This bill amends Wyoming's cemetery regulations to set specific structural and aesthetic standards for columbariums - above-ground structures containing urns. It requires exterior walls, roofs, and doors to be made of durable materials like granite, concrete, or similar substances that ensure structural safety and weather resistance, with walls needing a minimum six-inch thickness. The bill directly affects cemetery operators planning or constructing new columbariums within established cemeteries. These changes aim to standardize construction quality and appearance without altering burial rules or creating new requirements for existing facilities.
HB 11 extends Wyoming's manufacturing sales and use tax exemptions for machinery used in manufacturing operations from December 31, 2027, to December 31, 2037. It repeals outdated provisions in the use tax exemption to align them with the sales tax exemption rules. This directly affects manufacturers in Wyoming who purchase machinery for use in producing tangible goods within the state. The changes take effect July 1, 2025, providing continued tax relief for eligible manufacturing businesses.
HB 33 redirects all sales and use tax revenue collected from motor vehicle and trailer purchases directly to the highway fund, instead of first flowing through the general fund. This affects vehicle buyers (who pay the tax) and ensures highway funding receives all applicable tax revenue starting July 1, 2025. The bill amends existing tax distribution rules to require this direct transfer for all qualifying sales after the effective date. It does not change tax rates or create new taxes, only reallocating existing revenue streams to highway infrastructure.
HB 211 amends Wyoming law to allow hunters to pursue and take predatory wildlife (such as wolves, coyotes, or mountain lions) from vehicles, including cars, snowmobiles, and aircraft - previously prohibited for all wildlife. The bill creates a specific exception for predatory animals only, leaving general hunting from vehicles banned for non-predatory species. It also permits the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to exempt handicapped hunters from the vehicle-hunting restrictions. The law would take effect on July 1, 2025.
HB 289 removes restrictions on bed expansions for hospitals and nursing care facilities in Wyoming. It repeals existing limits that previously required state approval before adding beds, instead requiring health department reviews only for safety and health compliance. The bill mandates that the Department of Health report to lawmakers by September 2029 on how the changes affect facility construction and operations. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 275 amends Wyoming's felony animal cruelty law to specifically address wildlife. It makes it a felony to intentionally torture, torment, or mutilate wildlife *after* it has been captured ("reduced to possession"), while allowing immediate killing of captured wildlife without violation. The bill adds penalties including license revocation for hunters or trappers convicted under this provision and clarifies that trap owners aren't required to check traps before the time mandated by wildlife regulations. It also removes a reporting requirement for wildlife taken by animal damage control agents.
HB 311 modifies Wyoming's sales tax exemption for power and fuel used in transportation. It clarifies that companies transporting goods via pipeline or railroad can claim the tax exemption for power/fuel consumed directly in moving those goods, regardless of who owns the transported items. The bill also specifies that the exemption does not apply to gasoline, gasohol, or diesel fuel used on public highways. The Department of Revenue must create rules to implement this change, with the main provision taking effect on July 1, 2025.
HB 129 changes the schedule for distributing school funds in Wyoming counties. It removes the requirement for county treasurers to distribute funds on June 20 (or the last business day before) each year, leaving only the regular monthly distributions. This directly affects county treasurers and school districts, as they will no longer process this specific annual transfer. The bill amends existing law to streamline fund transfers, with immediate effective date upon enactment.
HB 90 requires Wyoming's Livestock Board to create a standard notification protocol for confirmed anthrax outbreaks. It mandates that the board inform livestock producers, veterinarians, and animal health agencies within six square miles of a confirmed anthrax test in a county. The protocol must be developed through rulemaking, with a report to the Agriculture Committee due by September 30, 2025. The law takes effect on January 1, 2026, for most provisions, though reporting and rulemaking requirements begin immediately upon enactment.
HB 147 prohibits all Wyoming state and local government entities - including state agencies, schools, universities, counties, and cities - from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, activities, or policies. It defines "institutional discrimination" as concepts like claiming inherent superiority based on race or requiring individuals to acknowledge guilt based on their race, and bans governmental entities from requiring attendance at related trainings. The bill mandates that all affected entities comply by July 1, 2025, including creating necessary rules. It directly affects all public institutions in Wyoming that receive state funding or operate under state authority.
HB 125 repeals Wyoming’s existing law (W.S. 31-11-102) that defined "unauthorized use of a vehicle" as a crime. This bill directly affects the state’s criminal code by removing this specific offense, meaning the unauthorized use of a vehicle will no longer be prosecuted under this statute. The repeal takes effect on July 1, 2025, and does not create new penalties or alter other vehicle-related laws. The bill is procedural, with no additional mechanisms or provisions beyond the repeal.
SF 69 creates a 25% property tax exemption on the first $2 million of value for qualifying single-family homes (including houses, mobile homes, and townhouses) owned by Wyoming homeowners. This reduces their tax bill but applies only to the first $2 million in home value, not the entire property. The exemption is temporary, ending after the 2026 tax year, and includes $125 million in state funding to reimburse counties and school districts for lost tax revenue caused by the exemption. Compensation for affected governments is capped at $100 million from a special fund and must be distributed by June 30, 2027.
