Citizen Portal
Sign In

Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!

House approves bill separating academic grades from new optional ‘citizenship’ grade tied to attendance

Utah House of Representatives · February 26, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The House passed substitute HB 502 after extended debate. Sponsor Representative Walton said the bill separates academics from a voluntary 'citizenship' grade (centered on attendance, engagement and deadlines) and allows local education agencies to adopt test-out options and attendance weightings; opponents warned it could undercut proficiency-based grading.

After extended questioning and multiple amendments on Feb. 26, the Utah House approved substitute HB 502, a bill that separates academic grades from an optional 'citizenship' grade, creates a core-class 'test out' option, and allows local education agencies (LEAs) to adopt attendance-weighted policies in certain classes.

Sponsor Representative Walton said the measure is intended to preserve the integrity of academic grading while creating a measurable citizenship framework that emphasizes attendance, engagement and meeting…

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
30-day money-back on paid plans