HB 82 (Wyoming) creates a tax credit program to encourage property owners to improve abandoned or nuisance buildings in cities and towns. It allows local governments to designate properties as "abandoned" (vacant >6 months) or "nuisance" (deteriorated structures) for tax credit eligibility, with limits based on city size (e.g., max 3 designations for towns under 15,000 residents). Property owners can claim up to 50% of demolition costs or 100% of improvement costs within 2 years (or 5 years for new owners) by submitting proof to the city for approval. The bill failed to pass in the 2024 legislative session (H Failed Introduction on Feb 14, 2024) and remains a proposed framework, not enacted law.
HB 113 increases scholarship amounts for Wyoming's Hathaway program, directly affecting eligible students pursuing degrees or certificates at participating institutions. The bill raises semester awards for three scholarship tiers: Opportunity ($882, up from $840), Performance ($1,323, up from $1,260), and Honor ($1,764, up from $1,680) for full-time students meeting specific GPA and standardized test score criteria. Need-based scholarships also see updated calculations, with a minimum $110 per semester and increased caps for unmet financial need. The changes apply to students qualifying under existing Hathaway program standards, effective July 1, 2024.
HB 102 would allow school employees with valid concealed carry permits to carry firearms on school property if their district board adopts specific rules. School boards that choose not to adopt such rules must submit a written explanation to the state education department. The bill appropriates $100,000 for a statewide marketing campaign to promote this authority, with funds restricted to use from July 2024 through June 2026. The bill failed its introduction in the Wyoming House on February 14, 2024, with a vote of 35-26.
HB 108 creates new criminal offenses for assault, threats of violence, and battery specifically against healthcare providers while they are performing work duties. It defines "health care provider" and sets stricter penalties: misdemeanor charges (up to 6 months jail or $1,000 fine) for first offenses, and felony charges (up to 3 years jail or $1,000 fine) for repeat offenses. The bill applies to anyone who knowingly commits these acts against providers during employment, including threats involving bodily injury, death, or $1,000+ property damage. It does not create new protections for providers but increases legal consequences for perpetrators. The bill failed introduction in the Wyoming House on February 14, 2024.
Wyoming's SF 33 establishes a pilot program to address attorney shortages in rural counties by offering financial incentives to attorneys who practice in qualifying areas. Eligible counties must have under 25,000 residents and fewer than 1.5 attorneys per 1,000 residents, and participating attorneys receive up to $20,000 annually (90% of UW law school tuition) over five years. Funding is split 50% from the Supreme Court, 35% from participating counties, and 15% from the Wyoming State Bar. The program requires annual reports on participation and impacts, with a sunset date to limit its duration.
This bill amends Wyoming law to change how major political parties determine voting power on their state central committees. It requires that each committee member's vote be weighted based on the number of the party's registered voters in their county relative to the party's total statewide registered voters from the last congressional election. This means members from counties with larger shares of the party's registered voters have more influence in committee decisions than members from counties with fewer party registrants. The change applies to all major political parties and takes effect on July 1, 2024.
This bill (SF 46) changes Wyoming's school attendance law to require children to attend school starting at age 6, rather than age 7. It lowers the minimum age by amending the requirement that children whose sixth birthday falls on or before August 1 (or September 15 if they started kindergarten early) must attend school. The bill repeals an outdated related provision (W.S. 21-4-302(a)) and makes the change effective for the 2024-2025 school year. It directly affects parents and guardians of children aged 6-15 in Wyoming school districts.
HB 112 would impose a 1% tax on real estate sales exceeding $1 million, collected from buyers at closing. It affects homeowners and property buyers in Wyoming whose transactions surpass this threshold, though it includes numerous exemptions (e.g., agricultural land, transfers between spouses, gifts, and nonprofit transfers). The tax revenue would fund property tax relief by reducing the property tax assessment ratio, though specific implementation details are not outlined in the bill text. The bill failed to advance in the Wyoming House on February 13, 2024, with a vote of 8-53.
HB 157 clarifies that Wyoming property tax valuations must consistently follow the state law definition of "fair market value" as specified in W.S. 39-11-101(a)(vi). The bill requires county assessors and the Department of Revenue to use appraisal methods aligned with this definition when annually valuing taxable property. It directly affects property taxpayers and local assessors by mandating uniform valuation practices under existing tax statutes. The bill, which failed committee passage in February 2024, takes effect July 1, 2024, if enacted.
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to reclassify Wyoming property taxes into four distinct categories: residential, commercial, agricultural, and personal property. It would allow residential properties (including owner-occupied homes) to be taxed at less than full market value, with limits on annual tax increases, while requiring agricultural land to be valued based on its productive capacity. The amendment also repeals a prior similar resolution (SJR 3 from 2023) that had been submitted to voters. The proposal would require voter approval to become part of Wyoming's constitution.
HB 84 designates the High Plains Research Station and Arboretum in Laramie County as a state historic site managed by Wyoming's Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. The bill requires the department to create a strategic master plan for preserving and operating the site within one year, including potential partnerships with local governments or entities. It also authorizes the department to charge higher admission fees specifically to fund site preservation, operations, and maintenance, with annual reports on these revenues. This procedural bill affects the site's management structure and funding mechanism but does not alter land ownership or create new services.
This joint resolution (SJ 1) is a non-binding request from Wyoming's legislature to the U.S. Congress. It demands that Congress extinguish federal ownership of public lands and subsurface resources within Wyoming (currently covering about 46% of the state's surface area and 69% of its subsurface resources) to fulfill Wyoming's constitutional "equal footing" status as a state admitted to the Union. The resolution requires Congress to confirm its intent to transfer these lands to Wyoming by October 1, 2024, and proposes that the transferred lands remain state public lands. It is a procedural resolution, not a law, and has not advanced beyond the introduction stage in the Wyoming Senate (failed 17-14).
