Emily Buss

Voted for House Bill 471, which tightens who can get and keep Medicaid in Utah. Starting January 1, 2027, adults covered by the Medicaid expansion must prove they met federal work rules for the month before they apply, and again before each renewal. Their own word is not enough proof. People who qualify for an exemption, such as those who are medically frail, are excused, but the state must verify the exemption. Expansion coverage must be rechecked every six months. From October 1, 2026, the state may not give medical help to anyone who is not a citizen or a qualifying legal immigrant, unless federal law requires it. The state must also check enrollees against death records, address changes, and other states' lists. The Utah Senate passed it 20-5 and it was signed into law.

March 4, 2026Opposes Healthcare Affordability

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 76, which requires large data centers to report their water use. The law covers a data center that draws 75 acre-feet of water a year or more. Before a city or county approves a new one, it must notify the water suppliers that would serve it. From July 1, 2026, the operator of a new large data center must report its water use to the state before building and every year after. Some details may be kept private as business secrets, and an operator that fails to report can be penalized. The Utah Senate passed it 19-5 and it was signed into law.

March 5, 2026Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 185, which sets up a fund the attorney general may use to try to stop federal climate rules. That means any rule that would make Utah join a cap-and-trade plan, report carbon pollution, pay for climate cleanup, or face climate claims. The fund gets money the state wins in carbon credit lawsuits, plus any money lawmakers add. State agencies must also report each carbon credit they sell. The Utah Senate passed it 19-6 and it was signed into law.

March 4, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for Senate Bill 314, which tells the state health department to teach the public about sleep health and sleep problems, such as narcolepsy and sleep apnea. The goal is to help people spot the signs, get tested and treated, and see the risks of sleep problems left untreated, including on the road and at work. The department may work with schools, insurers, doctors' groups, and others to spread the word. The Utah Senate passed it 16-12 and it was signed into law.

March 3, 2026Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 419, which makes people who sue to block a coal mining permit post a bond before a court or agency can put the permit on hold while the case goes on. If they lose the case, they must pay the other side's losses from the hold. Utah already had this rule for permits from other state agencies, but coal mining permits had been left out of it until now. The Utah Senate passed it 15-5 and it was signed into law.

February 26, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 222, which shields people and companies from lawsuits over climate change. No one may be held liable, in a civil or a criminal case, for harm from any effect on the climate caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The only exception is when a court finds clear and convincing evidence that they broke a state limit on emissions or the terms of their permit. Before, a narrower shield covered only people living or doing business in Utah. Now it covers anyone, and bars every kind of court remedy. The Utah Senate passed it 20-6 and it was signed into law.

February 20, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 540, which requires the courts to build one website where the public can search all public court records, starting in 2027. Users must register, and the courts may charge only after 50 searches or 50 downloads in a month. The act also requires audio recordings of public court hearings outside justice courts, which people may request. Judges must file yearly financial disclosures that the public can see. The Utah Senate passed it 20-6 and it was signed into law.

March 4, 2026Supports Anti-Corruption

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 539, which adds human trafficking and serious abuse of a vulnerable adult to the crimes that count as domestic violence. It also changes bail. A court must presume a person is a danger if the person is charged with a serious domestic violence crime while out on probation, parole, or bail for another one. Police must send charges to prosecutors within five work days unless they have good reason to wait. Workplace protective orders now also cover volunteers at nonprofit groups. The Utah Senate passed it 19-6 and it was signed into law.

March 6, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 54, which requires anyone who drives a motorboat or sailboat to take a short state safety course each year, starting in 2027, and to carry proof of it. The course covers life jackets, boating under the influence, safe boating, and invasive species. A rental business must check for proof or give a safety briefing first. Breaking the rule is an infraction, the lowest level of offense. The Utah Senate passed it 20-5 and it was signed into law.

March 6, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 188, which requires a school to send a student to court after a third alleged drug possession offense at school. Before, school officials could choose other options instead. The principal must now also tell the student's parents about an offense at school. The act also bars youth probation officers from settling a case out of court when a minor 12 or older is accused of a drug-dealing misdemeanor. The Utah Senate passed it 21-6 and it was signed into law.

March 5, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 436, which gives a city that files a state housing report extra priority for state road money if its housing grew by 2.5% or more in the past year, as counted by new occupancy permits. The priority can go to a major regional road project inside or outside the city. The total boost to any project's ranking is capped at 7%. The Utah Senate passed it 20-8 and it was signed into law.

March 6, 2026Supports Housing Affordability

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 214, which makes it harder to sue gun makers and sellers when someone misuses a gun. A claim must fit one of a short list of exceptions and must spell out in detail what the company knew and how it caused the harm. A claim that a company broke a gun law now works only if that was the sole direct cause of the harm. A company that wins dismissal gets its legal fees paid. Cities and counties may not create their own liability for gun misuse, and the shield now covers gun accessories too. The Utah Senate passed it 19-6 and it was signed into law.

February 20, 2026Opposes Gun Control

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for Senate Bill 153, which made most voter records that had been private become public on May 25, 2026. A voter can keep a record private only by proving they are at risk, such as a victim of domestic violence or a police officer. The voter list may be used only for political and other lawful purposes, and misuse is a crime. Clerks must also remove dead voters within five work days of notice. The Utah Senate passed it 22-7 and it was signed into law.

March 4, 2026Supports Election Integrity

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 11, 2026

Voted for House Bill 357, which extends Utah's consumer privacy law to carmakers. For model year 2030 and later, a carmaker must give owners controls inside the car to manage what personal data it collects and shares, unless a model is not able to. A carmaker may also offer an app or a website, but may not make owners use one. Data needed for safety, such as airbags and crash avoidance, can still be collected without consent. The state's motor vehicle office must post owners' privacy rights online. The Utah Senate passed it 19-10 and it was signed into law.

March 6, 2026Supports Data Privacy

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 259, which gives parents the right to see all of their minor child's medical records, with a few exceptions such as sexual assault counseling. Hospitals and clinics may not block parents from a child's online records. They face a $1,000 fine for each record not handed over within five business days, and starting in 2028 a $1,000 fine for each day they block online access. The Utah Senate passed it 22-6 and it was signed into law.

March 5, 2026Opposes Data Privacy

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 11, 2026

Voted for Senate Bill 68, which lets a Utah person or business that is sued over a website disabled people cannot use sue back if the first lawsuit was abusive. A suit counts as abusive if its main aim was to get paid rather than to fix the website. The law presumes abuse if the business tried in good faith to fix the problem within 30 days of a detailed notice, or fixed it within 90 days. A court may award legal fees, plus punitive damages and sanctions of up to three times those fees. The attorney general may bring the claim. The law ends in 2031. The Utah Senate passed it 20-6 and it was signed into law.

February 17, 2026Opposes Civil Rights

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted for House Bill 330, which gives a person or a company a new defense when sued over harm. The defense applies if what they did was allowed or required at the time by a law, a rule, a permit, a license, or a government order. It does not apply if the agency that gave the permission found that they broke its terms, went past it, or got it by fraud. It does not cover suits over faulty products. The act also says it does not erase the duty to take reasonable care. The Utah Senate passed it 17-7 and it was signed into law.

February 25, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Emily Buss served as a Utah State Senator representing Senate District 11 after taking office on 2025-12-17.

December 17, 2025

Source: senate.utah.gov · researched September 9, 2026

Voted against House Bill 136, which requires police to tow a car when the driver has no license and the officer cannot confirm one was issued, with some exceptions. Officers must take a quick fingerprint of a driver they cannot identify. A second offense of driving without a license becomes a misdemeanor. The state's fee to get back a towed car rises from $425 to $600. The Utah Senate passed it 20-6 and it was signed into law.

March 5, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 11, 2026

Voted against House Bill 331, which renames the crime of threatening terrorism to terrorism and makes it cover acts carried out, not just threats. It makes it a crime to commit a crime to help a foreign terrorist group, or to act unlawfully as an agent of a foreign government. It also bans wearing a mask to hide from police while committing a crime in public, or while with others the person knows are doing so. Three or more people who block someone from a house of worship to stop them from practicing their religion commit a felony. The Utah Senate passed it 21-6 and it was signed into law.

March 5, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted against House Bill 209, which sets up a split ballot for elections starting in November 2026. A voter who has not given papers proving U.S. citizenship may vote only in races for federal office, such as Congress. It also has election officers check voter rolls for people who are not citizens. A voter gets notice and 30 days to dispute before being removed. The Utah Senate passed it 17-8 and it was signed into law.

March 4, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 11, 2026

Voted against House Bill 258, which requires a health plan that covers hormones or surgery for a sex transition to also cover the hormones or surgery needed to reverse one. It applies to plans that start or renew in 2027 or later. The Utah Senate passed it 17-9 and it was signed into law.

March 3, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 11, 2026

Voted against Senate Bill 174, which lets health care workers refuse to take part in any service that goes against their religious beliefs or conscience, such as birth control, abortion, or gender transition care. Employers may not punish them for it. A provider who refuses must post a notice that points patients to a state list of others who offer the service. Emergency care rules still apply. The Utah Senate passed it 22-7 and it was signed into law.

March 2, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 11, 2026

Voted against Senate Bill 234, which limits how strict Utah's environmental health rules can be. A state agency may not start a rule that sets a number limit on a pollutant in drinking water, air, or waste that is stricter than a federal standard on the same subject. Where there is no federal standard, the limit must rest on the best available science. Such a rule, if meant to protect health, must also show a direct link between exposure and a present illness or injury in people. A higher risk of disease is not enough. Emergency rules, rules that federal law requires, and site-specific rules that state law requires are exempt. The Utah Senate passed it 20-7 and it was signed into law.

February 23, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted against House Bill 404, which lets landlords, including private owners of dorms, boarding houses, and shared rentals, set aside housing for one sex where tenants share a bedroom or bathroom. They may limit it to people of that sex at birth, and Utah's fair housing law no longer counts this as unlawful bias. The rule does not cover housing run by state or local governments. The Utah Senate passed it 19-7 and it was signed into law.

February 20, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 11, 2026

Voted against House Bill 60, which narrows the reasons Utah's state engineer may use to turn down a request for a new water right. To judge harm to the public, the engineer may now look only at how the plan affects the use, amount, quality, or supply of water, plus factors a law names. The engineer may not turn down a request over a harm that another agency is better placed to handle, or one that is small. Protests count only if they speak to those points. Only a person who would be hurt in a direct, personal way may ask a court to review a decision. The Utah Senate passed it 18-7 and it was signed into law.

February 20, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026

Voted against Senate Bill 60, which cuts Utah's income tax rate for people and for companies from 4.5 percent to 4.45 percent, starting with the 2026 tax year. The Utah Senate passed it 22-7 and it was signed into law.

February 10, 2026

Source: legiscan.com · researched September 10, 2026