Committee advances SAFE Act to require privacy, academic-effectiveness checks for school software
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Summary
First substitute SB 267—creating statewide vendor privacy agreements, academic-effectiveness verification and phased transparency for instructional software—was adopted and sent from committee with a 5–1 vote after robust public testimony from parents, students and state education staff.
The Senate Education Committee voted to advance first substitute SB 267, a bill the sponsor described as setting statewide guardrails for instructional software used on school-issued devices.
Sponsor Senator Cullimore said the bill responds to parent concerns about data collection, addictive design in gamified apps and lack of statewide standards for academic effectiveness. He summarized three key provisions: a statewide digital privacy agreement that requires compliance with Utah student-privacy laws and limits secondary uses of student data; an academic-effectiveness requirement (peer-reviewed research or independent evaluation demonstrating alignment with state standards); and annual transparency so parents see what software their children may use. The bill phases in the notice and audit requirement effective July 31, 2028, to allow vendors and LEAs time to comply.
Committee members praised the intent but raised repeated questions about definitions and market effects. Critics in committee cautioned that a strict verification regime could favor incumbent vendors with existing research and raise barriers to innovative startups; others pressed for LEA flexibility and parent opt-in trial pathways. Senator Reebie and others asked whether the bill’s definitions of "academically effective" might unintentionally favor large, established vendors and suggested trial windows and parental consent as mitigations.
Public testimony was extensive. Parents, teachers, students and safety advocates described experiences with intrusive tracking, distraction, addictive gamification and exposure to inappropriate content on school-issued devices. A child-safety advocate said Utah has spent roughly $150 million on ed‑tech in the last decade with stagnating test scores and urged stricter effectiveness standards. The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) deputy superintendent requested clarity on the scope of "software" and how the bill would interact with LEA authority to evaluate instructional effectiveness.
The sponsor noted the substitute allows LEAs to pilot divergent tools under parent consent and includes a ramp-up period. After discussion, the committee adopted the substitute and voted to send the bill out with a favorable recommendation; the minutes record a committee vote of 5–1 with one member opposed.
Next steps: SB 267 moves to the Senate floor as recommended by committee. The committee record notes open stakeholder work on vendor impacts and technical clarifications, and several members asked sponsors to continue that coordination before floor action.