Joseph Elison is a Republican state representative from Utah House District 72 who has served since 2023 and is seeking re-election on November 3, 2026.[1][2]Elison is a business owner who lives in Washington County.[1]
Joseph Elison lives in Washington County, Utah, and graduated from Hurricane High School.[1]His career experience includes owning a business, and he served as president of the Hurricane Valley Rotary Club.[1]
Elison took office in 2023, succeeding Rex Shipp in District 72.[1]
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Republicans voted. How topics are assigned
›Rights & public safety213 with · 12 against225 votes
This bill addresses provisions related to injuries from dog attacks. This bill: establishes that an individual injured in a dog attack may bring a claim for damages within four years of the injury; raises the maximum award from $50,000 to $75,000 in arbitration and at trial for a bodily injury claim resulting from a dog attack, not including certain costs; and makes technical and conforming changes.
This bill addresses provisions related to voter registration. This bill: defines terms; creates a process for an individual to receive a voter registration form and voter registration information when purchasing a hunting or fishing license; and permits the lieutenant governor or the legislative auditor general to contract with a third-party to assist in the review and identification of inaccuracies in the voter registration database.
Feb 9, 2026 · Passed 39–32 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill amends provisions related to local referendums. This bill: defines terms; subject to certain exceptions, establishes a process for voters who are residents of a school district to hold a local referendum on any legislative action taken by the local school board, including the local school board's decision to increase a tax or impose a new tax; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Feb 25, 2025 · Passed 40–33 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill creates the Utah-Ireland Trade Commission within the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. This bill: creates the Utah-Ireland Trade Commission (trade commission) within the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (office); describes the membership, purpose, and duties of the trade commission; provides that the office staff the trade commission; requires an annual report; authorizes the office to solicit funds for certain purposes and to account for those funds; and provides a sunset date of July 1, 2030.
This bill authorizes municipalities to place a political subdivision lien on property for certain past due services and makes related amendments. This bill: defines terms and modifies definitions; authorizes a municipality that sets a fee schedule by ordinance or resolution for water, sewer, or utility-related services provided by the municipality, to bill a customer receiving the water, sewer, or utility-related services; authorizes a municipality to place a political subdivision lien on property for certain past due service fees after providing notice of: the past due fees; and the…
This bill modifies provisions related to property tax. This bill: defines terms; prohibits taxpayers from receiving the homeowner's credit unless the taxpayer received the credit within the previous two years, beginning in 2026; removes requirements for annual inflation adjustments for the homeowner's credit; increases the household income limits and maximum credit amounts allowed for a renter's credit; changes the qualifications, scope, duration, and rates of interest applicable to the discretionary and nondiscretionary property tax deferral programs; prohibits taxpayers from receiving…
This bill enacts provisions in public education related to water safety. This bill: defines terms; requires the inclusion of water safety instruction in the public education core curriculum standards for physical education; allows the exemption of a student from required water safety instruction under certain circumstances; allows a local education agency (LEA) to: provide swim instruction, lifeguard certification training, and swim instructor certification training as courses under certain conditions; construe the completion of certain courses toward physical education credit requirements or…
Feb 26, 2025 · Passed 38–37 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill amends provisions related to local referendums. This bill: defines terms; subject to certain exceptions, establishes a process for voters who are residents of a school district to hold a local referendum on any legislative action taken by the local school board, including the local school board's decision to increase a tax or impose a new tax; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Feb 25, 2025 · Passed 40–33 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill addresses grants for entities that provide free diapering supplies to individuals. This bill: defines terms; requires the Department of Health and Human Services (department) to, within appropriations, award grants to nonprofit entities who provide free diapering supplies; provides rulemaking authority to the department to govern the awarding of grants; creates the Diapering Supplies Fund; allows individual taxpayers to make contributions to the Diapering Supplies Fund on tax returns; and requires reporting related to awarded grants.
This bill amends provisions related to notice requirements for regulated residential treatment programs. This bill: defines terms; and requires regulated residential facilities to: notify nearby property owners and residents before beginning operations; and provide contact information for a designated representative to neighboring residents.
Feb 10, 2026 · Failed 29–40 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill addresses grants for entities that provide free diapering supplies to individuals. This bill: defines terms; requires the Department of Health and Human Services (department) to, within appropriations, award grants to nonprofit entities who provide free diapering supplies; provides rulemaking authority to the department to govern the awarding of grants; creates the Diapering Supplies Fund; allows individual taxpayers to make contributions to the Diapering Supplies Fund on tax returns; and requires reporting related to awarded grants.
This bill addresses malpractice actions against health care providers. This bill: defines terms; with respect to a medical malpractice action: repeals requirements related to affidavits of merit; prohibits prejudicing a defendant in an adjudication of a claimant's claims; prohibits pursuing or collecting on a judgment against a health care provider's personal income or assets, with exceptions; grants access to the court's Xchange database to the Division of Professional Licensing (division); establishes data collection and reporting requirements for the division; amends procedure pertaining…
Feb 28, 2025 · Passed 41–25 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill addresses the use of overhead spray irrigation under specified circumstances. This bill: defines terms; directs a municipality or county to require compliance with a prohibition on use of overhead spray irrigation as part of land use approvals; requires a municipality or county to give notice of the prohibition on use of overhead spray irrigation; encourages a municipality or county to review certain plans, act on the plans, inspect for compliance, and address noncompliance; and prohibits for new development and redevelopment the use of overhead spray irrigation except under certain…
Feb 24, 2025 · Failed 32–36 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill addresses provisions related to heavy duty vehicles. This bill: defines terms; establishes a fee for a registration or renewal of a heavy duty vehicle with a 2009 or older model year; provides for the deposit of revenue from the registration or renewal fee into the Environmental Mitigation and Response Fund; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Feb 17, 2026 · Failed 33–37 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill authorizes municipalities to place a political subdivision lien on property for certain past due services and makes related amendments. This bill: defines terms and modifies definitions; authorizes a municipality that sets a fee schedule by ordinance or resolution for water, sewer, or utility-related services provided by the municipality, to bill a customer receiving the water, sewer, or utility-related services; authorizes a municipality to place a political subdivision lien on property for certain past due service fees after providing notice of: the past due fees; and the…
This bill addresses a highway authority's ability to regulate a controlled-access highway. This bill: clarifies that a highway authority may limit traffic under certain conditions; and grants rulemaking authority.
This bill addresses provisions related to heavy duty vehicles. This bill: defines terms; establishes a fee for a registration or renewal of a heavy duty vehicle with a 2009 or older model year; provides for the deposit of revenue from the registration or renewal fee into the Environmental Mitigation and Response Fund; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Feb 17, 2026 · Failed 33–37 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill addresses vehicle lighting requirements relating to cargo carriers and bicycle racks. This bill: prohibits operating a motor vehicle when a cargo carrier obscures required tail lights unless auxiliary lighting equipment or reflectors are installed; establishes compliance requirements for operators; provides standards for auxiliary lighting equipment and reflectors; establishes exemptions for certain vehicles; and provides penalties for violations.
This bill addresses provisions regarding homeless services. This bill: modifies and defines terms; amends exceptions for conveyance, lease, or disposal of certain property owned by the Division of Facilities Construction and Management with the consent of the governing body of the municipality in which the property is located; provides funds received from a lease may be used for the operations and maintenance of the leased space; creates the Mitigation Fund Task Force; amends the name of the Shelter Cities Advisory Board to the Shelter Cities Coordinating Council; amends the name of the…
Mar 3, 2026 · Failed 34–37 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill creates the homeless service provider ombudsman within the Office of Homeless Services. This bill: defines terms; creates the homeless services provider ombudsman (ombudsman) within the Office of Homeless Services (office); describes the duties and functions of the ombudsman; authorizes the office to make rules to implement and carry out the ombudsman's duties and functions; and provides for a sunset review after five years.
This bill amends provisions related to notice requirements for regulated residential treatment programs. This bill: defines terms; and requires regulated residential facilities to: notify nearby property owners and residents before beginning operations; and provide contact information for a designated representative to neighboring residents.
Feb 10, 2026 · Failed 29–40 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill amends provisions regarding the accessibility of sensitive material through digital instructional material in a school setting. This bill: defines a term; prohibits a Local Education Agency (LEA) from providing certain materials to students that have been removed statewide; requires an LEA to review instructional material an LEA adds to the LEA's collection of instructional material; enacts certain prohibitions on a vendor of digital instructional material; and makes technical and conforming changes.
Feb 20, 2026 · Passed 47–17 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill amends the electronic signature gathering process. This bill: defines a term; requires the device used to electronically gather signatures for an initiative petition, a referendum petition, or a candidate nomination petition (collectively, "petition") to be capable of scanning and extracting certain data from a driver license, state identification card, or another form of valid voter identification; beginning on January 1, 2028, requires the device described above to be capable of operating in an offline environment; beginning on January 1, 2028, requires at least 10% of the…
This bill addresses website access litigation brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This bill: provides a sunset date for statutory provisions related to abusive website access litigation; defines terms; creates a civil action for a court to determine whether a lawsuit alleging a website access violation under the Americans with Disabilities Act is abusive; and allows a court to award attorney fees and costs, punitive damages, and sanctions if the lawsuit is abusive.
Feb 26, 2026 · Passed 58–15 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill creates the Utah-Ireland Trade Commission within the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. This bill: creates the Utah-Ireland Trade Commission (trade commission) within the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (office); describes the membership, purpose, and duties of the trade commission; provides that the office staff the trade commission; requires an annual report; authorizes the office to solicit funds for certain purposes and to account for those funds; and provides a sunset date of July 1, 2030.
This bill addresses state sovereignty. This bill: defines terms; prohibits the governor or the chief executive officer of a political subdivision from declaring a state of emergency exclusively in response to an international organization's proclamation declaring a state of emergency; declares that an international organization has no power, jurisdiction, or legal authority in the state; prohibits the state, state agencies, and local governments from implementing or enforcing an international directive issued by an international organization; and makes technical changes.
Jan 23, 2026 · Passed 55–11 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
This bill addresses state sovereignty. This bill: defines terms; declares that an international organization does not have any power, jurisdiction, or legal authority in this state; provides that, if an international organization issues a rule, resolution, tax, policy, or mandate that purports to have the force and effect of law, then the state, or a political subdivision of the state, may not implement or enforce the rule, resolution, tax, policy, or mandate; prohibits the governor or the chief executive officer of a political subdivision from declaring a state of emergency exclusively in…
Feb 10, 2025 · Passed 59–13 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Voted against most of their party on 13 of 241 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Housing & rent (4), Education & families (4), Jobs & cost of living (3)
Water Usage at State-owned Facilities Amendments
What it does: This bill addresses water use at state government facilities. This bill: requires a state agency to take certain actions related to irrigation and use of low-water turf; directs the Division of Facilities Construction…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 14–0, Republicans 27–28
What it does: This bill modifies the State Certification of Commercial Interior Designers Act. This bill: modifies definitions; removes occupancy group limitations to allow practice within any occupancy classification within a spec…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 14–0, Republicans 25–28
Local Health Department and Department of Environmental Quality Coordination
What it does: This bill addresses civil penalties and reporting related to public health and the environment. This bill: removes a requirement that the Department of Environmental Quality (department) report to the Rules Review and…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 14–0, Republicans 26–30
What it does: This bill addresses provisions regarding homeless services. This bill: modifies and defines terms; amends exceptions for conveyance, lease, or disposal of certain property owned by the Division of Facilities Construct…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 14–0, Republicans 20–37
What it does: This bill addresses tax penalties within the Individual Income Tax Act. This bill: removes marriage penalties from certain individual income tax credits over a five-year period, resulting in the income phaseout amount…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 1–13, Republicans 30–29
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
SB 254 · UT HOUSE
Extracted Natural Resources Amendments
YesVOTED
Motion: House Conference Committee - Final Passage
This bill addresses natural resources within the state. This bill: facilitates faster permitting by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining; modifies the tax credit for mining exploration; creates the State Reinvestment Restricted Account and diverts various streams of income related to severance taxes into the State Reinvestment Restricted Account; addresses property tax differentials based on critical minerals zones; defines terms; establishes the state critical minerals objectives and policy, including providing for annual reviews; creates the…
Motion: House Conference Committee - Final Passage
This bill addresses drivers without a driver license, driving privilege card, or learner permit. This bill: defines terms; modifies the circumstances in which law enforcement is required to impound a vehicle; addresses identification of an individual who operates a vehicle without a valid driving credential; allows certain fees to be waived in certain circumstances; modifies certain fees and the allocation of fee revenue; amends certain penalties associated with driving without a driver license; amends provisions related to administrative suspension of a driver license; requires a vendor…
This bill addresses when a government entity is required to provide an electronic filing option to a person submitting information to the government entity. This bill: defines terms; requires state and local government to provide an electronic option for filling out forms and for submitting forms, records, and other information; and provides certain exceptions or delays to the requirement described in the preceding paragraph.
Parental Access to Children's Medical Records Amendments
YesVOTED
Motion: House/ concurs with Senate amendment
This bill amends provisions related to parent access to a minor's medical record. This bill: defines terms; specifies that a parent has the right to access their child's medical record; requires a health care facility to ensure that a child's parent has access to the child's electronic health record unless certain circumstances are met; requires an electronic medical record system vendor to ensure a health care facility can provide access to parents; authorizes the attorney general's office to bring enforcement actions; and requires a health care facility to provide medical records free of…
This bill addresses family law proceedings. This bill: defines terms; addresses factors for a court to consider when deciding whether to award costs, attorney fees, and witness fees in a family law proceeding; provides a process for ordering mental health treatment in a child custody proceeding; provides that a court may consider evidence of coercive control when making a child custody or parent-time decision; creates a new part addressing a child custody evaluation; and makes technical and conforming changes.
This bill directs the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University and the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University to conduct an elections study. This bill: directs the Gary R.
This bill amends the App Store Accountability Act. This bill: defines terms; adds requirements for pre-installed applications; modifies app store provider and developer requirements; modifies provisions relating to age-related restrictions and defaults; modifies enforcement and safe harbor provisions; and makes technical and conforming changes.
This bill creates the Utah Energy Infrastructure Service District and modifies provisions relating to the Utah Energy Council. This bill: defines terms; expands the Utah Energy Council (council) membership from five to seven members; establishes a co-chair structure for council leadership; designates the council as a state energy financing institution; creates the Utah Energy Infrastructure Service District (district) as a political subdivision of the state; provides that council members serve concurrently as the board of trustees of the district; authorizes the district to acquire, own, and…
This bill addresses substance use interventions in communities and for criminal justice involved individuals. This bill: authorizes jails to establish recovery housing pods and establishes minimum requirements; amends provisions related to the operation of a syringe exchange program, including to prohibit: the distribution of drug paraphernalia other than syringes; and the facilitation of the exchange of syringes in public parks; authorizes a justice court to create a Structured Treatment and Enforcement Pathway Supervision Program and establishes requirements; authorizes courts to enter an…
This bill modifies provisions related to nicotine product taxes. This bill: defines terms; increases the rates of the taxes levied on cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and nontherapeutic nicotine devices; replaces the weight-based tax rate for alternative nicotine products with: a per product tax rate, for alternative nicotine products that contain pouches; or a tax rate based on a percentage of the manufacturer's sales price, for alternative nicotine products that do not contain pouches; imposes a transitional inventory tax on cigarettes subject to the tax increase described in this bill;…
