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Committee approves changes to Utah Fits All scholarship program after intense public testimony
Summary
Lawmakers moved a second substitute of HB 455 that tightens administration, adjusts scholarship amounts and clarifies allowable expenses for the Utah Fits All scholarship; the committee approved the measure after hours of testimony from hundreds of families and providers.
The Education Interim Committee reported a second substitute of HB 455, which revises the Utah Fits All (UFA) scholarship program, after extensive testimony from parents, providers and advocates both in favor and opposed.
Representative Ashlyn Perucci, sponsor, said the bill is intended to create administrative guardrails after the program's first year of operations. She told the committee the program served about 10,000 students in its first academic year, 95% of them described as low-income under the statute, and had a wait list of about 17,000 students. The substitute sets different scholarship amounts for private-school tuition and home-based learners: private-school awards remain $8,000; the bill sets home-based awards at $4,000 for ages 5–11 and $6,000 for ages 12–18 (sponsor presented these as adjustments to improve sustainability and expand access). The sponsor said the changes are not a new appropriation but a reallocation that will allow more students to participate under existing funding.
The substitute also tightens allowable expenses and explicitly prohibits season tickets, ski passes, recreational equipment and certain furniture; it caps extracurricular spending and allows program managers to block non-educational purchases. The bill moves program contract and financial oversight to the Department of Operations while keeping the state Board of Education involved in provider orientation and fee guidance to districts for hybrid participation. The substitute requires eligibility verification before award and allows prorated awards for mid-year enrollment.
Public testimony was emotional and divided. Many families receiving scholarships — including parents of children with disabilities — described the scholarship as transformative and said a reduction would eliminate needed therapies or curriculum. Other commenters said program oversight failed in year one and that stronger limits were needed to prevent misuse. Several speakers raised privacy and FERPA concerns about portfolio reviews and asked that portfolios remain protected. Provider representatives asked for predictable fee schedules to allow district courses and activities to accept scholarship students.
Committee members adopted an amendment that adjusted age tiers and retained language preserving portfolio privacy, then voted to report the second substitute as amended to the full Senate; the chair announced the committee vote as unanimous.
