House adopts conference report for HB183, adding 10-day grandfathering for association leave

The Utah House on March 8 adopted a joint conference committee report and passed First Substitute House Bill 183 addressing school-district lead policies.

Representative Grover moved adoption of the conference committee report and explained that the committee decided to reinsert language allowing local school boards that permitted association leave prior to Jan. 1, 2011 to allow up to 10 days of association leave before requiring reimbursement by the association. He said the change was intended to give comfort to districts that had previously engaged the practice and is effectively a grandfathering clause.

Members asked for clarification about how the 10 days would be defined. Representative Grover said the number would be determined between the district and the association and acknowledged that, in the conference committee's formulation, districts that had granted longer leaves in the past (he cited Davis, Granite and Salt Lake) would now be limited to 10 days going forward.

Representative Gerber and others urged support and the House then adopted the conference report. The reading clerk announced the passage of First Substitute HB183 on a vote of 42 yes to 28 no; the bill will be returned to the Senate for the President's signature.

The bill's text as discussed on the floor constrains previously lengthy association leaves, permits local determination of how the 10 days are counted, and requires reimbursement by the teachers' associations for leave beyond the grandfathered 10 days. Implementation mechanics and affected districts were discussed but not exhaustively enumerated on the floor.