Utah legislator introduces bill requiring potty training by kindergarten
Jan 31, 2024, 10:43 AM | Updated: Jun 28, 2024, 3:38 pm

FILE: Holly Duke teaches all-day kindergarten at West Kearns Elementary. (Josh Szymanik/KSL TV)
(Josh Szymanik/KSL TV)
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker has proposed a bill requiring children to be potty-trained before starting kindergarten.
Rep. Douglas Welton, R-Payson, introduced HB331 which would make potty training an enrollment requirement for kindergarten beginning with the 2024-25 school year.
Under this bill, students who were enrolled but found not to be potty trained and their parents would be referred to a school social worker or counselor for support. The student would then be reintegrated into the class after they were properly toilet trained.
The bill specifies that students who have disabilities that are described in an IEP or individualized education plan would be exempt from the potty training requirement.
The bill did not specify exactly how the schools would verify if a child was potty trained other than “assurances from a parent.”
If passed, the law would go into effect on May 1.