Melissa G. Ballard

• H.B. 103 Underage Marriage Amendments · Became law
• H.B. 139 Female Genital Mutilation Amendments · Became law
• H.B. 210 Tax Penalties Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 219 Higher Education Civics Amendments · Became law
• H.B. 230 Offender Amendments · Became law

• S.B. 12 Sunset and Repeal Date Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Explains that the amendment adds the speech-language pathology and audiology licensing act and the hearing instrument specialist licensing act to the sunset revision bill.

  Read what they said

  Let me grab that amendment. That amendment is amendment number one under Representative Ballard's name? Yes. Um, this just includes the speech language pathology, audiology Licensing Act, hearing Instrumental Specialist Licensing Act into the Sunset revision. Bill.

  ▶ Watch at 1:56:28

• S.B. 232 Regulatory Impacts on Families · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Ballard says S.B. 232, Regulatory Impacts on Families, asks state agencies, counties, cities, and school boards to consider how their rules, ordinances, and policies affect families, with examples such as noise ordinances, zoning, and park placement, and that the bill does not penalize a body that fails to do so.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. Speaker. Um, the legislation that we do in this body really affects the families and neighborhoods all across the state. And so this, uh, bill titled Regulatory Impacts on Families literally addresses state agency rulemaking, county or municipal Legislative Body ordinances, um, or local school board adopting policies to ask them to consider the impact that their rulemaking, ordinance, or policy will have on the health, uh, of the family, the stability and the formation of, of their families. Let me give you some examples of this. One of them may be if a city's wanting to pass a noise ordinance, or it could be a housing or zoning laws that could have positive or negative impacts …

  ▶ Watch at 1:23:54

• H.J.R. 18 Joint Resolution Urging Congress to Eliminate Marriage Penalties · Senate floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Says the resolution urges the federal government to eliminate tax and penalty provisions that affect marriage, a effort also being pursued by Congressman Blake Moore.

  Read what they said

  Uh, thank you Mr. President. This is something that, um, is actually not only being worked on here on a state level, but also um, on the federal level with Congressman Blake Moore, who is also championing, excuse me, championing this, uh, issue. And basically it just urges, um, the federal level to get rid of those things that would eliminate, um, or excuse me, that would tax and, and penalize, uh, marriage.

  ▶ Watch at 1:38:59

About

In office since

January 1, 2019

Counties

Davis

Profession

Homemaker; Pianist and Teacher; Business Investor; Former adjunct faculty, University of Utah

Affiliations

Representative Ballard's service has included Chair of Higher Education Appropriations, Vice Chair Criminal Justice Appropriations, Founding Chair of the Higher Education and Corrections Council, Chair of Education and Mental Health Council, Chair of the Utah Marriage Commission. Founding Leader of Republican Women Lead PAC. Service on Utah legislative standing committees include Public Education, Transportation, Criminal and Law Enforcement, Business and Labor, Economic Development, and Social Services Appropriations. Nationally, service includes President of the Women's Legislative Network for NCSL, Vice Chair Children, Families and Human Services Standing Committee NCSL, Founding Board Member of the United States Hydrogen Alliance, Leadership Alliance for a More Perfect Union Founder's Council, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, and Green Hydrogen Coalition. In Utah, service includes the following Boards: Envision Utah, the Governor's Utah Education Commission, The Natural History Museum of Utah, Founding Chair of the SLCAP Advisory Board, and Founding Chair of the University of Utah School of Music Advisory Board. Representative Ballard's legislative experience has been in a variety of areas, including but not limited to, education funding transparency, improving government fiscal transparency, Medicaid, parental leave, planning for growth, energy production, early education, aligning workforce development with private and public higher education partners, aligning private with public mental and behavioral health organizations, planning for future transportation, simplifying government regulations, and support of the arts and museums. Work with the Department of Corrections has led to innovative prison reform, including increasing access to education, inmate debt, and preparation for reentering into society upon release.

Education

B.S., University of Utah; Masters of Music '94 Piano Performance and Accompanying, and Bachelor of Music '92 Piano Performance, University of Utah; Nationally Certified Teacher of Music

Honors and awards

Heart and Hand Award, 2008; Camarata Award Recipient, University of Utah, 2011

Email

mballard@le.utah.gov

Money and conflicts of interest

• Campaign finance reports (who donated to their campaign, from the Lt. Governor's disclosure site)
• Conflict-of-interest disclosures (jobs, businesses, and boards they must report each year): latest, earlier 1

Coming next: their top donors and disclosed interests shown next to the related votes.

Profile details come from the Utah Legislature's official legislator data.