Doug Owens

• H.B. 412 Energy Development Planning Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Owens moves to concur with the Senate amendments and says the substitute adds a coordinating clause and a clause so the bill does not cover small farmers' irrigation system electrification.

  Read what they said

  To Concur and Senate Amendments. That motion is in other, would like to speak to it briefly. It's, uh, added a coordinating clause and another clause to make sure we weren't accidentally covering small farmers, uh, electrifying their irrigation systems. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

  ▶ Watch at 25:15

• H.B. 565 City Library Property Tax Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Asks to make an announcement and to request a personal privilege; the captions are too garbled to tell the details.

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  Thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, I wanted to announce, uh, would you like The personal Privilege? Wife, cousin? Would you like

  ▶ Watch at 14:20

• H.B. 158 Unlawful Tracking Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Moves to concur with the Senate amendments to the bill.

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  Representative Owens. Thank you Mr. Mr. Speaker motion to concur and sent with the Senate amendments.

  ▶ Watch at 1:23:03

• H.B. 158 Unlawful Tracking Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Says the amendment clarifies that a business that owns a vehicle can still track that vehicle when an employee is driving it.

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  Briefly. The this amendment, uh, clarifies that a business that owns a vehicle can still track that vehicle even though it's being driven by an employee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

  ▶ Watch at 1:23:10

• S.B. 292 Autonomous Systems Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026

  Asked about the rebuttable presumption for systems meeting federal standards, appreciated the sunset, and asked why non-economic damages are capped for autonomous vehicles when other motor vehicle cases are not.

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  Next. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, I appreciate the Sunset. 'cause I think this is to some extent, uncharted territory. It's interesting, I was in a couple cities over the summer that had these vehicles in 'em, and it's quite odd to see a whole line of 'em at a traffic light with no drivers when you're not used to that. Anyway, I, I think it's coming. It's generally a good idea. I wonder at a couple things, there's the rebuttable presumption that if it meets federal, applicable federal standards, that it's a safe vehicle. I worry a little bit about that presumption shifting. I mean, I don't know any, I I, yeah, I guess I, and then maybe just …

  ▶ Watch at 40:16

• S.B. 292 Autonomous Systems Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026

  Said that negligence is hard to show without a human driver, so the caps act as a compromise for product liability claims.

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  I see. Okay. Yeah, that's helpful to get that perspective. And then the, the caps, I would, I would say this in, in that really, when we're looking at liability here, it, it's hard to say that there's negligence. 'cause you're talking about a product liability, you're talking about a computer driving around. And so you don't have a person where you can say they were negligently in this lane, or they, they ran a red light or something like that. And so you would have to go to product liability. And so it, it's, in my mind, it's a little bit of a compromise saying, we'll allow you to still pursue a traditional tort negligence claim, but because it's …

  ▶ Watch at 42:35

• S.B. 292 Autonomous Systems Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026

  Asked whether the non-economic damages cap is essential, said a different amount for injuries from autonomous vehicles than from human-driven ones concerns him, and said he would not support the motion.

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  Mr. Chair. And I appreciate the motion. 'cause I, I like most of this bill, I are you, is the million dollar cap on, uh, non-economic, do you, do you feel like that's an integral part of the bill and you, you wouldn't like a motion to amend that at this point? I guess, yeah. I, I would resist that motion. It, it is been debated. Some, we have a cap on non-economic damages in the state of Utah for medical malpractice, and that's at four 50. And the bill started out aligned with that at four 50. And so we negotiated some and moved it up to a million. And so I appreciate that. And I'll hold my piece …

  ▶ Watch at 50:58

• S.B. 252 Water Usage at State-owned Facilities Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026

  Moves to pass the first substitute favorably and says he supports it.

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  A motion to pass with favorable recommendation. Um, I don't have the number at my fingertips, I'm sorry. Uh, for substitute 2 52. That one. Uh, Mike? That one? Yeah. Yeah. All right. Um, that motion is in order. Would you like to speak to that motion? It seems eminently sensible and I support it. Great. Um, further discussion to the motion, which is de favorably. Recommend first substitute SB 2 52. Seeing none will go to the sponsor. I'll waive. Thank you.

  ▶ Watch at 1:01:32

• S.B. 193 State Legal Holiday Amendments · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 4, 2026

  Supports the bill and discusses religious liberty, saying the bill respects religion without the government establishing it.

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  you, Mr. Chair. I preface this by saying I support the bill and thank the sponsor, especially for the bill Last year, I thought was a, also a wonderful, uh, um, stroke in the direction of according civility. As Representative Shallenberger mentioned a minute ago that we recognizing other faiths have holidays that they cherish as well. I think that's important for our state to do that. I think I, I just want to even, I do support the bill. I wanted to just, uh, explain maybe a slightly different take on it than maybe has been expressed thus far. The idea of religious liberty. Of course, I think everybody in the legislature, whom I'm acquainted with, uh, takes as …

  ▶ Watch at 1:29:43

• H.B. 494 Transfer of Water Interests · Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee · Mar 3, 2026

  Introduces H.B. 494 as a way to distinguish water rights from water shares in litigation and invites Rep. Chew to explain the amendment.

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  Thank you, Ms. Chair and Senator Slate. Um, this, uh, bill is about distinguishing an issue that's arisen in litigation that courts sometimes are not good at distinguishing the meaning of a water right from a water share. I want my good friend, the representative from the UN Basin to explain a little bit more. He helped work on an amendment to get some issues clarified and improved, so I'll let him speak Representative.

  ▶ Watch at 1:20:43

• H.B. 494 Transfer of Water Interests · Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee · Mar 3, 2026

  Gives deference to the state engineer and Farm Bureau, calls the approach an elegant way to clarify whether shares are tied to land or to an irrigation company, and recommends the bill.

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  Um, number one, uh, anytime, uh, Theresa and Warren are here, I give a lot of deference to how they are wanting to handle something. Um, they've, they've got a lifetime of history improving our, uh, water system and, and I appreciate their service to the state. Uh, number two, I think this is a really elegant way to handle it. I think it's an, it's been a matter of confusion in my mind and in spite of the fact that I'm oftentimes involved in litigation or things that touch on water rights, and I'll bring in a water expert re related to it. Um, but the idea of separating out and clarifying whether it's tied to the land or …

  ▶ Watch at 1:32:07

• S.B. 287 Targeted Advertising Tax · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026

  Rep. Owens asked Ms. Peters who the member organizations or funders of her organization are.

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  Thank you. Uh, Mr. Chair, Ms. Peters, who are the member organizations or funders of your organization that you represent?

  ▶ Watch at 1:17:59

• S.B. 248 Child Care Expansion Act · House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee · Mar 3, 2026

  Says the bill would benefit state employees who commute or relocate to the Wasatch Front, and supports it as a sensible solution for the building.

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  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, I hear that response to be, it wasn't aimed at benefiting Salt Lake County, but it's the one solution, or it was the solution that applied here, you know, the building you found. Um, and I would point out it benefits any state employee has the potential to be benefited who might be commuting from other counties or it, or might move to the Wasatch front for a state job. So I see this as a big boost to the morale of our state employees, and I think it's a sensible solution for that building. So I didn't reserve a right to make a motion. So I'll, I'll be anxious to support somebody else who …

  ▶ Watch at 1:42:54

• H.B. 483 Flower Sales Modifications · Senate Business and Labor Committee · Mar 2, 2026

  Presented HB 483, which would let people who may grow flowers on their property also sell them, subject to local licensing, and handed the presentation to the Farm Bureau.

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  Representative Owens, uh, house Bill 4 83 flower sales modifications. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Try to help you get back on schedule. This bill simply says if you have a right to grow flowers on your property, you also have a right to sell them subject to getting your local licensing. Uh, and I've got your licensing from your local, uh, municipality. And, and I'll just, uh, turn the presentation now over to the Farm Bureau, Mr. Terry Camp.

  ▶ Watch at 2:12:45

• H.B. 563 Radon Amendments · House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee · Mar 2, 2026

  Asks whether an EPA certification already exists for radon remediators.

  Read what they said

  Committee Representative Owens. Thank You, Mr. Chair, and thank Nice see you, Senator. Um, I just, uh, I, you said something quickly, I wanna make sure I understood it. There's already an EPA certification that these remediators have to have, or how did you say something about that?

  ▶ Watch at 12:45

Show all 155 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

• H.B. 117 Organ Donation Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 154 Water Loss Study Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 155 Water Rates Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 158 Unlawful Tracking Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 226 Alternative Incarceration Program Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 285 Local Planning and Regulation Impacts on Wildlife Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 400 Landscaping Water Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 412 Energy Development Planning Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 483 Flower Sales Modifications · Did not pass
• H.B. 490 Water Optimization Reporting Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 494 Transfer of Water Interests · Did not pass
• H.B. 509 Wetlands Study Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.B. 594 State Trails Week Designation · Did not pass
• H.B. 595 Public Trail Amendments · Did not pass
• H.B. 603 Divorce Amendments · Did not pass

Carried in the House as floor sponsor

• S.B. 89 Health Care Services Platforms · Governor Signed

About

In office since

January 1, 2021

Counties

Salt Lake

Profession

Attorney

Affiliations

Practicing attorney; founder of Utah Outdoor Partners, a non-profit dedicated to increasing the economic value of outdoor recreation.

Education

U of U BA 1984; Yale Law School 1989

Honors and awards

None listed in their official profile.

Committees

• Executive Appropriations Committee
• Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee
• House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee
• House Ethics Committee
• House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee
• Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee
• Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Interim Committee
• Legislative Management Committee
• Native American Legislative Liaison Committee
• Legislative Water Development Commission

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