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Committee moves USDB overhaul after audits, clarifies superintendent reporting

Utah House Education Standing Committee · February 9, 2026

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Summary

After audit findings, the committee adopted a substitute and an amendment to HB 448 to strengthen oversight, clarify USDB mission and governance, and make the USDB superintendent report through the state superintendent; the measure passed the committee unanimously.

Representative White presented House Bill 448 to address audit findings at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB), saying the proposal clarifies the agency’s mission, adjusts governance options, addresses facilities planning, and improves reporting and data to support student achievement. USBE representatives described collaborative stakeholder work and praised preserving the multi‑campus model.

The committee considered an amendment to make explicit in statute the existing practice that a USDB superintendent appointed with board approval would report to the state superintendent, ensuring a clear chain of command and aligning oversight with financial operations that currently sit under USBE. The amendment and the first substitute were adopted; committee members and state board officials voiced unanimous support.

The committee recommended the substituted and amended bill favorably and the measure advances to the House floor with unanimous committee support.