This bill (SF 145) allows Wyoming local governments - such as cities, counties, and special districts - to invest public funds in stocks (equities) for the first time. It creates a new investment category under existing law, requiring these investments to follow state investment policies set by the State Loan and Investment Board. Local governments may also form advisory boards for investment guidance, but these stock investments are exempt from certain prior restrictions. The change takes effect July 1, 2025, after the state board adopts necessary policies.
HB 122 amends Wyoming law governing senior citizen service districts by changing how mill levies for these districts are renewed. It requires counties to submit renewal mill levy propositions to voters every four years (starting two years after initial approval) instead of the previous timeline, and specifies that levies continue until voters approve rescission. To end a levy, county commissioners must either adopt a rescission resolution or receive a verified petition signed by at least 15% of voters who participated in the last general election. This bill directly affects counties operating senior service districts and their residents who vote on funding renewals. (Effective July 1, 2025)
This bill requires Wyoming public school districts to designate all multiple-occupancy restrooms and changing rooms as exclusively for males or females based on sex assigned at birth. It mandates reasonable accommodations like single-occupancy rooms for students who cannot use designated facilities, while allowing exceptions for maintenance staff, emergency medical help, and coaches under specific conditions (e.g., accompanied by same-sex adults). School districts failing to comply risk losing accreditation, and parents can sue for noncompliance. The law directly affects public school students, staff, and districts, with enforcement tied to state education standards. (Note: Bill is pending in Wyoming Legislature as of 2025.)
This bill (SF 147) expands Wyoming's protections for service and assistance animals by explicitly including animals currently in training under the legal definitions of these animals. It increases criminal penalties for injuring or killing such animals, making it a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail or a $5,000 fine. The law applies directly to individuals who harm or kill service animals (including those in training) or assistance animals, and affects all Wyoming residents and businesses serving people with disabilities. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2025.
HB 20 requires Wyoming school districts and charter schools leasing K-12 facilities to include specific funding for major building maintenance in lease agreements. The bill mandates that lease contracts separately identify and track funds dedicated solely to major maintenance, prohibiting their use for other purposes without approval. If a district leases space not counted toward its total square footage for maintenance calculations, the state will reimburse the district for lease payments - capped at the lesser of the total lease cost or the average cost per square foot for comparable public school facilities. This applies to all lease agreements involving district-owned facilities included in the state's facility database, effective July 1, 2025.
HB 18 modifies Wyoming's school funding formula to increase support for career and technical education (CTE) programs. It changes the calculation for CTE equipment and supplies funding to use "0.29 times FTE vocational CTE ADM" and sets a minimum per teacher amount of either $9,428.77 or $18,857.57 for equipment/supplies, whichever is greater. The bill appropriates $350,000 specifically for CTE supplies, equipment, and replacements for school districts, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This directly affects school districts offering CTE programs in grades 9-12 with vocational teachers certified for high school instruction. The changes adjust how funding is distributed under Wyoming's education resource block grant model without requiring full-time CTE teaching assignments.
HB 199, titled the "Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act" (not "Steamboat Legacy," which appears to be a misreference), creates a state-funded scholarship program for K-12 students in Wyoming. It increases the maximum annual scholarship from $6,000 to $7,000 for students at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, with annual inflation adjustments, and funds it through a new "Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Program Account" using state education revenues. The bill eliminates mandatory certification for private schools and providers but adds voluntary registration, while prohibiting funding from local taxes. It directly affects low-income Wyoming families seeking to use scholarships for public, private, or online education options.
HB 72 requires public facilities in Wyoming, including schools, correctional facilities, and government buildings, to designate multi-occupancy changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters exclusively for males or females. It prohibits access to opposite-sex designated areas and allows individuals to sue public entities if they encounter someone of the opposite sex in a designated space, unless exceptions apply (like single-occupancy unisex rooms, medical emergencies, or cleaning staff). The bill defines "female" and "male" biologically and specifies that civil lawsuits must be filed within two years of a violation, with successful plaintiffs able to recover attorney fees. This directly affects public facility operators and users in shared spaces, aiming to enforce single-sex facility use through legal accountability.
Wyoming's SF 195 creates a small business emergency bridge loan program administered by the Department of Agriculture. It provides short-term, interest-free loans (up to $1.5 million) to Wyoming small businesses physically located in counties where the governor declares a natural disaster has occurred. Eligible businesses must have been operating before the disaster, have a 50% owner with a 550+ credit score, and use funds solely for disaster recovery like repairing damaged property or replacing equipment - not for expansion. Loans require repayment within three years and must be secured by insurance proceeds or business assets.
Wyoming's SF 9 bill updates rules for restoring voting rights and other civil rights lost due to felony convictions. It automatically restores voting rights for nonviolent felons who complete their sentences after January 1, 2010, without requiring an application, while those who completed sentences before that date still need to submit a written request. The bill clarifies that a new felony conviction voids any restoration certificate and defines "nonviolent felony" as all felonies not classified as violent under existing law. It also requires state agencies to notify the secretary of state and federal authorities when rights are restored.
This Wyoming bill (SF 84) requires retailers and wholesalers to label beef derived entirely from cattle born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States as "product of the United States of America." It directly affects businesses selling beef within Wyoming by mandating this specific country-of-origin labeling. The bill amends existing meat labeling laws to add this requirement, defining "beef" as meat from cattle including veal. The rule takes effect July 1, 2025.
This Wyoming bill (SF 181) establishes new rules for using eminent domain to take private land for energy collector systems (like solar or wind infrastructure) connected to commercial electricity facilities. It requires developers to negotiate with landowners to secure agreements covering at least 85% of the affected land or 85% of landowners (if three or more are involved) before seeking condemnation. The bill also mandates proof of these negotiations to courts, sets minimum compensation standards based on fair market value, and requires 30 days' notice to county and local officials before filing a condemnation case. These provisions directly affect landowners whose property may be taken and energy developers seeking to expand electricity infrastructure.
