Summit County’s state representative helped carry Utah religion-in-schools bill into law

Photo: Photo by CDC

PARK CITY, Utah — A new Utah law requiring public school students to study the role of religion in American history has a direct Summit County connection: Rep. Tiara Auxier, whose House district includes most of Summit County, served as the House sponsor of the bill and advanced a substitute version as it moved through the Legislature.

S.B. 268, titled Religious Curriculum in Schools, was chief-sponsored by Sen. Todd Weiler and carried in the House by Auxier. The bill became law after clearing the 2026 Legislature and being listed among the measures signed by Gov. Spencer Cox.

The new law does not authorize devotional instruction. Instead, it directs the Utah State Board of Education to require instruction in American constitutional government and citizenship that examines “the fundamental role of religion in United States history and the primacy of religious liberty to American constitutional government.” The bill says that the requirement must be in place no later than the 2027-28 school year.

The legislation also says the course should prioritize close reading of primary historical documents, including the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Iroquois Constitution, the U.S. Constitution, and George Washington’s Farewell Address.

Auxier represents House District 4, a large district that includes most of Summit County as well as Morgan and Rich counties. She was appointed to the seat in 2025 after former Rep. Kera Birkeland stepped down. A January report on the 2026 race noted that District 4 includes most of Summit County, though Auxier is from Morgan County.

For Park City and the rest of Summit County, the bill’s practical impact will depend on how the Utah State Board of Education writes standards and how local districts implement them. But the law makes clear that statewide curriculum requirements are coming.