Wyoming's HB 140 requires physicians to wait 48 hours after informing a patient before performing most nonemergency abortions after fetal viability (when the fetus can survive outside the womb). This law directly affects patients seeking abortions and the physicians who perform them. The key provision mandates this waiting period unless a medical emergency poses a substantial threat to the patient's life or health, as determined by a physician. The bill amends Wyoming Statute 35-6-102 and took effect July 1, 2019.
HB 158 removes imprisonment as a possible penalty for most general traffic violations in Wyoming, meaning drivers convicted of minor offenses (like speeding or parking violations) can now only face fines. However, it preserves imprisonment penalties for specific serious violations listed under Wyoming Statutes 31-5-1102 through 31-5-1108 (such as DUI or reckless driving), maintaining up to six months in jail for repeat offenses. The bill directly affects all drivers convicted of traffic violations in Wyoming, shifting penalties for routine offenses to solely fines. It took effect on July 1, 2019.
HB 149 creates a property tax credit for individuals who purchase and improve abandoned buildings in Wyoming cities or towns. It allows owners to claim a tax credit equal to their documented costs for rehabilitating designated abandoned properties, such as removing or repairing deteriorating structures. To qualify, owners must get city/town approval for expenses directly tied to the building and submit them to the state revenue department within five years of purchase. The credit is limited to actual improvement costs, cannot exceed the property's tax liability, and must be used within 10 years of eligibility. This policy directly affects property owners and local governments seeking to revitalize vacant, deteriorating buildings.
HB 282 expands Wyoming's definition of "tobacco products" to explicitly include electronic cigarettes, vapor materials, and related accessories, requiring all such products to comply with existing tobacco regulations. It strengthens enforcement by allowing courts to issue 180-day sales bans against retailers (including online sellers) who repeatedly violate minor sales prohibitions. The bill also increases cigarette excise tax rates, raising the tax from $0.006 to $0.011 per cigarette for certain types. These changes directly affect retailers (both physical and online), minors (through enhanced age restrictions), and consumers (via higher product costs).
HB 84 requires Wyoming state agencies to conduct biennial evaluations of employee compensation to measure and promote pay equity between male and female employees. It mandates pay adjustments to address disparities identified in these evaluations and adds specific requirements for state-funded training programs to include procedures ensuring pay equity in their hiring plans. Businesses receiving certain state funding, such as through the "kickstart:Wyoming" program, must report annual wage differentials between men and women for each job category and efforts to reduce gaps. The bill directly affects state employees, state-funded training programs, and businesses participating in state economic development initiatives.
HJ 8 is a Wyoming legislative resolution urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to regulate political spending. It argues that corporations should not have the same constitutional rights as natural persons regarding election funding, based on Wyoming's constitution. The resolution does not create new laws but asks Congress to clarify that states can regulate campaign contributions and expenditures. Introduced in 2019, it was referred to a committee but remains a non-binding request.
Wyoming's HB 228 requires the Department of Transportation and Game and Fish Department to study wildlife-vehicle collisions on highways and wildlife deaths along specific railroad corridors (near U.S. Highway 30). The bill mandates collecting data on accident locations, injuries, animal deaths, and injury locations from 2019-2023, then creating priority maps and lists of high-risk areas. It appropriates $5 million for wildlife safety projects like signage, crossings, and fences on identified highways, with projects requiring local matching funds (5-30% depending on the entity). This directly affects drivers, wildlife conservation efforts, and communities along Wyoming highways and railroads, focusing on reducing collisions through data-driven infrastructure improvements.
HB 265 modifies Wyoming's property offense laws by raising the value threshold for felony charges from $1,000 to $2,000 for theft, shoplifting, property destruction, and related crimes. This means offenses involving property valued between $1,000 and $2,000 will now be classified as high misdemeanors (with penalties up to 1 year in jail and $5,000 fines) instead of felonies. The bill also doubles the maximum civil penalty for shoplifting from $1,000 to $2,000 per incident. These changes directly affect individuals committing property crimes in Wyoming, particularly those involving items valued under $2,000. The law updates sentencing classifications and penalties to better align with property values.
HB 220 creates a new income tax on businesses operating in Wyoming, requiring them to pay tax based on their income earned within the state. It uses a three-factor formula (property, payroll, and sales) to calculate how much tax a business owes, especially for companies operating across multiple states. The Wyoming Department of Revenue will administer the tax, with strict confidentiality rules protecting business tax returns. This bill directly affects businesses with operations in Wyoming, including out-of-state companies conducting business there.
This bill would have required Wyoming's highway patrol to verify "extreme inconvenience" before issuing restricted driver's licenses to minors aged 14-16. It would have limited driving to 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., within 50 miles of home, and only with a parent/guardian present. Qualifying circumstances for "extreme inconvenience" included driving more than 5 miles to school, sports, religious activities, or a job, or working in a parent's business. The bill died in committee in 2019 and never took effect.
This bill (SF 58) proposed extending the schedule for reducing vehicle registration fees in Wyoming, lowering fees for vehicles aged 7-10 years. It would have set new rates: 3% of 14% of the factory price for 7th-year vehicles, decreasing to 3% of 8% for 10th-year vehicles (down from 15% in the 6th year). The change would have directly affected Wyoming vehicle owners paying annual registration fees, making them cheaper for older cars. The bill was introduced in January 2019 but died in committee in February 2019 and never took effect.
This bill (SF 36) amends Wyoming law to adjust how oil and gas drilling operators recover costs from nonconsenting owners in drilling units. It increases the recovery limit for drilling costs from 200% to 300% of the nonconsenting owner's share and raises the equipment cost recovery from 110% to 125%. The change applies to all pooling orders entered on or after July 1, 2019, directly affecting oil and gas owners who choose not to participate in a drilling unit. The amendment clarifies that operators can recover these higher percentages of costs before distributing production revenue.
