• For the second straight year, legislative debate is expected on the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Last year, Rep. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, sought to opt Utah out of the law's strict — some say unreasonable — mandates and the more than $100 million tied to it. The House passed her bill, but Dayton pulled it for study after federal officials crashed Capitol Hill.

This year's bill is not finalized. But Dayton has said it would seek to favor the state's U-PASS —state accountability rules that include a litany of student tests. Some of those tests double for the NCLB and results could be publicly reported.

Meanwhile, HJR3, sponsored by Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, would have Utah use U-PASS until NCLB is amended and adequately funded.

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