Michael J. Petersen

• H.B. 54 Boating Safety Education · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Presents a motion to concur with the Senate amendments to substitute H.B. 54, explaining that liveries that rent boats are exempt from providing a separate boating safety course because they already provide safety information.

  Read what they said

  You, uh, made one simple change, uh, Representative motion to, oh, can I Concur? Make a motion to concur. Thank you. Thank, Thank you representative. That motion in order, which I speak to it. Yes. Thank you. Um, what we did is we said because liveries companies that that rent boats, because they already provide voter safety information, they're exempted from having to, uh, to provide another course to their folks. Thank you. Representative. Uh, discussion to the motion to concur with the Senate amendments on first substitute HB 54. See none will go ahead and place the motion. The mo, uh, motion is the house concur with the Senate amendments on first substitute HB 54.

  ▶ Watch at 3:08

• H.B. 204 Higher Education Student Belief Accommodation · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Moves to concur with the Senate amendments to the bill.

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  You Mr. Speaker? Uh, I have bad news. I'd like to make a motion to concur with the Senate amendments.

  ▶ Watch at 7:15

• H.B. 204 Higher Education Student Belief Accommodation · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Explains that the word 'activities' was removed from the list of items for which accommodations will be made.

  Read what they said

  Yes. We just removed the word activities from uh, from the list of things that we will make accommodations for.

  ▶ Watch at 7:31

• H.B. 259 Parental Access to Children's Medical Records Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Moves that the House concur with the Senate amendments to the bill.

  Read what they said

  Good morning and thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, I make a motion that we adopt the, uh, that we concur with the Senate amendments.

  ▶ Watch at 17:23

• H.B. 259 Parental Access to Children's Medical Records Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Explains three changes in the Senate amendments: lowering the daily fine from $10,000 to $1,000, applying it per health system instead of per facility, and moving the compliance date back one year.

  Read what they said

  I would thank you. Uh, we, there're just, uh, really three simple things that we did. One is that we, uh, said that it, so there's some fines associated with not complying with the need to, uh, show the parent or show the child the child's records. We moved them from $10,000 a day to $1,000 a day. Then we moved that, uh, instead of per facility because, uh, some, some of our companies have 150 facilities that would've been, uh, a ginormous un undoable thing. So it's per per health system. And then we, uh, reduce the, oh, then we, uh, change the compliance date out another year. So three simple things.

  ▶ Watch at 17:35

• S.J.R. 8 Joint Resolution to Initiate a Law School at Utah Valley University · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Raises concerns that the proposed location does not serve Cache Valley and that Utah Valley University is not the right institution to sponsor a law school.

  Read what they said

  Uh, thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, cash Valley also, we have, uh, we take Umbridge with this idea of importance of Wasatch Front. Uh, Cache Valley is, is really heaven. But anyway, um, I, I'd also wanted to say, I, I'm concerned that, uh, not only, not only do I have problems with the, with the location of this, where it doesn't serve, uh, really Cache Valley, but it also, I have, I have concern that we have two universities. There are two universities in, in the state, and I don't know that it's, uh, that Utah Valley University is a, is the right location, or excuse me, the right kind of a, a university to be, to be, uh, …

  ▶ Watch at 50:58

• S.B. 292 Autonomous Systems Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Asks to yield to the sponsor for a series of questions.

  Read what they said

  Thank you. Mad Madam. Speaker Pro te uh, would the sponsor yield to a couple of questions? Will the sponsor yield to a series of questions?

  ▶ Watch at 1:10:13

• S.B. 292 Autonomous Systems Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Asks about the lines 373 to 375 and says the bar for the new manufacturer and developer claim seems nearly impossible to reach.

  Read what they said

  So I'm looking at lines 3 73 to 3 75. Madam Speaker, I, I'm not an attorney, so I'm, I'm not sure I understand this, but as I look at these lines, the, uh, it seems to me that the bar set, if, if, if someone needs to, if someone needs to claim damages or sue the bar is set, probably, it's probably an impossible bar to ever reach. So I'm wondering if the, if the sponsor could respond to that, help me understand this.

  ▶ Watch at 1:10:24

• S.B. 292 Autonomous Systems Amendments · House floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026

  Asks whether the new claim would have to be brought as a class action.

  Read what they said

  And, and so that, that, uh, I guess item B, would that would've to be a class action suit, uh, is my assumption?

  ▶ Watch at 1:12:04

• S.B. 192 Legislative Activities Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Expresses concern about language on lines 372 onward regarding technical corrections by Legislative Research and General Counsel and supports circling the bill.

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  Thank you, Mr. Speaker ProAm. I, I just, uh, I also have concerns. I I look at the section, uh, beginning on, uh, line 3 72 where it says that the Office of Legislative research and General Counsel under the direction of general counsel shall review, examine and correct any technical errors. I I, I just worry that, uh, we might be getting into space. That's, I, I, I, I think it's a good idea to circle and and to look at this. Thank you.

  ▶ Watch at 55:44

• S.B. 192 Legislative Activities Amendments · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Says he has concerns about the section requiring General Counsel to review and correct technical errors, and supports circling the bill to examine it.

  Read what they said

  Thank you, Mr. Speaker ProAm. I, I just, uh, I also have concerns. I I look at the section, uh, beginning on, uh, line 3 72 where it says that the Office of Legislative research and General Counsel under the direction of general counsel shall review, examine and correct any technical errors. I I, I just worry that, uh, we might be getting into space. That's, I, I, I, I think it's a good idea to circle and and to look at this. Thank you.

  ▶ Watch at 55:44

• H.B. 373 Higher Education Innovation · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Asked what the difference was between the House and Senate versions of the bill.

  Read what they said

  Would you tell us again what the, I, I I'm sorry Mr. Speaker, but I don't understand what the, what the difference was.

  ▶ Watch at 1:49:15

• H.B. 373 Higher Education Innovation · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Asked to yield for a follow-up question.

  Read what they said

  May I ask another, a follow up Question? Representative, will you yield to a follow up question?

  ▶ Watch at 1:49:40

• H.B. 373 Higher Education Innovation · House floor debate (day 44) · Mar 5, 2026

  Asked to confirm that the funding changed from $17 million from performance funding to $50 million.

  Read what they said

  If I understand correctly, we went from 17 million from performance. Now we're now it's instead of 17, it's 50 million. Is that correct?

  ▶ Watch at 1:49:45

• H.B. 543 Uniform Commercial Code Amendments · House floor debate (day 41) · Mar 2, 2026

  Supports the bill, saying the sponsor's account of the issue proved accurate after discussions with him and others over two to three years.

  Read what they said

  Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, I rise in support of this. Um, when, uh, the good, uh, sponsor from Huntsville told me about this issue two to three years ago, I was shocked to discover that what he told me was actually true. And so I'm grateful for this, uh, for this coming forward. And it has been, uh, it has been discussed and, and, uh, I've been in discussions with others, uh, other elected officials about this for like, like I say, two or three years about, uh, to talk about this. So I'm grateful that he's, that he's brought this forward. I standard support.

  ▶ Watch at 59:47

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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. 54 Boating Safety Education · Governor Signed
• H.B. 204 Higher Education Student Belief Accommodation · Governor Signed
• H.B. 259 Parental Access to Children's Medical Records Amendments · Governor Signed
• H.C.R. 4 Concurrent Resolution Regarding Religious Freedom · Governor Signed

About

In office since

January 1, 2021

Counties

Cache

Profession

Instructional Designer/Consultant

Education

BS Psychology (BYU); MEd Counseling Psychology (BYU); PhD Instructional Technology (USU)

Honors and awards

None listed in their official profile.

Committees

• Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee
• House Government Operations Committee
• House Transportation Committee
• Government Operations Interim Committee
• Transportation Interim Committee
• Federalism Commission

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