AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.

Utah's State Board of Education currently has no formal, statutory ethics code, complaint process, or enforcement system for its members. This bill would create one for the first time, spelling out a written code of conduct covering conflicts of interest, misuse of position, and other prohibited behavior, along with a requirement that board members publicly disclose potential conflicts of interest. It would establish an independent five-member ethics commission—made up of former judges, former board members, and a former school district or charter school leader—to receive and investigate complaints filed by at least two board members or two registered voters, hold closed hearings with subpoena power, and determine by majority vote whether allegations are proven. Complaints, investigations, and the identities of those involved would remain confidential during the process, with violations subject to contempt penalties, and any proven violations would be referred to the full board, which could vote to issue public censures, written reprimands, remove a member from leadership roles, restrict certain board privileges, refer matters to law enforcement or other agencies, or recommend impeachment proceedings to the Legislature, which alone retains authority to remove an elected board member from office.