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Utah Senate rejects bill to allow volunteer chaplains in schools
Summary
The Utah Senate voted 12–16 to defeat House Bill 514, a measure that would have allowed volunteer chaplains in K–12 schools. Supporters said the measure would offer voluntary spiritual care; opponents raised constitutional concerns and worries about oversight and public funding.
The Utah State Senate on the floor rejected House Bill 514, a proposal to allow volunteer chaplains to operate in public schools, after hours of debate about constitutional limits and program safeguards. The final tally was 12 yea, 16 nay and 1 absent, and the measure failed to pass.
Senator Johnson, the bill sponsor and floor sponsor during the debate, described the proposal as an opt-in program intended to provide spiritual care to students. He framed the measure as offering additional support for children in need: "The bill honors certified professional counselors in schools," he said, and framed chaplains as…
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