HB 50 expands access to criminal identification and intelligence information to specific state agencies, including law enforcement, the parole board, corrections, homeland security (for defined purposes), designated agencies under W.S. 14-6-227, and family services. It requires these agencies to implement reasonable security measures to prevent unauthorized access, with security protocols tailored to each agency's specific use of the information. The bill modifies existing law (W.S. 9-1-627(c)) to formalize these access rules and security requirements. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025.
HB 51 increases the maximum penalties municipal courts in Wyoming can impose for violations of city ordinances. It raises the maximum fine from $750 to $1,000 per offense and extends the maximum jail term from six months to one year. This bill directly affects individuals convicted of local ordinance violations (such as traffic tickets or noise complaints) handled in municipal courts. The changes apply to all municipal court cases involving city ordinances and take effect on July 1, 2025. The bill amends specific sections of Wyoming law (W.S. 5-6-201, 5-6-210, and 5-6-301) to reflect these updated penalty limits.
This bill requires Wyoming school districts to adopt policies banning student cell phone and smart watch use during instructional time, effective July 1, 2025. It specifically exempts emergency situations, staff authorization, students with individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans, and health-related phone use authorized by medical providers. The policy must exclude basic health-monitoring or time-telling wearable devices. School boards must establish these policies by July 1, 2025, applying to all public K-12 schools. The bill directly affects students, school staff, and district administrators by changing classroom technology rules.
This bill establishes Wyoming's Imagination Library Program, providing free age-appropriate books monthly to children aged 0-5 in participating counties. It requires counties to contribute 50% of program costs to the state education department, which manages funds and matches state appropriations. The program, funded by a $320,000 state appropriation (effective July 2025), aims to foster early literacy through local county-based affiliate programs and public awareness campaigns. Families receive books at no cost, with the state education department coordinating nonprofit partnerships to administer the initiative statewide.
HB 91 restricts the use of eminent domain for wind energy collector systems, limiting this authority exclusively to public utilities with a certificate of public convenience and necessity. It requires non-public utility entities (like private wind energy developers) to comply with new notice requirements for local governments before condemnation actions and sets specific rules for expanding existing easements. The bill applies to condemnation actions initiated on or after July 1, 2025, and specifies that existing contracts remain unaffected. This directly affects companies building wind energy infrastructure seeking to acquire land for power collection systems.
This bill (SF 31) requires the governor to appoint veterans' representatives as nonvoting members on two state boards: the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and the Wyoming Community College Commission. The Wyoming Veterans' Commission will recommend these appointees, who will have speaking rights but no voting power. The change amends existing statutes to formalize this representation, ensuring veterans' perspectives are included in educational governance decisions. It directly affects how these boards incorporate veteran service input, without altering voting authority or financial commitments.
This Wyoming bill (SF 29) creates legal immunity for individuals who return a firearm to its owner after holding it under a temporary agreement. It limits lawsuits against these individuals when returning the firearm as agreed, but does not protect them if they breached the agreement or acted unlawfully. The law applies to written or oral agreements where someone temporarily holds a lawfully owned firearm for another person (e.g., a friend storing a gun while traveling). It excludes certain weapons covered under federal law and takes effect July 1, 2025.
Wyoming's SF 132 allocates unspent federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) pandemic relief funds to specific state programs. The bill directs $440 million in ARPD funds (unexpended federal relief funds) to agencies like health departments, workforce programs, outdoor recreation, transportation infrastructure, and emergency services. Key provisions specify that funds must support pandemic recovery efforts, such as healthcare worker retention, rural health innovations, and emergency response systems, while prohibiting general post-secondary education spending except for critical career training. The bill also requires reporting on fund usage and sets conditions for how agencies may spend the allocated amounts.
This bill requires e-cigarette and vapor material manufacturers to certify their products meet U.S. FDA requirements (either via marketing authorization or premarket application) and submit this information to Wyoming's Department of Revenue by October 1, 2024, and annually after. It creates a public directory of compliant products, prohibiting the sale of any e-cigarettes or vapor products not listed in this directory starting October 2024. Sellers (including retailers, distributors, and wholesalers) must maintain records and comply with biannual inspections, with penalties including fines for false certifications or selling unlisted products.
Wyoming's HB 103 sets the property tax assessment ratio for residential property at 8.3% of fair market value, while maintaining a 9.5% rate for all other property types. This bill directly affects residential property owners by changing how their property taxes are calculated based on assessed value. The key provision amends Wyoming statutes to establish these specific assessment percentages for tax calculation purposes. The bill's effective date (January 1, 2025) is contingent on voters approving a related constitutional amendment in the 2024 general election.
HB 52 establishes a homestead property tax exemption for Wyoming homeowners based on age: up to $50,000 exemption for owners 64 or younger, $100,000 for ages 65-74, and $150,000 for those 75+ on January 1 of the tax year. It requires annual claims by May 4th to the county assessor, limits exemptions to one per property per year, and defines "primary residence" as where the owner lives most of the year. The bill includes an $88.4 million state appropriation to reimburse local governments for lost revenue from the exemption, ending December 31, 2027. It expires on that date, with no renewal automatic.
HJ 3 is a Wyoming joint resolution expressing support for state and local government involvement in federal rulemaking. It does not create new laws but formally commits the Wyoming Legislature to oppose specific federal rules and plans (like the BLM's Rock Springs resource management plan) that the resolution claims negatively impact Wyoming's agriculture, energy, mineral, and recreation industries. The resolution requires the Wyoming Secretary of State to send this position to federal officials, including Congress and the White House. As a procedural resolution, it focuses on expressing legislative opposition rather than changing federal policy.
