Senate advances student‑data privacy bill after changes to preserve software interoperability

The Utah Senate passed the third substitute of House Bill 358, a bill that aims to protect student data privacy while ensuring that educational software can interoperate and continue to provide personalized learning tools.

The sponsor outlined that the bill creates an exception to a general prohibition on government access to device‑location or other electronic device data so agencies can use depersonalized, hashed data (a technique the sponsor described as 'Hashim' or hashing) to manage traffic flow, emergency responses and other legitimate public‑service uses without revealing individual identities. The sponsor said the bill is designed to prevent unintended consequences that would, for example, make common tools such as Google Maps unavailable to public safety or transportation agencies without a warrant.

Supporters highlighted that the statute will require safeguards, create an auditor role at the state board of education to oversee privacy protections, and permit a phased implementation while the state works with local educational agencies and vendors to ensure interoperability without exposing personally identifiable information. An amendment was moved and the chamber then voted under suspension of the rules.

On the roll call, the chamber recorded 25 yeas, 0 nays and 4 senators absent. The bill will be sent to the House for further consideration per transmittal protocols.