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9 LONG TITLE
10 General Description:
11 This resolution encourages all municipalities, public and private K-12 schools,
12 universities, and organizations supporting youth athletic teams and activities to allow
13 youth to wear religious clothing or headwear or to modify their uniforms to
14 accommodate religious beliefs or personal values of modesty without barriers or
15 limitations.
16 Highlighted Provisions:
17 This resolution:
18 ▸ acknowledges that all children and youth should have access to athletic teams and
19 activities without barriers and limitations; and
20 ▸ encourages all municipalities, public and private schools, and organizations that
21 support athletic teams and activities to revise internal policies and allow all children
22 and youth participating in athletic activities to wear religious clothing or headwear
23 or to modify their uniforms to accommodate religious beliefs and personal values of
24 modesty.
25 Special Clauses:
26 None
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28 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
29 WHEREAS, Utah's children and youth participate in team sports and other athletic
30 activities through municipal youth sports programs, public and private K-12 schools, colleges,
31 universities, leagues, and clubs;
32 WHEREAS, participating in athletic teams and activities has many positive benefits for
33 children and youth, like helping them develop friendships, develop leadership and teamwork
34 skills, improve academic performance, improve mental and physical health, learn
35 responsibility, and can lead to college scholarships and other enriching opportunities;
36 WHEREAS, if children and youth are excluded from athletic teams or activities at a
37 young age, many will be hesitant to seek these opportunities again and miss out on the benefits
38 and opportunities that would otherwise be available to them;
39 WHEREAS, children and youth who want to participate in athletic teams or activities
40 should have access to those opportunities from an early age without barriers or limitations;
41 WHEREAS, municipalities, schools, and organizations that support athletic teams and
42 activities should not use policies and practices that exclude children and youth who seek to
43 observe the tenants of their religion or personal values of modesty through their clothing from
44 participating, particularly with prohibitions against modifying uniforms to accommodate
45 religious clothing and headwear and making modesty adjustments to uniforms, or by making it
46 difficult to obtain permission to do so;
47 WHEREAS, over the past several years, many municipalities, states, and youth athletics
48 organizations across the country and in Utah have created policies to allow young athletes to
49 participate in athletic teams or activities while accommodating religious practices and beliefs
50 and personal values of modesty without needing uniform waivers; and
51 WHEREAS, all schools and organizations in the state have an opportunity to foster the
52 same inclusivity for all young athletes:
53 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
54 Governor concurring therein, encourages all municipalities, local education agencies, private
55 K-12 schools, colleges, universities, leagues, athletic associations, and clubs with youth athletic
56 teams or activities to evaluate and revise any policies and practices that prevent aspiring young
57 athletes from participating, particularly those that would prevent participants from wearing
58 religious clothing and headwear while participating, or prevent them from modifying athletic
59 uniforms to accommodate religious practices and beliefs or sincerely held values about
60 modesty.
61 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and Governor encourage the State
62 Board of Education and all local education agency governing boards to create policies allowing
63 students to modify athletic uniforms to accommodate their religious clothing, headwear,
64 practices and beliefs, or personal values of modesty without uniform waivers.
65 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and Governor commend all
66 organizations in the state that have proactively taken steps to allow children and youth
67 participating in athletic teams and activities to wear religious clothing and headwear or make
68 modesty adjustments to athletic uniforms, creating an inclusive environment for all of Utah's
69 aspiring young athletes.