Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee advances bill allowing state‑school students to seek alternate assignments for conscience objections
Summary
HB 2.04, limited to state institutions, would let students request alternative assignments for reasons of conscience or religious belief so long as accommodations do not cause a 'fundamental alteration' to a course; the committee adopted a first substitute and recommended the bill 8–1 after extensive testimony for and against.
Representative Peterson introduced HB 2.04 and said the measure responds to instances in which students were required to complete assignments they felt violated their conscience. He described the bill as building on last year’s legislation that created conscience protections for state employees.
Professor Robin Wilson, a law professor appearing in a personal capacity, told the committee HB 2.04 “governs only state schools because it amends 53A to the Utah code,” and that the bill protects students from compelled speech when instructors require…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
