USU 2026 Legislative News: Mid-Session Update

With just under one month left in the Utah Legislative Session, Utah State University leaders still have much work to do in advocating for higher education and the university with state legislators. The university is also tracking many relevant bills making their way through the legislative process and assessing their potential impacts on USU.

Overview and Budget Requests

USU President Brad Mortensen gave a university overview to the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Feb. 5, including economic impact in the state, enrollment, credentials, budget requests and changes to the university’s strategic reinvestment plan.

This year, USU’s budget requests prioritized through the Utah System of Higher Education, USHE include $50,000-plus operations and maintenance ask for a hazardous waste facility to support research and $2 million in ongoing funds to strengthen Utah’s statewide water research and monitoring capacity to support communities, agriculture and economic resilience. USU also has the only degree-granting institution capital request: a $19.5 million non-dedicated funds request, which would be combined with just over $27 million of in dedicated funds and a previous legislative distribution to remodel and expand the historic animal science building to deliver cutting-edge research and instruction in math, statistics, data science, computer science and AI.

USU’s presentations have been well received, and university leaders appreciate the engagement and thoughtful questions from legislators. That said, this is a tight budget year, and as always, final funding decisions will not be known until the last day of the session on March 6.

President Mortensen also addressed the subcommittee’s concerns about the USU performance audit on Monday, as that as the subcommittee that is assigned responsibility for status updates on the audit. Harrison Kleiner also gave a status update on the Center for Civic Excellence. Those interested in engaging in or who have questions about the ongoing design of courses through the Center for Civic Excellence are encouraged to reach out to Kleiner, Matt Sanders or any representative serving on the planning committees.

As the session progresses, legislators will sometimes advance priorities that were not submitted by the university or prioritized through USHE. This year that has included a proposal related to funding support for Extension’s Rural Business & Agricultural E-Commerce Accelerator, the governor’s budget and follow up presentation regarding potential additional ongoing funding for the Center for Civic Excellence, and funding to support K12 leadership development efforts through the Covey Leadership Center. USU is also part of consortium requests connected to the K12 Professional Outreach Programs in the Schools (POPS) arts program, and outcomes related to those requests will become clearer as the session concludes.

Up Next: Final Release of Strategic Reinvestment Plan Funds

President Mortensen originally presented an updated version of the strategic reinvestment plan to the Legislative Executive Appropriations Committee on Dec. 9, 2025, and received preliminary support. The committee released 30% of the $12.6 million in withheld funds for USU but held back the remaining funds until they were able to review the USU performance audit. Mortensen will return to the committee on Wednesday evening to address the audit recommendations and discuss the university’s progress. Based on ongoing discussions, the university is optimistic this review will position the remaining funds for release.

Weekly Updates from USHE

The Utah System of Higher Education shares a weekly update about legislative affairs that affect higher education every Monday during the session. To stay up to date, visit the USHE newsroom.

Next USU Town Hall

A university town hall will be on March 6, the final day of the legislative session, to discuss legislation passed during the session, its potential impact on USU, and to answer questions. Additional details will be shared soon.