Emily Buss

• H.B. 89 Use of Polygraph Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Asks whether the amendment would allow police or prosecutors to ask or require suspects of sexual assault to take polygraphs.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. Um, for the amendment, are we going to ask or acquire suspects of sexual assault, uh, to take polygraphs?

  ▶ Watch at 52:02

• H.B. 337 Nicotine Product Tax Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Supports the bill, citing a sibling who started smoking as a teen and concern about young people's access to tobacco.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. I rise in support of this bill. I think if we're gonna tax something, it should be something that is harming us and our kids. And, um, I have a sibling who started smoking when they were in middle school and if it was more expensive and harder for them to access, maybe they wouldn't have been smoking for 20 years by now. And, um, I worry about my own young children and their ability to, um, stay away from these harmful substances and I think we should continue to make access to them more difficult for our young people. Thank you.

  ▶ Watch at 2:04:35

• S.J.R. 17 Resolution Encouraging Innovation in Legislative Analysis and Information Services · Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee · Mar 4, 2026

  Presented SJR 17, which encourages other state departments to explore responsible use of AI, building on the LRGC pilot tool that helps write plain-language bill summaries and analyses. Asked whether there was public testimony and then paused for committee action.

  Read what they said

  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, this resolution is just encouraging, um, other departments to follow the lead of LRGC. Um, they've been working on a small pilot program, um, to create a tool that helps, um, the analysts use AI to make, um, better bill summaries and analyses that are written in more plain language for constituents to understand. Um, this is something that they've been working on for a while. It is, it has oversight from the department and, um, this just encourages other departments within the state government to explore ways to responsibly use ai. That coll collegiate presentation it does. That was actually much faster than I thought it was gonna be. Oh, okay. So a good …

  ▶ Watch at 40:05

• S.J.R. 17 Resolution Encouraging Innovation in Legislative Analysis and Information Services · Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee · Mar 4, 2026

  Said AI tools would have built-in parameters, with department staff reviewing outputs for accuracy, and that plain-language summaries would help constituents and be tested on interim bills.

  Read what they said

  Um, so they would have parameters built into the AI tool. They've been working on it for, I think, six months now. And there would still be someone in the department that is reviewing everything for accuracy to make sure that there aren't incorrect facts in there. So this would help make like the highlighted provisions, um, be written in plain language, because currently it explains a little bit, but it's still filled with a lot of technical jargon, and a lot of constituents have a hard time actually deciphering if the bill's going to impact them or not, because they don't understand it all. Um, so if it, it's written in plain language, then they can use plain language …

  ▶ Watch at 42:36

• S.J.R. 17 Resolution Encouraging Innovation in Legislative Analysis and Information Services · Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee · Mar 4, 2026

  Said an LRGC staff member has been developing a tool for the department that it already has access to.

  Read what they said

  Um, there is a tool that there is one person from LRGC that's been working on developing a tool specifically for their department. So it's something that they already have access to that they've been working on perfecting. Okay.

  ▶ Watch at 43:46

• H.B. 328 Water Usage Modifications · Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee · Mar 3, 2026

  Buss thanked the sponsor, called the bill a good start that should include residential development, and said she would support passing it out favorably.

  Read what they said

  Um, I would just like to thank the sponsor for this bill. I think it's a great start. Um, and it doesn't do nearly enough. I think we should do more and have residential development included, but I, uh, would support passing this out favorably.

  ▶ Watch at 50:52

• H.B. 328 Water Usage Modifications · Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee · Mar 3, 2026

  Buss said the bill is not anti-turf, applies only to new development, requires developers be notified of requirements, and that defining non-functional turf in statute has been requested by water policy stakeholders.

  Read what they said

  Yeah. These, these are amazing, uh, people that have worked with us on this and that support this, and also the people who oppose it have been great to work with. I, I respect and admire and appreciate the work that our, uh, turf farmers, uh, provide to us. Uh, um, they have had some suggestions. The, uh, the idea that this is an anti turf bill, i, I don't think is, is accurate. Uh, there's a lot of turf out there, a lot of great places to have turf where it should be watered overhead and in, in a way that property owners, uh, deem to be most efficient or however they want to do it. I will, I …

  ▶ Watch at 53:11

• S.B. 189 School District Funding Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

  Presents Senate Bill 189, which creates an optional funding framework for high-growth school districts, and says the fiscal note is zero.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. I presented this earlier today. The fiscal note caught up and it is zero. Um, this just creates a framework for, uh, funding options for high growth districts in the future that they can choose to adopt and there's no fiscal impact on this. That concludes my presentation. Thank you. Do we have discussion?

  ▶ Watch at 7:46

• S.B. 247 Road Funding Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

  Moves her amendment and says she will circle the bill while the fiscal note is updated.

  Read what they said

  Thank you Mr. President. I have an amendment online in my name that I'd like to move and then I will circle it while the fiscal note catches up.

  ▶ Watch at 1:18:32

• S.B. 247 Road Funding Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

  Explains amendment two, which changes the rack price from the current 2.67 to the reduced 2.39 for next year, and says that is the entire amendment.

  Read what they said

  Um, amendment two just changes the rack price from today's rate of 2 67 to next year's reduced rack price of 2 39. That is the entire amendment.

  ▶ Watch at 1:18:44

• S.B. 189 School District Funding Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

  Explains that the fourth substitute replaces a state-administered loan program with a zero-cost framework that lets school districts create voluntary loan arrangements, with the state tracking and reporting outcomes.

  Read what they said

  Okay. So the thank you Mr. President, the fourth substitute, um, it takes this to a zero cost framework approach instead of creating a state administered loan program. Um, so it just creates that legal framework in place so that school districts can voluntarily create their own loan arrangements if they choose, and then the state would track and report those outcomes. So it's, it would be a zero cost. We're just waiting for the fiscal note to catch up.

  ▶ Watch at 1:37:49

• S.B. 189 School District Funding Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

  Says the substitute is now essentially the whole bill and moves to pass it if there are no questions.

  Read what they said

  Uh, thank you, Mr. President, um, that the substitute is basically the whole bill now. So, um, if there are no questions, I move to, uh, pass this bill.

  ▶ Watch at 1:38:45

• S.B. 189 School District Funding Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

  Responds that the fiscal note is still catching up, that the cost will be $0, and that the substitute removes the funding component entirely.

  Read what they said

  You know, Senator Buss. So we're just waiting for the fiscal note to catch up. It's going to be $0. It removes the funding component entirely.

  ▶ Watch at 1:39:28

• S.B. 189 School District Funding Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

  Says she was unsure whether another senator's question was resolved and that she will probably take a motion to circle the bill.

  Read what they said

  Uh, thank you. I wasn't sure if someone else had a question or if that was resolved. I, I'll Probably take a motion to circle.

  ▶ Watch at 1:39:54

• S.B. 247 Road Funding Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 42) · Mar 3, 2026

  Explains that the bill sets a lower gas tax rate starting in January, after a six-month reduction ends, and does not interfere with another bill.

  Read what they said

  Uh, lower rate. And, uh, this does not interfere with the speaker's bill. It's, it starts after his six month, uh, reduction ends and then it is at the lower tax cut for the gas tax starting in January. That concludes my presentation.

  ▶ Watch at 1:48:52

Show all 77 remarks →

From the official recordings' automatic captions, with speakers and summaries identified by AI. Use the ▶ links to check the recording before you rely on a quote.

How they voted

Their full voting record, attendance, and party-line score are still being compiled from the official roll calls. Each bill page shows their vote on that bill.

Bills they sponsored

• S.B. 189 School District Funding Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 247 Road Funding Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 291 Student Transportation Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 297 School Social Worker Amendments · Did not pass
• S.B. 320 School-based Food Pantry Amendments · Did not pass
• S.J.R. 17 Resolution Encouraging Innovation in Legislative Analysis and Information Services · Did not pass

Carried in the Senate as floor sponsor

• H.B. 22 Vintage Vehicle Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 541 First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program Amendments · Did not pass
• H.J.R. 11 Joint Resolution Recognizing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome · Did not pass

About

In office since

December 17, 2025

Counties

Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah

Profession

Executive Director and Social Service Worker

Affiliations

Utah Nonprofits Association (member), Valley Crossroads Chamber (member), Eagle Mountain City Public Library Advisory Board, Birthday Box Foundation Chairman of the Board, The Wellness Farm Foundation Advisory Board.

Education

Bachelor's, Brigham Young University - Idaho

Honors and awards

Utah Philanthropy Day Heart & Hands Award, 2025 Nonprofit of the Year, Elevate Business Impact Award, Executive Director and Founder recipient of 100 Companies Championing Women (2025 cohort)

Committees

• General Government Appropriations Subcommittee
• Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee
• Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
• Transportation Interim Committee
• Senate Government Operations Confirmation Committee
• Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee
• Senate Health and Human Services Committee

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