This bill creates a new "tavern and entertainment liquor license" for establishments that primarily serve food and entertainment, not alcohol. To qualify, at least 60% of an establishment's revenue must come from food services, entertainment, or a combination of both - not alcohol sales. Licensees must submit annual sales reports separating food/entertainment revenue from alcohol sales, pay an annual fee of $1,500-$10,500, and cannot transfer the license or sell alcohol for off-premises consumption. The license applies to venues defined as "tavern and entertainment establishments" under Wyoming law, requiring local licensing authorities to enforce these revenue and operational rules.
SF 165 creates a mental health telehealth pilot program for Wyoming public school students in grades K-12. It authorizes the Department of Education to contract with a telehealth provider to offer free counseling services starting January 1, 2024, using $250,000 in state funding. The bill requires strict confidentiality for student participation and mandates a report to legislative committees by June 2025 on program implementation. The program will end when funds are exhausted or June 30, 2027, whichever comes first. This directly affects students by providing accessible mental health support within their schools.
HB 282 created Wyoming's Critical Infrastructure Resiliency Initiative and a new board to strengthen the state's critical systems against prolonged disruptions like extended power outages. The bill targeted infrastructure including water, transportation, electrical grids, oil/gas facilities, and telecommunications, requiring systems to remain functional during "grid-down events" (months-long outages). The appointed board - comprising Homeland Security, utilities, oil/gas, telecom, and defense representatives - would coordinate with federal programs (like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) to adopt defense technologies, ensure water/wastewater systems operate without power, and leverage federal funding for resilience upgrades. The bill died in committee in February 2023 and never became law.
This Wyoming bill (SF 177) would have repealed a legal exception allowing educational institutions and libraries to possess materials without facing charges for "promoting obscenity." It specifically targeted Section 6-4-302(c)(ii) of Wyoming law, which previously exempted such materials from the obscenity offense. The repeal would have meant that educational and library materials could no longer automatically avoid being classified as promoting obscenity under state law. The bill died in committee in February 2023 and never became law.
This bill (SF 27) amends Wyoming law to explicitly allow the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and Northern Arapaho Tribe to apply for participation in state emergency insect management programs. It updates the application process to include these tribes directly, alongside state agencies and political subdivisions, by requiring applications to be filed with the Department of Agriculture. The tribes would need to demonstrate compliance with established standards for these programs. The bill was designed to ensure tribal inclusion in existing pest control efforts, though it died in committee in 2023 and never became law.
Wyoming's SF 126 creates new exemptions from barber and cosmetology licensing requirements for specific services. It exempts professionals performing "blow dry styling," "natural hair braiding," "eyelash extension application," "makeup application," and "threading" from standard licensing, as long as these services are provided for cosmetic purposes only (not medical treatment). The bill defines each exempt service clearly - like specifying blow dry styling cannot involve hair cutting or chemical treatments - and separates these from full cosmetology practice. This directly affects hair stylists, braiders, and makeup artists who can now offer these specific services without obtaining a full cosmetology or barber license.
HB 68 requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in marked school zone crosswalks. It allows schools to install video systems to monitor compliance, operating only during school hours (7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days). If a driver’s identity is unknown, the vehicle’s registered owner faces a $195 fine (not counted as a moving violation), and video evidence can be used in court but must be deleted after one year. The bill affects drivers in school zones and vehicle owners, with specific protections for owners who didn’t consent to the driver or sold the vehicle before the violation. It became law effective July 1, 2023, though it died in committee before passing.
HB 48 allocates $40 million from Wyoming's general fund to create two grant programs focused on active transportation and recreation. Ninety percent of the funds (for the Wyoming Department of Transportation) supports projects like bike paths, school pedestrian routes, sidewalks, and walkable downtown corridors, while ten percent (for the Department of State Parks) funds natural surface trails for hiking and horseback riding. All projects require a 20% local match from applicants and must be administered by state agencies by June 30, 2025. The bill directly affects local governments, school districts, and community organizations seeking to improve safe, non-motorized travel infrastructure.
This Wyoming bill (SF 64) amends a state law defining "manufacturer" for malt beverages. It specifies that certain regulations governing relationships between malt beverage distributors and manufacturers will not apply to small manufacturers producing fewer than 50,000 barrels annually. The change directly affects small craft breweries and malt beverage producers below this production threshold, exempting them from specific distributor-related rules under Wyoming law. The bill was introduced in 2022 but died in committee and never took effect.
This bill clarifies the process for mineral producers to pay monthly ad valorem taxes (taxes based on the value of minerals produced) in Wyoming. It specifies that producers must report production by the 25th of the second month after production and pay taxes by the 25th of the third month, with payments calculated using the previous year's county mill levy rate. Funds collected are distributed monthly by the state department to county treasurers, who then allocate them to local taxing entities based on the production year. The changes take effect July 1, 2023, and apply to all mineral and mine producers in the state.
This Wyoming bill (SF 119, "Defend the Guard Act") prohibits deploying Wyoming National Guard members to active combat roles without a formal U.S. Congress declaration of war. It directly affects all Wyoming National Guard members and requires the governor to prevent such deployments. The law allows domestic deployments under Title 32 for civil support missions within the U.S. but mandates that combat deployments only occur after a congressional war declaration or specific constitutional authorization (enforcing laws, repelling invasion, or suppressing insurrection). The bill became effective July 1, 2023.
HB 95, the "Working Animal Protection Act," prohibits Wyoming cities, towns, and counties from enacting or enforcing local ordinances that ban, terminate, or unduly restrict the use of "working animals" in lawful commerce or animal enterprises. It directly affects local governments and individuals using animals for specific duties like ranching, transportation, tourism, or human service (excluding food/fiber animals like cattle or chickens). Key provisions define "working animal" broadly but explicitly exclude livestock raised for food/fiber, and allow local zoning, public health, and safety rules to remain in effect. The law supersedes conflicting local policies but does not override state animal care or public safety laws. It became effective July 1, 2023.
