H.B. 300 Amendments to Election Law Sponsor: Rep. Jefferson Burton (R-Utah County) Bill Explainer: HB-300 Explainer PDF Position: Oppose
Overview:
H.B. 300 would end vote-by-mail in Utah by preventing voters from returning ballots through the mail system. Instead, voters would be required to drop off a completed ballot at a polling station during a specified time period when it is staffed by at least two election workers. While returning a ballot, a voter would need to show a government-issued ID and have their name checked against the voter rolls. Voters could still receive ballots in the mail but can no longer use the mail to return a completed ballot.
Explanation:
H.B. 300 would:
End vote-by-mail in Utah by eliminating the ability for Utah voters to return completed ballots via the mail system.
Substitute the word “remote ballot” for Utah’s current vote-by-mail ballot.
Remove the current network of official ballot drop boxes monitored by video camera.
Require a new system of ballot drop boxes that must be staffed by two people in order to receive remote ballots.
Limit ballot drop box hours from 8am to 8pm during the five business days before an election.
Require all ballots to be received by Election Day in order to be counted.
Require voters to show a poll worker a government-issued ID when dropping off a ballot.
Require voters to use a provisional ballot if a poll worker is not satisfied with the voter’s identity.
Require any town or city with fewer than 10,000 active registered voters to designate one official ballot drop box.
Add an additional ballot drop box for each additional 10,000 active registered voters in a city that are dispersed to “different locations throughout the municipality.”
Allow voters to apply to their county clerk for designation as a voter who can mail back a remote ballot—and submit the completed form in person to their county clerk.
Voters who request to return ballots by mail would need to re-apply every two years.
Background:
Utah’s vote-by-mail program began in 2004 and grew rapidly over the next decade. By 2016, 21 of 29 counties in Utah used vote-by-mail ballots. In 2018, 27 of 29 counties voted by mail and about 90% of voters in that election cast ballots by mail. As a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Utah lawmakers passed a law in 2020 that made vote-by-mail the default voting method for all registered voters. During the 2020 general election, 93% of Utah voters cast a mail-in ballot. During the 15 years after 2004, support for vote-by-mail in Utah has been bipartisan and popular. The current vote-by-mail system deployed in Utah contains more than 20 security measures to ensure accuracy and transparency—from triple checks for signature verification to barcode readers to prevent duplicate votes.
Beginning in 2020, some Utah policymakers began expressing concerns about vote-by-mail in Utah. Bills were introduced to eliminate or restrict vote-by-mail in Utah, but they rarely advanced beyond a committee hearing. However, rising resistance to vote-by-mail in Utah corresponded with increasing and unsubstantiated criticism of the outcome of the 2020 presidential contest that persisted for years after that election.
H.B. 300 is the outgrowth of consistent yet unfounded accusations of voter fraud and security lapses in mail-in voting. It also represents the first time that legislative leadership, including Speaker Mike Schultz, is backing efforts to eliminate vote-by-mail in Utah. Despite no evidence of actual voter fraud, and substantial track record of improving voter security and transparency in Utah, the campaign behind H.B. 300 is attempting to manufacture distrust of an election system that is performing extremely well and supported by the vast majority of Utah voters.
Talking Points:
H.B. 300 will end vote-by-mail in Utah as we know it.
If you can't return your ballot by mail, you can't call it vote-by-mail anymore. Utah’s election system would revert to universal in-person voting.
Vote-by-mail is convenient: More than 96% of ballots cast in recent Utah elections were vote-by-mail ballots.
Vote-by-mail is secure: 83% of Utah voters say they were very or somewhat confident in our current voting system in a recent survey.
Our lawmakers shouldn't let conspiracy theories determine how we run our elections in Utah.
H.B. 300 would turn back the clock in Utah by adding outdated and unnecessary restrictions that once discouraged many Utahns from voting.
H.B. 300 brings back a cumbersome voting system that Utah’s rejected more than a decade ago in favor of vote-by-mail.
Most Utahns believe vote-by-mail is secure. According to an October 2024 Deseret News poll, 75% of Utahns said they are confident that votes cast by mail in Utah are counted as voters intended.
Utah's secure and popular vote-by-mail system is the envy of the nation
Recent Polling Results on Vote-By-Mail and Utah Elections
H.B. 233 School Curriculum Amendments Sponsor: Rep. Nicholeen Peck (R-Tooele) Bill Explainer: HB233-Explainer-PDF PPAU op-ed on HB233: (PDF) Position: We oppose H.B. 233
Explanation:
H.B. 233 would:
Prevent employees of organizations that provide abortions (like Planned Parenthood) or their affiliates from being involved in “deliver[ing] instruction” or providing “materials or media on a health topic for distribution or display” in Utah public schools.
Apply to any materials created by an organization that provides abortion care—even if these materials are taught by public school staff or other instructors.
Block Planned Parenthood employees from engaging in health instruction in schools even if they are acting through another entity.
Allow the Utah State Board of Education to assign penalties and withhold state funding for any school district or charter school that violates this provision.
Background:
For more than 50 years, PPAU’s trained teachers have provided in-class instruction to students in Utah’s public school districts, as well as charter schools, private schools, and community groups. PPAU educators follow all state standards and curriculum guidelines outlined in Utah code and Utah State Board of Education rules.
Health instruction taught by Planned Parenthood educators, is always opt-in, requiring the written permission of parents or guardians for their children to participate. PPAU educators only teach these approved topics: maturation, sexually transmitted infections, abstinence and birth control. All PPAU public school teaching materials and lesson plans are approved by each district’s Human Sexuality Instruction and Committee. In addition, all selected curriculum must be approved by a vote of the school district’s Board of Education in a public meeting.
Talking Points:
All instruction health instruction provided by Planned Parenthood is opt-in. Parents and guardians of public school students must sign and return a permission form before their child receives any instruction from Planned Parenthood’s educators.
Many parents in Utah school districts want and trust Planned Parenthood’s trained educators to provide this instruction. Just like they rely on math teachers to explain long division and calculus, parents trust our educators to talk about puberty.
PPAU’s trained educators follow the state guidelines exactly. The only topics they teach are: maturation, sexually transmitted infections, abstinence and birth control, and healthy relationships. PPAU staff never discuss topics that are prohibited by state code, nor do they offer personal viewpoints or perspectives. PPAU educators know and follow the law, which is one reason why school districts want them in their classrooms.
All aspects of PPAU’s teaching materials and curriculum are reviewed and approved by a committee of parents and teachers in each district. These materials are available for anyone to review on each school district’s website. Plus, the entire curriculum is voted on by the local school board in a public meeting. The entire process is open and transparent for teachers, parents, and even lawmakers.
The first week of the 2025 Legislative Session is wrapping up!
At the Utah Capitol, our policy team is working hard to defend access to abortion and reproductive health care as well as support our allies and partners.
Already this year, the Republican supermajority has fast-tracked bills that attack and diminish rights for our immigrant and transgender communities—with more threats to democracy and an independent judiciary looming on the horizon.
Let us be clear to our friends and allies impacted by these bills: We see you. We hear you. And we are in this fight together.
You can find a list of bills we are following, as well as in-depth explainers, at our 2025 bill tracker. We update the tracker daily so you can stay informed during Utah’s fast-paced legislative session.
Now, let’s break down what you need to know about what went on during the first week of the session:
This bill would ban Planned Parenthood—and only Planned Parenthood—from teaching maturation and health classes in Utah’s public schools. Did you know we have been teaching these classes in Utah’s schools for over 50 years?
We know this bill is designed to punish Planned Parenthood. But the real people it will impact on are the parents of the 80,000 Utah students who—if this bill becomes law—can no longer send their kids to medically-accurate, informative classes taught by our trained teachers.
Watch your inbox and our social media for more information on what you can do to protect sex education in Utah schools as this bill moves through the legislative process.
This bill would end vote-by-mail in Utah as we know it.
If you want to keep Utah’s convenient and secure voting system intact (and we know 96% of you used a mail-in ballot in the last election), use this link to tell your lawmakers to vote no on H.B. 300 and stop conspiracy theorists from hijacking our election system.
Take Action!
Watch and share our Week 1 recap video on Instagram or TikTok where we share more about H.B. 300 and H.B. 233.
Check out our Bill Tracker which we update throughout the session with bill explainers, videos, and weekly recaps to keep you active and informed.
It’s been a tough start, but we know our Hive will be there to defend the rights of all Utahns. Make sure to follow us on social media (@ppacutah) for more frequent updates and videos as we move through the Legislative Session.
Ten days in and the legislative session is in full swing.
Bills attacking ballot initiatives, public sector unions, and transgender students are moving quickly through both chambers. Advocates are working hard to stop or amend these terrible bills—and the final versions could improve—but it’s still a tough season so far.
You can find a list of bills we are following, as well as in-depth explainers, at our 2025 bill tracker. We update the tracker daily so you can stay informed during Utah’s fast-paced legislative session.
Now, let’s review what happened during the second week of the legislative session.
This bill would ban Planned Parenthood—and only Planned Parenthood—from teaching health classes in Utah’s public schools simply because our health centers also provide abortion care. Did you know we’ve been teaching sex-ed in Utah’s school for over 50 years?
To set the record straight, PPAU’s education director Brittany Breneman wrote an op-ed that the Salt Lake Tribune published on Wednesday.
In it, Brittany wrote:
"Rep. Peck might think the purpose of her bill is to punish Planned Parenthood. But others know the real impact will be felt by the parents of the nearly 80,000 Utah students who—if her bill becomes law—will no longer have the option to provide their kids with age-appropriate sex education classes taught by our trained teachers. Also harmed will be many Utah school districts and charter schools who will need to scramble to purchase new curriculums and hire instructors to cover this state mandated instruction."
She went on to describe how all PPAU’s health classes are opt-in, and our teaching materials are reviewed and approved by committees of parents and teachers.
Once this bill starts to move, we will engage the thousands Utahns who support medically-accurate, age-appropriate health education so we can keep our educators in Utah public schools for another 50 years!
If this supermajority rule had been in effect in 2018, both the Medicaid Expansion and Medical Cannabis ballot initiatives would have failed—even though they won support from over 50% of Utah voters.
Maintaining our democracy means protecting our constitutional right to reform our government through ballot initiatives.
S.J.R. 2 is now at the Utah Senate—use the link below from our ally Better Boundaries to email or call your State Senator to tell them to vote “No” on S.J.R. 2.
Watch and share our Week 2 recap video on Instagram or TikTok where we share more about important bills.
Check out our Bill Tracker which we update throughout the session with bill explainers, videos, and weekly recaps to keep you active and informed.
The tough news keeps coming, but we know our Hive is strong and resilient. Be sure to follow us on social media (@ppacutah) for more frequent updates and videos as we move into the heart of the Legislative Session.
We’re wrapping up the third week of Utah’s 2025 Legislative Session, and things are moving fast.
Bills attacking both unions and voting by mail advanced in both chambers.
Here’s what you need to know.
You can find a list of bills we are following, as well as in-depth explainers, at our 2025 bill tracker. We update the tracker daily so you can stay informed during Utah’s fast-paced legislative session.
Now, let’s review what happened during the third week of the legislative session.
This week, the Utah Senate voted 16-13 to pass H.B. 267, which would end collective bargaining by public sector labor unions, including teachers, fire fighters, and police officers. The bill would blockunionsfrom representing public workers in negotiations for salaries, benefits, and safety measures—adding Utah to a handful of states with this prohibition.
Tell Gov. Cox to veto H.B. 267 by sending him a comment at the link here
The second bill on our radar would dramatically change how you vote.
Do you like dropping off your ballot on a weekend, or late at night?
Do you like being able to drop off sealed ballots for your spouse or kids all at once?
Do you hate waiting in two-hour lines to vote?
Then you’re not going to like H.B. 300, a bill that would end vote-by-mail in Utah as we know it. Despite lots of questions and only vague answers, H.B. 300 passed a House committee this week and is now being debated on the House floor.
If you like and trust how you currently vote in Utah—contact your House members using the link below and ask them to oppose H.B. 300.
Take Action
Watch and share our Week 3 recap video on Instagram or TikTok where we share more about important bills.
Check out our Bill Tracker which we update throughout the session with bill explainers, videos, and weekly recaps to keep you active and informed.
Next week marks the halfway point of the 2025 legislative session. Make sure you follow us on social media (@ppacutah) for more frequent updates and videos as we keep tracking the issues that matter most to you.
The halfway point of Utah’s 2025 Legislative Session has come and gone. Whether it’s all downhill or uphill from here, it’s still a hill.
Check out the updated list of bills we are following, as well as in-depth explainers, at our 2025 bill tracker.You can use this tracker to stay informed during Utah’s fast-paced legislative session.
On Thursday night the House Education committee passed H.B. 233 – School Curriculum Amendments (OPPOSE),the bill that would ban Planned Parenthood from teaching health education classes in Utah public schools.
It’s never a fair fight for Planned Parenthood at the Utah Legislature, but yesterday’s hearing made it even more clear. Despite an impressive line-up of testimony supporting Planned Parenthood—including a local school board member, a principal, a teacher, a parent, and our own education director—the committee voted 12-2 to advance this bill to the full House.
We are proud of the excellent health instruction that our colleagues provide in Utah’s public schools—and we will keep fighting for them.Will you help us?
Click on the link below to tell your House member to oppose H.B. 233 and allow Utah parents, teachers, and school districts to choose the health education curriculum they want for their children.
We are now hearing that the Senate wants to revise H.B. 300 by adding ridiculous ideas like stopping ballot counting at 11:30pm on Election Night, or requiring voters to write the last four digits of the SSN on their ballots.
The truth is that none of these changes will strengthen or improve Utah’s election system. If you like and trust how you currently vote in Utah—contact your House members using the link below and ask them to oppose H.B. 300.
The 2025 Utah Legislative Session is five weeks old and heading into the final stretch. But the attacks on reproductive rights, transgender health care, and the courts are far from done.
Stay informed and track key bills moving through the Legislature by using our 2025 bill tracker.
H.B. 521 was introduced this week, and this bill would prohibit public funding for transgender care for all Utahns at any age. This bill represents a vast expansion of the law passed in 2023 that banned transgender care for minors. It is another step by lawmakers to erase transgender people from our community.
This bill bans public funds from covering gender-affirming care—including hormone therapy and surgeries—for transgender Utahns, including adults.
It would impact Medicare, Medicaid, and the state employee health insurance program.
Medical professionals—not politicians—should make health care decisions.
The sponsor of this bill is using false accusations and fearmongering to try to ban Planned Parenthood from teaching health education in public schools. Add your voice to the hundreds of Utah parents, teachers, and elected officials who want to keep PPAU teachers and classes in our public schools.
What Happens Next:
HB 233 passed the House in a 51 Yes votes and 14 No votes on Friday afternoon despite strong public opposition and tough questions from our supportive lawmakers.
Next up is the Senate Education Committee—which will hear the bill next week.
Take Action
Watch and share our Week 5 recap video on Instagram or Tiktok where we describe where several important bills are in the legislative process.
Plus, you can find a list of bills we are following, as well as in-depth explainers, at our 2025 bill tracker.
We’ll be back next Friday with more updates. Thank you all for your continued support.
The 2025 Utah Legislative Session is entering its final stretch, but the fight is far from over. Attacks on sex-education, judicial independence and voter access are still moving ahead.
Stay informed and track key bills moving through the Legislature by using our 2025 bill tracker:
This bill is a direct attack on Utah parents' right to choose Planned Parenthood’s health education for their children. It has been assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, and the hearing is set for Monday, March 3rd.
The bill is rooted in misinformation and fearmongering—ignoring the voices of parents, educators, and local school boards. There’s still time to stop it, but we need your help right now!
Here is what you can do to help:
Use the link below to email members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee before Monday's committee hearing and ask them to oppose H.B. 233.
Share the link with your networks and get more supporters to send emails!
Share our recent Instagram or TikTok posts (link to educator video)
HB300 is a bill that makes it harder for Utahns to vote, especially by mail. Lawmakers released a new version of the bill this week—but it’s still terrible.
Here’s what it does now:
🔹Starting in 2028, Utah voters will have to request a mail-in ballot every eight years instead of automatically receiving one.
🔹Voters will be required to provide the last four digits of their driver’s license or state ID when returning mail-in ballots.
🔹All ballots must be received by 8pm on Election Night. If your ballot arrives late, your vote won’t count (but you won’t know it) and you won’t receive a mail-in ballot for the next election.
We’re watching HB300 closely and will update you if a call to action is needed. In the meantime, stay informed and spread the word.
Take Action:
Watch and share our Week 6 recap video on Instagram or TikTok, where we describe several important bills in the legislative process.
Share our HB233 Call to Action link to your networks.
Next week is the last full week of the legislative session, so make sure you keep speaking up and taking action!
The 2025 Utah Legislative Session is in its final hours, and this year, we’ve seen government overreach at an alarming scale. From attacks on health education and vote-by-mail, to power grabs that silence Utahns like you, the bills advanced this session will have lasting consequences.
We’ll share a full recap once the dust settles, but here’s what you need to know right now:
H.B. 233 – School Curriculum Amendments (OPPOSED)
On Friday morning, the Utah Senate voted 18-8 to pass H.B. 233, a bill that bans Planned Parenthood’s educators from providing health education in Utah’s public schools.
At the last minute, the Senate rushed to fix a glaring mistake in the bill that would have prohibited staff fromthe University of Utah Health and Intermountain Health—major health care institutions that also provide abortion care — from teaching maturation and health education in schools.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Nicholeen Peck, had dismissed these concerns. But when the bill reached the Senate floor, lawmakers passed an amendment to protect these providers—a clear indication of the sponsor’s uniformed and careless approach to this bill. Unfortunately, Planned Parenthood educators were not included in the amendment’s protections.
For over 50 years, Planned Parenthood has provided trusted, medically accurate health education in Utah classrooms. Despite Peck’s unsupported claims, our educators:
Follow all state laws, codes, and guidelines.
Teach only state-approved topics.
Only teach lessons that are reviewed and approved by a committee of parents and teachers along with local school boards.
Require a second parental permission form (in addition to the state-mandated form) to ensure full transparency.
Have never been the focus of complaints to the Utah State Board of Education.
H.B. 233 was never about protecting students. It was always about targeting Planned Parenthood, even if that meant making false accusations, spreading disinformation, and putting Utah’s largest health care provider and employer at risk as collateral damage.
This is not how policy should be created.
We want to thank everyone who spoke out against this bill. We see you and hear you, and so did Utah legislators who received thousands of emails and calls.
On Wednesday night, SB 284, a bill adding Medicaid coverage for doulas, passed the House and is now on its way to the governor’s desk. Doulas are childbirth experts who provide critical support before, during, and after birth. This is the third year Sen. Luz Escamilla (D) has run this bill, and if Utah’s Medicaid waiver is approved, doula coverage will begin in 2026.
Join the “Stop the Power Grab” Rally
If this year’s legislative session made you feel angry or frustrated, now is the time to take action.
Join us for the “Stop the Power Grab Rally” on Monday, March 10th at5:30 PM at the Utah Capitol South Steps.
Let’s show up to rally against government overreach and the onslaught of bills that threaten our democracy and strip power from the people. It’s also our chance to call on Gov. Cox to veto the worst of them.
This is our last legislative session update—but we aren’t going anywhere.
Follow us to stay informed about new campaigns, advocacy efforts, and services from Planned Parenthood of Utah throughout 2025.
And remember: Planned Parenthood’s door will stay open to anyone and everyone seeking sexual and reproductive health care and education, no matter what.
In this together,
PPAC Utah Team
Legislative Session Week #7
Week 7 Video
What Lies Ahead
As we prepare for the 2025 Legislative Session to begin, check out this list of potential threats on key issues we care about.
Download as PDF
Sign up for our Bill Tracker
Stay up-to-date on the latest bills and resolutions being considered by the Utah Legislature.
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