AI-generated summary, reviewed by Better Utah staff.

HB 44 makes several updates to Utah's school safety laws: it tightens rules for school guardians — trained, armed volunteer school employees — requiring them to carry their firearm concealed on their person at all times during school hours, with narrow exceptions for temporary storage in a biometric safe; it expands who qualifies as an armed school security guard to include special function officers (sworn peace officers in roles like school district security); it sets formal protocols for what happens when a school guardian or armed security guard uses deadly force, including mandatory administrative leave and investigation; it requires school districts to provide wearable panic alert devices to safety personnel in addition to classroom teachers; it establishes formal visitor check-in and access protocols for schools that choose to implement visitor management systems; and it creates new cybersecurity requirements directing the Cybersecurity Commission to set minimum digital security standards for school districts, with phased timelines and coordination between the Utah Cyber Center, the State Board of Education, and the Utah Education and Telehealth Network. School employees who volunteer to serve as armed school guardians face the most direct changes, as the bill significantly narrows when they may temporarily store rather than carry their firearm, adds incident reporting requirements, and creates new legal protocols if deadly force is ever used.