Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House approves education‑technology amendments; IBM announces $13M grant as lawmakers advance multiple bills
Summary
During a lengthy Feb. 22 session the Utah House advanced dozens of bills, including amendments to an education‑technology measure and a recorded 64-0 passage; sponsors noted an IBM $13 million grant tied to the initiative. A number of other bills were adopted or placed on the third‑reading calendar.
The Utah House advanced several bills and adopted floor amendments on Feb. 22, including a major education‑technology measure that sponsors said had attracted private support.
Representative Brown moved floor amendments to House Bill 344 (Education Technology Amendment) that replace specific dollar references with language deferring the details to future appropriation determinations. During debate Representative Bradford and others pressed for an allocation process that would address disparities between school districts with different existing technology and donation levels.
Sponsors noted that Governor’s office outreach and private partnerships were material to the initiative. Representative Bradford told the chamber that at a morning press conference "the governor held a press conference where the IBM Corporation announced a $13,000,000 educational grant over the next 2 years," a development supporters said underscored the program’s momentum.
The clerk recorded House Bill 344 as amended "having received 64 affirmative votes, 0 negative votes," and the House ordered it forwarded to the Senate for further consideration.
Beyond the education bill, the floor record shows dozens of other measures read for third reading, committee reports adopted and a number of bills amended or circled for later work. The House took votes or placed on the third‑reading calendar bills including (by internal number) HB 50 (Utah Substance Abuse Council amendments), HB 9 (Continuity of Government), HB 47 (local government redistricting amendment), HB 221 (Utah Limited Liability Company Act), HB 86 (Retirement Office Amendments) and HB 423 (Capital Improvement priorities), among others. The chair removed several items from the immediate third‑reading placement list where fiscal notes exceeded threshold amounts.
At the end of the day the House adjourned and reconvened for a planned 8:00 AM session on Monday to allow members time to review posted bills and work on compromises for circled matters.
What happens next: Several bills noted in the floor record were sent to the Senate or placed on the third‑reading calendar; members signaled more work over the weekend and scheduled a short Monday session to continue the final-house calendar.
