The Senate Education Committee on Feb. 14 recommended House Bill 184 with a favorable report and placed it on the committee’s consent calendar.

Representative Miller, sponsor of the bill, said HB 184 clarifies the responsibilities of the School Children’s Trust Section at the Utah State Board of Education (USBE): distributing earnings from school trust lands to schools, training local education agencies on allowable uses, and refining compliance reviews for land‑trust plans and expenditures. The bill adds a requirement for training on the state Open and Public Meetings Act and expands the list of officials who must receive training to include district and charter business administrators.

Kate Douglas, superintendent of Sevier School District and past president of the Superintendents Association, testified in support and said statewide superintendent, business administrator and school-board membership groups (RJLC) backed the bill. The sponsor and committee described the measure as technical and intended to improve program support without drawing funding from the general fund; the School Children’s Trust Section is funded through trust earnings rather than the income tax fund.

Senator Reiby moved to forward HB 184 with a favorable recommendation; committee members then voted to place the bill on the consent calendar. The motion and consent placement were unanimous.

Committee members said the school‑land trust program has produced benefits for local schools, and the bill expands administrative support and training consistent with recent statutory changes.