This bill (SF 45) directs Wyoming state agencies to help Natrona County School District #1 acquire the former School for the Deaf building in Casper for educational use. It exempts the sale of this specific state-owned property from the usual requirement to sell at fair market value (typically mandated for property over $15,000). The state construction department and building commission must report on this assistance to the school facilities committee by September 1, 2023. The bill applies only to this one facility and aims to facilitate the district’s use of the building for required educational programs.
This bill requires most health and disability insurance plans in Wyoming to cover hearing aids and related fitting, evaluation, and maintenance services when medically necessary. It mandates coverage for one hearing aid per ear (with associated professional services) and limits coverage to $2,000 per ear every three years, unless a hearing professional determines additional devices are medically needed. Insurance plans must apply the same deductibles and co-pays for hearing aid coverage as for other health services. The law applies to all covered individuals and aims to ensure equitable access to hearing aid care under existing health insurance plans. It takes effect July 1, 2024.
This bill authorizes housing assistance for Wyoming judges and justices who live in counties where housing costs exceed the statewide average. Specifically, it allows supreme court justices and judges from district, chancery, and circuit courts to receive this assistance if their county's housing costs are significantly higher than the state average. The Wyoming Supreme Court will establish the rules for awarding this housing support. The provision becomes effective July 1, 2023.
Wyoming's SF 114 requires all public schools to teach state and federal constitutional principles, including American institutions and ideals, for at least three years in grades K-8 and one year in high school. It mandates that high school students passing a graduation exam must score at least 60% on the same civics test used for U.S. citizenship. This applies to all Wyoming public high school diplomas awarded starting with the 2023-2024 school year. The bill directly affects all public high school students in Wyoming who seek graduation credentials.
This bill adds Wyoming legislators and their dependents to the state's group health insurance plan, which currently covers state employees and officials. It requires the Legislative Service Office to handle enrollment and pay the state's share of premiums. Legislators must choose to enroll within 31 days of January 7, 2025, with their portion paid via payroll deduction or bank account. The bill amends existing law to define "member of the legislature" and establish this enrollment process.
Wyoming's SJ 6 is a joint resolution urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to require public identification of who funds political campaign contributions and to limit or ban corporate political spending. It directly addresses corporations and entities not composed of natural persons (individual people), aiming to restrict their ability to make untraceable campaign expenditures. The amendment would allow states and Congress to mandate disclosure of donor sources and restrict non-human entities from spending in elections, while exempting groups made up of natural persons that publicly identify members and donors. This resolution does not change current law but requests a constitutional change to override Supreme Court rulings like Citizens United.
This bill appropriates $8.6 million from Wyoming's general fund to the Department of Transportation specifically for the WyoLink public safety communications system. It directs funds to prioritize operations/maintenance (including local government charges), equipment acquisition, infrastructure development, and other system expenses in that order. The funding is available through June 30, 2024, with unspent funds reverting to the state treasury. This directly affects public safety agencies relying on WyoLink for interoperable communications during emergencies.
SF 3 adjusts fees for new retail liquor licenses in Wyoming issued after July 1, 2023. It sets a minimum annual fee of $300 and a maximum of $1,500, with the exact amount determined by the licensing authority. This bill directly affects businesses applying for their first retail liquor license after the effective date. The change modifies existing law (W.S. 12-4-201(e)) to establish this fee range, without altering other licensing requirements.
HB 43 amends Wyoming law to remove the requirement that drivers must "willfully" ignore road closure signs to be charged with a misdemeanor. The bill keeps the same fine range ($750-$1,500) but lowers the legal bar for conviction by eliminating the "willful" element. It directly affects drivers who disregard posted road closures, particularly during winter conditions when closures are common. The law takes effect July 1, 2023, and does not change existing penalties or exceptions.
HB 71 creates an annual sales tax holiday during the first weekend in August (Friday 12:01 a.m. to Sunday 11:59 p.m.) when specific items are exempt from Wyoming's sales tax. It directly affects consumers purchasing eligible school-related items, including clothing, computers, school supplies (like pens, notebooks, and backpacks), and school sports equipment. The exemption excludes high-priced items (e.g., clothing over $100, computers over $1,500) and non-eligible goods like jewelry, cosmetics, or items bought for resale. The bill specifies these rules to provide temporary tax relief for back-to-school shopping, effective July 1, 2023.
This bill (SF 103) adds a sales tax exemption for current Wyoming state legislators purchasing lodging services while acting in their official capacity. It amends Wyoming tax law to exempt these specific lodging purchases from the state sales tax. The exemption applies only to legislators using lodging for official duties, not personal travel. The change took effect July 1, 2023.
This bill changes Wyoming's election ballot rules by allowing independent candidates to list a party affiliation (e.g., "Independent - Green Party") alongside the word "Independent" on ballots. It modifies how candidates are ordered, requiring partisan candidates to appear in sequence based on their party's vote totals from the last congressional election in that county. Independents will still appear after all parties, listed alphabetically, and the bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law. The changes apply to all general election ballots for state and local offices.
