HB 158 requires Wyoming's governor to rescind all existing refugee resettlement plans by July 1, 2024, and submit new plans to the legislature for approval before they take effect. The bill mandates that proposed plans include specific details on promoting refugee economic self-sufficiency, language training, employment services, coordination of resources, care for unaccompanied minors, medical needs, and detailed funding projections. A legislative committee must review these plans, hold public hearings, and report recommendations to the legislature. This bill directly affects state agencies and the governor's office by shifting authority for refugee resettlement oversight from executive action to legislative approval and public input.
HB 80 changes the schedule for distributing county school funds in Wyoming. It removes an additional annual fund transfer, requiring county treasurers to apportion funds only on the second Monday of each month and on June 20 (or the last business day before June 20) each year. This affects county treasurers and school districts by altering when they receive funds from the county school fund, which includes interest, fines, and forfeitures. The bill does not create new funding but modifies the existing distribution timeline. It takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
Wyoming HB 128, the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act, creates education savings accounts (ESAs) providing eligible students with $6,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) to cover qualified educational expenses. It directly affects Wyoming residents who are public school-eligible but haven’t graduated high school, allowing parents to use ESA funds for tuition at qualified schools (including private or online programs), textbooks, tutoring, technology, and other approved educational costs. The state treasurer administers the accounts, which are funded by state appropriations - not local tax revenues - and require parental agreements specifying eligible uses. The bill explicitly states qualified schools are not considered state or federal agents and establishes oversight mechanisms for the program.
HB 191 clarifies how Wyoming will use unspent federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, specifically $389 million in unobligated "ARPD" funds. It directs state agencies to spend these funds on designated COVID-19 relief programs, including $10 million for workforce development, $22 million for outdoor recreation grants, $35 million for transportation communications systems, and $13 million for health department staffing. The bill sets conditions for spending, prohibits using funds for post-secondary education (except critical career programs), and requires reporting on how the money is used. These funds directly affect state agencies like Health, Transportation, and Parks, which will implement specific programs such as emergency staffing, rural healthcare innovation, and first-responder communication upgrades.
HB 56 modifies Wyoming's state budgeting procedures for the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund and the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account. It sets a new rule that starting in 2027, any investment earnings from the mineral trust fund exceeding its annual spending policy (5% of the previous five-year average market value) must be transferred to the reserve account. The bill also establishes conditions for moving money back from the reserve to the general fund if mineral trust earnings fall short of the spending target, and clarifies how the reserve can be used for public welfare emergencies or budget shortfalls. This is a procedural budget management bill affecting state fund transfers, not new services or taxes.
HB 55 amends Wyoming's budget rules to change how state funds are managed. It requires 5% of estimated general fund receipts to be set aside as a budget reserve each biennium, and moves unspent funds exceeding this reserve into a "legislative stabilization reserve" instead of keeping them in the budget reserve account. The bill also updates reporting requirements for fund balances, removes outdated budget language, and clarifies how excess funds from accounts are distributed or transferred. These changes affect state agencies handling budget allocations and financial reporting.
HB 220 appropriates $107.6 million from Wyoming's public school foundation program to fund K-12 school facilities projects for fiscal years 2024-2026. It allocates specific amounts for charter school leases ($2.27 million), modular buildings ($52,125), school construction/design ($80.19 million), and major maintenance ($25.16 million), with funds tied to approved school projects and priorities. The bill requires annual reports on project progress and mandates that unspent funds revert to the state foundation account by June 30, 2026. It directly affects public and charter schools in Wyoming through the School Facilities Commission, which administers the funding for facility upgrades and construction.
Wyoming's SF 10 limits the use of eminent domain (government power to take private land) for energy infrastructure projects like power lines and collector systems connected to commercial electricity facilities. It requires developers to first negotiate and secure agreements from at least 85% of landowners or 85% of the land area before seeking court approval for condemnation. Compensation must match what was offered to other landowners involved in negotiations, not just standard market value. The bill excludes public utilities with existing permits and certain transmission infrastructure, and applies to new projects starting July 1, 2024.
SF 11 restricts Wyoming's eminent domain power (the ability to take private property for public use) for wind energy collector systems to only public utilities with a state certificate of public convenience and necessity. Non-public utility entities, such as private wind energy companies, are prohibited from using eminent domain for constructing or expanding collector systems (the conductors, towers, and substations that deliver power from wind farms). The restriction takes effect July 1, 2024, and is scheduled to end on June 30, 2015, or when new legislation establishes additional conditions for such eminent domain use, whichever occurs first. It applies to all new eminent domain actions initiated on or after July 1, 2024.
This legislative order prohibits Wyoming's Department of Education from enforcing a rule that capped career and technical education program grants at $200,000 per two-year period. The legislature found this rule conflicted with state law (W.S. 21-12-105), which authorizes grants up to $350,000 per two-year period, and declared the rule void. The order takes immediate effect and does not impact grants already issued under the previous rule.
HB 101 modifies Wyoming's law governing the attorney general's duty to provide written legal opinions. It allows the attorney general to decline issuing opinions when doing so would violate Wyoming's Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys, after receiving written notice of the request. This directly affects state officers (elected or appointed) and legislators who seek formal legal advice from the attorney general. The change takes effect July 1, 2024, clarifying when the attorney general may refuse to provide such opinions.
Wyoming's HB 163 requires state and local government entities (excluding courts and law enforcement) to create policies for handling personal data. It limits data collection to what's necessary for official duties, restricts retention to three years (unless justified), and mandates secure handling. Residents can request copies of their data, challenge inaccuracies, and seek corrections within 30 days. The law sets phased deadlines: state agencies must comply by July 2025, counties/cities by 2026, and other local entities by 2027.
