Wyoming's SF 125 classifies digital assets (like cryptocurrencies and digital tokens) as property under state law, directly affecting residents, banks, and courts. It defines three categories: digital consumer assets (personal use), digital securities (investment-based), and virtual currency (used as money), each treated as property under specific sections of the Uniform Commercial Code. The bill establishes rules for banks to offer custodial services for digital assets and allows security interests (like loans using digital assets as collateral) through "control" mechanisms, such as private keys or smart contracts. This creates a legal framework for handling digital assets in transactions, disputes, and banking services within Wyoming.
SF 152, the "Transparency in legislative budgeting act," restructures Wyoming's state budget accounts by repealing three specific reserve funds (budget reserve, mineral trust fund reserve, and strategic investments account) and redirecting their funds to the general fund. It requires a 5% reserve from general fund receipts to be maintained in the budget reserve account, mandates that excess general fund funds at the end of each biennium be transferred to this reserve, and changes how withheld funds from community mental health programs are handled. Local governments that fail to submit required financial reports face withheld state distributions, which remain in the budget reserve until compliance is achieved. The bill aims to increase budget transparency by clarifying fund transfers, reserves, and performance-based funding mechanisms for state-supported programs.
SF 130 allocates $1 million from the general fund specifically for school district facility repairs and replacements under Wyoming law, directly affecting public schools in the 2019-2020 school year. The bill also authorizes additional funding for various state capital projects, including health science buildings, performing arts centers, prison repairs, and campus facilities at institutions like Laramie County Community College. All funds are restricted to designated projects with strict usage rules: school funds cannot be redirected and must revert if unspent by June 30, 2020, while other project funds must be used solely for specified construction. The bill outlines detailed budget allocations across multiple state agencies and projects without creating new policy. This is a funding measure, not a policy change, focused on directing existing appropriations for capital construction.
SF 84 redirects mineral extraction tax revenues for fiscal years 2019 and 2020, changing where these funds go. Normally, two-thirds of severance tax collections would fund Wyoming's permanent mineral trust, but this bill requires that amount to instead go to the general state fund during those years. It repeals prior budget rules about redirecting these revenues and takes effect July 1, 2019. The bill directly affects state budget allocations, shifting funds from the mineral trust account to general fund spending.
SF 135 would have removed legal limits on the number of nursing care facility beds that health care providers could add in Wyoming. It repealed specific sections of state law (W.S. 35-2-906(b), (c), (f), and (g)) that previously restricted bed capacity increases. This change would have directly affected nursing care facilities seeking to expand their capacity. The bill died in committee in February 2019 and did not become law.
SF 133 creates a medical assistance buy-in program allowing eligible individuals to purchase coverage similar to Medicaid, with premiums set to cover costs and potentially adjusted by age. It also establishes a prescription drug program for insurers to access pharmacy services at set fees, and requires the Department of Health to conduct outreach about contraceptive services to teens and parents covered under medical assistance or child health insurance programs. The bill mandates seeking federal waivers to operate the buy-in program through the health exchange and requires studies on expanding coverage. It affects low-income residents who don’t qualify for existing Medicaid but can afford a premium, as well as insurers and health providers.
SF 72 requires Wyoming criminal justice agencies to report on sexual assault biological evidence (like DNA samples) collected during investigations, starting January 1, 2020. Agencies must report evidence submission status, lab details, and reasons for non-submission, while protecting victim identities. The bill also changes who pays for medical examinations related to sexual assaults (first victim services, then law enforcement if funds run out) and prohibits destroying evidence until all legal time limits expire. These provisions affect law enforcement, crime labs, and victim services, aiming to improve evidence tracking and transparency.
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to shift responsibility for building school facilities from the state to local school districts, while establishing mandatory state funding to equalize local tax burdens. It requires districts to fund construction primarily through voter-approved bonds, with state aid ensuring that districts with lower property values pay no more in local taxes than the statewide average. The amendment also allows the state to provide optional hardship funds and maintains voter approval as the final decision for bond authorizations. This change responds to a 2001 court ruling that previously placed construction responsibility on the state, which the legislature says became unsustainable due to lost revenue sources.
Wyoming's SF 145 requires hunters and anglers to purchase a $6 annual recreation permit to access state trust lands (lands held for public schools and institutions). The permit fee distributes $4 to land beneficiaries (schools/institutions) and $2 to the game and fish commission for access programs. Exceptions include children under 12 with permit holders, public road travel, and state employees on duty. Violating the permit requirement is a misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $200 or up to one week in jail. The law mandates an agreement between the game commission and land board by November 2019 to implement the fee system.
This bill increases annual salaries for Wyoming judges across all court levels. Supreme court justices' salaries rise to $175,000, district court judges to $160,000, and circuit court judges to $145,000, effective July 1, 2019. It appropriates $1,081,000 from the general fund specifically to fund these increases, with funds expiring June 30, 2020. The bill directly affects all active judges in Wyoming's supreme, district, and circuit courts by adjusting their compensation.
Wyoming's SF 81 defines electric bicycles into three classes with specific speed limits: Class 1 (20 mph assist only while pedaling), Class 2 (20 mph without pedaling), and Class 3 (28 mph assist only while pedaling). The bill requires manufacturers to affix permanent labels showing class, speed, and motor wattage on all e-bikes, prohibits modifications without relabeling, and clarifies e-bikes are not motor vehicles (so they don’t require licenses or registration). It also sets operational rules: Class 3 bikes are restricted on some paths, require helmets for minors, and must have speedometers, while all e-bikes must meet federal safety standards and disengage motors when braking or not pedaling. The law directly affects e-bike manufacturers, riders, and local authorities managing bicycle paths.
This bill repeals Wyoming's specific statutes (W.S. 35-2-605 through 35-2-617) that governed the confidentiality of medical records for patients receiving hospital or treatment services. It removes state-level restrictions on sharing patient records, though federal laws like HIPAA and substance abuse confidentiality rules (42 C.F.R. part 2) remain in effect. The repeal directly affects hospitals, treatment facilities, and patients by eliminating Wyoming's additional requirements for record disclosure, effective July 1, 2019.
