Merit Institute Merit

The Utah Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (UT-MEWRA)

Utah state companion to MEWRA. Builds on the Utah Fits All Scholarship (Utah Code Sec. 53F-6-401 et seq.), Utah State Charter School Board framework, and Utah System of Higher Education performance mechanisms.

THE UTAH MERIT-BASED EDUCATION & WORKFORCE REFORM ACT (UT-MEWRA)

Vehicle: State passage. Utah Legislature, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Education.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Utah Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (UT-MEWRA).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The Legislature finds that Utah enacted the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program under Utah Code Sec. 53F-6-401 et seq. (2023 HB 215); that Utah’s charter-school framework operates under Utah Code Title 53G Ch. 5; that the Utah State Charter School Board authorizes charter schools under Sec. 53G-5-205; that the Utah System of Higher Education administers performance-funding under Utah Code Title 53B; that DWS administers Individual Training Accounts under Utah Code Title 35A; and that Utah publishes the Utah School Report Card and PACE ratings under Utah Code Title 53E. This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH UTAH LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “Utah outcome-based school” means a provisional school authorized under Title II by the Utah Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“UT-OBSA”).
  2. (b) “Utah Fits All” means the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program under Utah Code Sec. 53F-6-401 et seq.
  3. (c) “DWS ITA” means a training account under Utah Code Title 35A.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Utah Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • Utah Code Sec. 53F-6-401 et seq. (Utah Fits All).
  • Utah Code Title 53G Ch. 5 (charter schools).
  • Utah Code Title 53B (Utah System of Higher Education).
  • Utah Code Title 35A (DWS).
  • Utah Code Title 53E (K-12 public education accountability).

TITLE II — UTAH OUTCOME-BASED SCHOOL AUTHORIZER

Sec. 201. Establishment of UT-OBSA

  1. (a) The State Board of Education shall designate, within existing charter-authorizer infrastructure under Utah Code Title 53G Ch. 5, a Utah Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“UT-OBSA”) operating alongside the Utah State Charter School Board.
  2. (b) UT-OBSA shall authorize provisional schools without requiring regional-accreditor accreditation.

Sec. 202. Outcome-Based Authorization Standard

  1. (a) Authorization requires publication of outcome metrics under Sec. 401.
  2. (b) Facilities, safety, and background-check standards applicable under Utah Code Title 53G Ch. 5.
  3. (c) Four-year term, renewable on thresholds.

TITLE III — EDUCATION-FUND PORTABILITY

Sec. 301. Utah Fits All Extension

  1. (a) A Title II-authorized school is eligible as a participating education-service provider under Utah Fits All under Utah Code Sec. 53F-6-401 et seq.
  2. (b) The Program manager designated under Sec. 53F-6-402 shall treat Title II-authorized schools equivalently.

Sec. 302. DWS Training Accounts

  1. (a) DWS shall ensure that within 24 months, at least 50 percent of training-account disbursements flow to providers publishing outcome data in the UT-OBSA Registry or Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Through the Utah ETPL under 29 U.S.C. Sec. 3152 and Utah Code Title 35A.

TITLE IV — PUBLISHED OUTCOME METRICS

Sec. 401. Utah Outcome-Metrics Registry

  1. (a) UT-OBSA shall publish completion rate; one- and three-year post-completion earnings medians; post-completion licensure, UTRMC, or Federal FRAC attainment.
  2. (b) Data sources: the Utah Data Research Center under Utah Code Sec. 35A-14 and DWS wage records, to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 402. Coordination with the Federal NLMF

  1. (a) Crosswalked to the Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Nothing authorizes disclosure of PII except as permitted by Utah Code Title 63G Ch. 2 (Government Records Access and Management Act) and 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g (FERPA).

TITLE V — ENFORCEMENT & REMEDIES

Sec. 501. Non-Compliant Provider Remedies

  1. (a) Suspension of Utah Fits All eligibility; UT-OBSA Registry suspension; administrative penalty up to $500,000 per willful violation, consistent with Utah Code Title 53G Ch. 5 enforcement.
  2. (b) No private right of action.

TITLE VI — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 602. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect May 1 of the year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: MEWRA. Other Utah bills: UT-ACSA, UT-GT&P, UT-AI-Workforce.