Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program Amendments, the official text

Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Candice B. Pierucci
Senate Sponsor: Heidi Balderree
Cosponsor: Stephanie Gricius Clinton D. Okerlund Cheryl K. Acton Katy Hall Nicholeen P. Peck John Arthur Sahara Hayes Karen M. Peterson Melissa G. Ballard Ken Ivory Michael J. Petersen Stewart E. Barlow Colin W. Jack Thomas W. Peterson Bridger Bolinder Jill Koford Jake Sawyer Walt Brooks Michael L. Kohler Mike Schultz Jefferson S. Burton Jason B. Kyle Lisa Shepherd Kay J. Christofferson Karianne Lisonbee Andrew Stoddard Tyler Clancy A. Cory Maloy Jordan D. Teuscher Jennifer Dailey-Provost Verona Mauga Jason E. Thompson Ariel Defay Tracy J. Miller Christine F. Watkins Joseph Elison Logan J. Monson Stephen L. Whyte Doug Fiefia Carol S. Moss Jake Fitisemanu Hoang Nguyen
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill removes pilot related language from the Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Pilot Program.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill: removes pilot related language from the Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Pilot Program; and
makes conforming changes.

Money Appropriated in this Bill: This bill appropriates $2,400,000 in operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2027, all of which is from the various sources as detailed in this bill. Other Special Clauses: None Utah Code Sections Affected: AMENDS:
53F-5-222 Effective 05/06/26 Repealed 07/01/28, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 412
63I-2-253 Effective 05/06/26, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, First Special Session, Chapter 9

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 53F-5-222 is amended to read:
53F-5-222 Effective 05/06/26 Repealed 07/01/28. Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program.
(1) As used in this section: (a) "Master teacher" means a classroom teacher who has been approved by the teacher's administrator for an eligible initiative described in Subsection (6).
(b) "Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement [Pilot]Program" or "program" means the program created in Subsection (2).
(c) "Regional education service agency" or "RESA" means the same as the term is defined in Section 53G-4-410.
(d) "Teacher leader work" means nonadministrative leadership tasks that occur in conjunction with a teacher's main duties to provide instruction while avoiding formal administrative roles, other than those relating directly to teacher leadership or development, for the teacher engaging in the tasks, including: (i) leading teachers;
(ii) mentoring teachers; and
(iii) providing observations or feedback to teachers.

(2) There is created a [two-year pilot]program known as the Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement [Pilot]Program to provide funding to an LEA to improve retention of strong educators who remain in the classroom and have access to growth opportunities in the form of innovative teacher leadership tracks outside of contractual educator steps and lanes to: (a) foster development of leadership skills in participating teachers; and
(b) provide the opportunity for a master teacher to impact and provide guidance for fellow teachers seeking to refine instructional skills.

(3) The state board shall: (a) solicit proposals from LEAs and RESAs to receive a grant under this section; and
(b) award grants to LEAs or RESAs on a competitive basis based on the LEA's or RESA's application described in Subsection (4)(a).

(4) To receive a grant under this section, an LEA or RESA shall: (a) submit an application to the state board that: (i) describes the program tier for which the LEA or RESA is applying;
(ii) describes the eligible initiatives for which the LEA or RESA will use the grant amount;
(iii) provides evidence of the required matching funds described in Subsection (4)(b);
(iv) describes how the proposal will further the purposes of the program described in Subsection (2); and
(v) outlines the metrics the LEA or RESA will use to measure success of the program; and

(b) provide matching funds for a grant from a program tier as follows: (i) a 10% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 1 level grant amount;
(ii) a 15% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 2 level grant amount; and
(iii) a 20% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 3 level grant amount.

(5) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state board shall make rules: (a) subject to legislative appropriations, outlining the grant amount for each program tier described in Subsection (4)(b);
(b) describing the application requirements, including: (i) the required format for submission; and
(ii) relevant deadlines;

(c) establishing a scoring rubric; and
(d) describing any required reporting and performance measures.

(6) An LEA or RESA that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant award for an eligible initiative to achieve the purposes described in Subsection (2), including: (a) allowing a teacher to add to or be released from all or part of an existing teacher contract to engage in teacher leader work, which may involve a new or amended contract for a master teacher, for a period determined by the LEA and the teacher, while maintaining the master teacher's status as a teacher;
(b) providing extended contracts outside of steps and lanes, resulting in increased pay for increased work or for new roles involving teacher leader work on a schedule outside of steps and lanes as determined by the LEA or RESA and the teacher; and
(c) building or expanding LEA or RESA leadership tracks, including incentives for differentiated teacher leader work pay scales for classroom teachers.

(7) The state board may use up to 6.25% of the money appropriated for the purposes described in this section to pay for administrative costs the state board, an LEA, or a RESA incurs in implementing the program.
(8) Upon request of the Education Interim Committee, an LEA that receives a grant and the state board shall report to the Education Interim Committee on the program's progress and outcomes.

Section 2. Section 63I-2-253 is amended to read:
63I-2-253 Effective 05/06/26. Repeal dates: Titles 53 through 53G.
(1) Title 53, Chapter 2c, COVID-19 Health and Economic Response Act, is repealed July 1, 2026.
(2) Section 53-22-104.1, School Security Task Force -- Membership -- Duties -- Per diem -- Report -- Expiration, is repealed December 31, 2025.
(3) Section 53-22-104.2, The School Security Task Force -- Public Education Advisory Board, is repealed December 31, 2025.
(4) Section 53-25-103, Airport dangerous weapon possession reporting requirements, is repealed December 31, 2031.
(5) Subsection 53-25-602(4)(b), regarding the rights of a peace officer placed onto a prosecution agency's Brady identification system before May 7, 2025, is repealed December 1, 2025.
(6) Subsection 53-29-302(2)(b)(ii), regarding the requirement for the Department of Corrections to submit the results of risk assessments for sex offenders to the State Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, is repealed January 1, 2030.
(7) Subsection 53E-3-501(7)(e)(ii), regarding a report on the packet method, is repealed July 1, 2028.
(8) Subsection 53F-2-504(6), regarding a report on the Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators, is repealed July 1, 2026.
(9) Section 53F-5-221, Management of energy and water use pilot program, is repealed July 1, 2028. [(10) Section 53F-5-222, Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Pilot Program, is repealed July 1, 2028.]

[(11)] (10) Section 53F-5-223, Stipends for Future Educators Grant Program, is repealed July 1, 2028.
[(12)] (11) Subsection 53G-11-502(1), regarding implementation of the educator evaluation process, is repealed July 1, 2029.
[(13)] (12) Section 53G-11-506, Establishment of educator evaluation program -- Joint committee, is repealed July 1, 2029.
[(14)] (13) Section 53G-11-507, Components of educator evaluation program, is repealed July 1, 2029.
[(15)] (14) Section 53G-11-508, Summative evaluation timelines -- Review of summative evaluations, is repealed July 1, 2029.
[(16)] (15) Section 53G-11-509, Mentor for provisional educator, is repealed July 1, 2029.
[(17)] (16) Section 53G-11-510, State board to describe a framework for the evaluation of educators, is repealed July 1, 2029.
[(18)] (17) Section 53G-11-511, Rulemaking for privacy protection, is repealed July 1, 2029.
[(19)] (18) Subsection 53G-11-520(1), regarding optional alternative educator evaluation processes, is repealed July 1, 2029.
[(20)] (19) Subsection 53G-11-520(2), regarding an exception from educator evaluation process requirements, is repealed July 1, 2029.

Section 3. FY 2027 Appropriations.
The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2027. Subsection 3(a). Operating and Capital Budgets Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, the Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts indicated for the use and support of the government of the state of Utah. PUBLIC EDUCATION STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ITEM 1 State Board of Education - State Board and Administrative Operations From Public Education Economic Stabilization Restricted Account, One-time 2,400,000 Teacher Excellence Program 2,400,000

Section 4. Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.

3-6-26 6:52 PM