Committee]Minor
- Feb 26Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation [Senate Education Committee]Minor
- Feb 19Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Education Committee]Minor
- Feb 17Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Vote recorded House/ passed 3rd reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 17Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Feb 17House/ to Senate
- Feb 17House/ passed 3rd readingPassed House
- Feb 17House/ floor amendment
- Feb 17House/ 3rd readingMinor
- Feb 5LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0204S01
- Feb 5LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0204S01
- Feb 5House/ 2nd readingMinor
- Feb 5House/ comm rpt/ substituted [House Education Committee]
- Feb 4House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Education Committee]Minor
- Feb 4House Comm - Substitute Recommendation [House Education Committee]Major
- Feb 4LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0204S01
- Feb 4LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0204S01
- Jan 23House/ to standing committee [House Education Committee]Minor
- Jan 20House/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Jan 20House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal AnalystMinor
- Jan 16LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0204
- Jan 16LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0204
- Jan 14House/ received bill from Legislative ResearchMinor
- Jan 8LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0204
- Jan 8LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0204
- Jan 8Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 8Bill Numbered but not DistributedIntroduced
Education