S.B. 56 Citizenship Education Amendments
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Citizenship Education Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Kathleen A. Riebe
House Sponsor:
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill requires schools to provide legal awareness information to 10th grade students.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸requires schools to provide legal awareness information to 10th grade students;
▸allows flexibility in how schools deliver the information; and
▸requires a local education agency to maintain a current and accurate list of information.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
53E-4-208, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1.
Section 53E-4-208 is enacted to read:
53E-4-208.
Legal awareness education for students.
(1)As used in this section, "legal awareness information" means information regarding
legal rights, responsibilities, and obligations that apply to individuals upon reaching the
age of majority.
(2)Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, an LEA shall ensure that each student in grade
10 receives legal awareness information that includes:
(a)voting rights and voter registration requirements;
(b)jury duty obligations and processes;
(c)military selective service registration requirements;
(d)the right to enter into contracts and legal consequences of contracts;
(e)the right to legal representation in court proceedings;
(f)medical decision-making authority and healthcare consent;
(g)credit and debt obligations, including student loans;
(h)tax filing requirements and obligations;
(i)employment rights and workplace protections under federal and state law;
(j)the adult criminal justice system and potential consequences of criminal violations,
including criminal laws that will and do apply once entering certain age ranges;
(k)civil liability and personal responsibility for actions;
(l)individual rights during interactions with law enforcement;
(m)educational privacy rights under federal law;
(n)the right to access personal academic records; and
(o)employment discrimination protections.
(3)An LEA may provide the legal awareness information required under Subsection (2)
through:
(a)incorporation into existing coursework;
(b)dedicated presentations or assemblies;
(c)written materials or digital resources; or
(d)any combination of methods described in Subsections (3)(a) through (c), as the local
governing board determines appropriate.
(4)An LEA shall ensure the legal awareness information described in Subsection (2) shall
be provided in a manner that is age-appropriate and accessible to all students.
(5)An LEA shall:
(a)develop or adopt materials to fulfill the requirements of this section; and
(b)ensure that the information provided under this section is current and accurate.
(6)This section does not:
(a)require the creation of a new course or curriculum;
(b)require student assessment or testing on the legal awareness information described in
Subsection (2);
(c)prevent an LEA from providing additional legal awareness information;
(d)require a specific method of delivery; or
(e)create a private right of action.
Section 2.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
General Document Comments 0
- You’ve found a bill that’s very focused and pretty non‑controversial on its face: it just makes sure every 10th grader gets clear info about their adult legal rights and responsibilities (voting, jury duty, contracts, credit, criminal system, etc.).
- I can’t reliably say how Representative Carol Moss personally stands on this exact bill without up‑to‑the‑minute info, but her long record as a teacher and supporter of public education makes it likely she’d be at least open to a well‑reasoned, student‑centered argument in favor of it (I couldn’t find a verifiable, specific vote or statement on this bill itself).
- Since you support the bill, a strong message to her would briefly: say you’re a constituent and a student, explain why learning these things in 10th grade matters for you (for example: not getting scammed in contracts or credit, knowing your rights with police or at work, being ready to vote), and thank her for listening whether or not she already supports it.
- You might pick 2–3 items from the list in the bill that feel most real in your life—like voting rights, work rights, or student loans—and tell one short, concrete reason or story for each (why you don’t want to “learn it the hard way” later).
If you had to choose just one line to say why this bill matters personally to you as a future voter/worker/student, what would that line be—want to draft that line now by clicking Continue with AI, or would you rather go to Create Document to start your own message there?
on the uploaded document.
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