This Wyoming bill amends burial-transit permit rules to allow temporary permits for two specific scenarios: (1) removing bodies across state lines for organ/bone/skin donation (requiring return for final disposition), and (2) moving bodies for coroner examinations (also requiring return). It updates the definition of "final disposition" to include newer methods like alkaline hydrolysis and clarifies that permits require electronic death certificates and compliance with health regulations. The changes directly affect funeral directors, coroners, and medical donation programs by streamlining interstate movement for these limited purposes. The bill takes effect July 1, 2023.
This constitutional amendment (SJ 12) would create a separate property class for residential real estate in Wyoming’s tax system. It freezes the valuation of most residential property as of January 1, 2019 (or construction cost for homes built after 2019), requiring property taxes to be based on that fixed value until an addition/improvement is made or ownership transfers after 2025. The amendment would also allow the legislature to adjust this base value for inflation. It requires voter approval to become part of Wyoming’s constitution.
This bill requires Wyoming-based limited liability companies (LLCs) and foreign LLCs authorized to operate in Wyoming to file annual reports with the Secretary of State. The reports must include details on the company's Wyoming assets, property, and capital, plus the identity and contact information of any "beneficial owner" (defined as someone owning 50% or more of the company's profit interests). Companies must also pay an annual license fee of $60 or 0.0002% of reported assets, whichever is greater. The bill applies directly to all LLCs operating in Wyoming and takes effect July 1, 2023.
HB 122 establishes a licensing system for anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) in Wyoming, directly affecting AAs seeking to practice and supervising anesthesiologists. The bill requires AAs to graduate from approved programs, pass national certification exams, and work under the direct, on-site supervision of a licensed anesthesiologist who must be physically present during procedures. Key provisions define the AA's scope of practice - including performing preoperative evaluations, airway management, administering anesthesia, and managing medications - all while working within the supervising anesthesiologist's approved scope and requiring their co-signature within 24 hours. This creates formal requirements for licensure, supervision, and practice boundaries, replacing the previous unregulated status for AAs in the state.
SF 161 repeals a Wyoming law (W.S. 20-7-101) that allowed grandparents to seek court-ordered visitation with a child even when fit parents objected. The bill aims to resolve conflicts between parental rights (protected under W.S. 14-2-206) and grandparents' visitation rights, ensuring parental decisions about their child’s care take priority. It also amends adoption procedures to require affidavits about existing visitation rights and specifies that the repeal does not affect grandparents’ visitation rights granted before the law takes effect. This directly affects parents making custody decisions and grandparents seeking visitation against parental wishes.
SF 170 amends Wyoming's water rights law to explicitly recognize storing water for drought contingency or interstate water compact compliance as a beneficial use. This change directly affects water rights holders (including agricultural, municipal, and industrial users) who manage stored water for drought planning or to meet obligations under interstate water agreements. The key provision adds these storage purposes to the legal definition of "beneficial use," allowing such storage to be counted under existing water rights without requiring new permits. This clarifies that water stored for these purposes qualifies as a legitimate use under Wyoming's water management system, effective July 1, 2023.
HB 278 requires Wyoming's game and fish department, state lands office, and state parks department to update digital maps showing public access points (like trails, roads, and fishing/hunting water access) on state-owned lands. The maps must include boundaries, seasonal restrictions, and vehicle type limits for all relevant easements, excluding pipelines, short-term (≤3-year) easements, and transportation department easements. These updated maps must be publicly available by January 1, 2025, and refreshed annually. The bill directly affects state agencies managing public access and outdoor recreation resources.
SF 46 adjusts how Wyoming community colleges receive state funding to account for inflation. It allows the Community College Commission to request an external cost adjustment every two years starting in 2024, reflecting inflation in fixed and variable operational costs. The bill requires the Commission to submit specific inflation data, report on tuition/fee changes, and ensure any additional funding is distributed proportionally based on existing allocation formulas. This directly affects Wyoming's community colleges by creating a formal process to seek funding increases tied to rising costs.
HJ 12 is a Wyoming legislative joint resolution requesting Congress to increase the state's Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), which determines federal Medicaid funding. The resolution asks Congress to raise Wyoming's current minimum 50% FMAP rate - below neighboring states - by considering factors like Wyoming's high poverty rates, healthcare costs, rural access challenges, and unique income statistics. It specifically directs Wyoming's congressional delegation to seek policy changes for more equitable reimbursement rates for Medicaid providers. This procedural resolution does not change law but formally requests federal action to improve Medicaid funding for Wyoming's low-income residents and healthcare providers.
HB 264 appropriates $520,000 from the general fund to create a mining-themed mural in the Wyoming State Capitol's House chamber, specifically depicting the history of mining in Wyoming. The bill requires the mural to match the style of existing Allen True murals in the chamber and mandates that funds be used solely for planning, design, and painting the artwork. It establishes a selection committee (including House members and non-legislative experts) to choose an artist and requires approval from the state building commission before installation. The bill is procedural, not a policy change, and funds cannot be diverted or expired before mural completion.
HB 285 requires hunters using private land for antelope, deer, or elk hunting to deliver a landowner coupon to the landowner upon harvest or at the end of a hunt without harvest (based on where the majority of the hunt occurred). Landowners can redeem these coupons by submitting them with an affidavit by March 1 to receive $16 per coupon from the state. The bill also allows landowners to redirect their $16 payment to the Animal Damage Management Board instead of receiving it directly. This amendment clarifies the existing landowner coupon process and adds a payment redirection option for Wyoming landowners.
HB 215 creates a property tax exemption for Wyoming homeowners who are either 65+ years old or honorably discharged veterans, provided they have lived in their primary residence for at least 15 years. To qualify, residents must file a signed annual statement by March 1 with their county assessor and confirm ongoing eligibility by May 4 each year. The exemption applies only to the primary residence and requires proof of veteran status through military separation documents showing an honorable discharge. The bill takes effect July 1, 2023, and directly affects qualifying elderly residents and veterans in Wyoming.
