This bill appropriates $334.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) recovery funds for Wyoming state agencies through 2026. It directly affects state departments (including Health, Transportation, and Workforce Services) by funding specific programs like healthcare workforce stabilization ($10M), emergency medical services ($10M), broadband infrastructure ($25M), and pandemic-related public safety initiatives. The bill specifies exact spending categories and dollar amounts for qualifying ARPA expenditures, such as workforce development, healthcare provider support, and public safety communications systems. It includes reporting requirements and sunset provisions, with funds to be expended between March 2022 and December 2026.
SF 49 eliminates several state advisory bodies, including the Palliative Care Advisory Council, Governor's Food Safety Council, State Employee Compensation Commission, and Wyoming Public Television Council. The bill repeals specific sections of Wyoming law that established these entities, removing their legal authority and requiring agencies to cease reporting to them. It also directs that funds previously allocated to these bodies revert to the general state fund. This change simplifies state governance by removing oversight structures and their associated administrative requirements.
This bill creates two dedicated accounts for managing state capital construction funds: the Capitol Square Preservation Account (for maintenance of the capitol building and grounds) and the Capitol Building Rehabilitation Account (for approved restoration projects). It specifies that funds in these accounts must be used only for designated projects, cannot lapse, and unspent amounts must transfer to the preservation account annually. The bill also details specific appropriations for projects like the Camp Guernsey barracks ($6 million each for 2022 and 2023) and the Jackson Outreach Center ($31 million total), with funds coming from state sources, federal ARPA funds, or private contributions. It ensures these capital construction funds are strictly allocated to their intended purposes without general budgeting flexibility.
Wyoming's SF 32 establishes a statewide K-3 reading assessment and intervention program requiring all school districts to screen every student quarterly for dyslexia and reading difficulties using approved tools. It mandates schools to notify parents when students show reading challenges, develop individualized reading plans for struggling students, and provide teachers with annual professional development in evidence-based literacy instruction and dyslexia identification. The law also requires the state superintendent to create rules for approved screening tools, collect statewide reading data to predict third-grade proficiency, and report on professional development spending. The program applies directly to K-3 students, their families, school districts, and K-3 teachers across Wyoming, effective for the 2022-2023 school year.
HB 18 changes the registration fee for off-road recreational vehicles in Wyoming to match the rate for motorcycles and requires annual registration that expires upon vehicle ownership transfer. It directly affects owners of off-road vehicles defined under Wyoming law (W.S. 31-1-101(a)(xv)(K)(II)). The bill also allows vehicles registered between July 1, 2021, and its effective date to keep their existing registration until ownership changes. The law takes effect immediately upon becoming law, as specified in Section 3.
Wyoming's HB 15 allows local governments (like counties or cities) that own golf courses with liquor licenses to contract out golf course operations to private companies without transferring the liquor license. The bill amends state law to clarify that political subdivisions may subcontract food and beverage services at these courses while retaining their existing liquor licenses, maintaining the limit of two such licenses per local government. This change directly affects local governments operating golf courses with club liquor licenses, ensuring they can partner with private operators without losing their license rights. The law took effect on July 1, 2022.
This Wyoming bill (HB 4) requires water permits for livestock watering on federal grazing allotments to be issued jointly with the federal agency managing the land, rather than solely to individuals. It ties these permits directly to grazing permits, meaning they cannot be changed or transferred without the grazing permit holder's consent. The bill also prevents these permits from being abandoned if nonuse results from federal reductions in grazing capacity or if a rancher voluntarily stops grazing (for up to five years). It applies to ranchers and grazing associations using federal land for livestock and takes effect July 1, 2022, without affecting existing water rights held by federal agencies before that date.
HB 16 expands Wyoming's Military Assistance Trust Fund to cover dependent care costs for Wyoming National Guard members. The bill specifically adds eligible members who need assistance meeting dependent care responsibilities directly tied to their National Guard service, preventing financial hardship that might limit their participation. This new provision (added as subsection (v)) applies to members and their immediate families, as defined in the law. The fund remains a last-resort resource, only to be used when other private or public funds aren't available to address hardship from military duty. The change took effect July 1, 2022.
HB 17 creates grazing-only buffer zones around three specific Wyoming veterans' facilities: the Oregon Trail State Veterans' Cemetery, the Wyoming Veterans' Home, and the Wyoming Veterans' Skilled Nursing Facility. The bill authorizes the state land board to lease adjacent state lands exclusively for grazing, prohibiting other uses like development or recreation. These buffer zones are permanently restricted to grazing purposes as long as the facilities remain operational, with specific land descriptions provided for each location. The law prevents the state from selling or otherwise disposing of these designated lands, ensuring they remain protected for grazing adjacent to the facilities. The bill took effect on July 1, 2022.
HB 39 creates a process allowing applicants with prior criminal convictions to seek a pre-application determination from professional licensing boards before formally applying for a license. The bill permits boards to access criminal history background information for this review and establish a fee to cover administrative costs (capped at actual expenses). This determination is not binding on the licensing board, meaning it does not guarantee license approval. The bill directly affects individuals seeking licenses in professions regulated under Wyoming law, such as healthcare or trades.
This Wyoming bill (HB 33) modifies definitions and delays implementation of community health services redesign for mental health and substance use disorder treatment. It directly affects individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders, including those recently involved with the justice system (e.g., court-ordered treatment), indigent patients without insurance, and families referred for youth mental health crises. Key provisions include amending definitions of "high-risk families," "indigent clients," and "justice-involved" populations, delaying the effective date from 2022 to 2024, and requiring the Department of Health to submit annual progress reports to the legislature. The bill also directs the state to seek federal funding to support infrastructure changes needed for the redesign.
HB 45 creates a voluntary trust fund option for mining operators (coal, bentonite, trona, and uranium) to meet reclamation bonding requirements instead of traditional bonds. Operators can choose to set up a trust managed by the state treasurer, making annual payments of at least 5% of their reclamation obligation until fully funded. If payments are missed, interest earned is forfeited to a state reclamation fund, and trust assets can only be used by the state to cover reclamation costs if the operator fails to comply. The program requires state rulemaking to detail payment terms, investment rules (preserving 100% principal), and fund release procedures after reclamation is complete.
