This bill increases retirement contribution rates for Wyoming law enforcement officers. Starting July 1, 2024, officers will pay 11.1% of their salary (up from 8.6%) into their retirement account, while their employers (like state agencies, cities, or the University of Wyoming) must contribute 11.1% of the officer's salary (also up from 8.6%). The bill appropriates $2.025 million for state agencies and $75,000 for the University of Wyoming to cover the higher employer costs for the 2025-2026 fiscal biennium, with funds restricted solely to employer contributions. It does not require increased employee payments from the state or local governments beyond the specified rates.
This bill authorizes three specific water projects in Wyoming: (1) a $3.6 million municipal/rural water supply project in Big Horn County, with the state covering up to 50% of costs ($1.8 million in grants); (2) an aerial cloud seeding program to boost snowpack in the Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre ranges ($825,000 state appropriation); and (3) a ground-based cloud seeding program for the Wind River/Sierra Madre ranges ($298,651 state appropriation). The Big Horn project requires the sponsor to cover 50% of costs from other sources, while cloud seeding projects require Wyoming water users to fund operational costs exceeding state appropriations. Funds for these projects are drawn from Wyoming's water development accounts, with unspent funds reverting to the accounts or general fund by 2026-2029.
SF 44 amends Wyoming's regulations for limited mining operations, specifically for noncoal minerals like sand, gravel, and limestone on 15 acres or less. It requires operators to post reclamation bonds (ranging from $2,000 to $7,000 per acre depending on material), limits operations to five years without renewal, and mandates advance notice to landowners and state agencies. The bill explicitly prevents counties from blocking these operations and updates reporting requirements for reclamation. This directly affects small-scale miners conducting commercial or noncommercial extraction on small plots, streamlining permitting while adding reclamation financial safeguards.
SF 36, the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act, allows Wyoming courts to order preventive measures when there's credible evidence a child may be abducted. It directly affects parents, guardians, and courts in child custody cases by creating a legal framework for proactive intervention. Key provisions include requiring courts to assess specific risk factors (like prior abduction attempts, unusual financial activity, passport applications, or domestic violence history) before ordering measures such as restricting travel documents or requiring supervised exchanges. The bill defines critical terms like "abduction" (wrongful removal/retention) and "child custody determination" to standardize court actions. It applies to any child custody proceeding where abduction risk is established, aligning Wyoming with the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act model.
This bill allows special districts in Wyoming that failed to meet annual audit reporting requirements to request reinstatement instead of automatic dissolution. It requires districts to fix reporting issues by April 1 of the following year, submit a corrective plan approved by county commissioners, and obtain written certification of compliance from the state audit department. If reinstated, the district is treated as if it never dissolved, preserving its legal status and operations. The bill directly affects local special districts (like water or fire districts) that missed reporting deadlines, providing a structured path to avoid termination.
Wyoming's SF 123 removes the requirement for public notice when changing a minor child's name. The bill specifically affects natural or adoptive parents and legal guardians seeking to change a minor's name, provided all such parents or guardians sign the request. Under the change, courts will no longer need to publish the name change request in a newspaper or similar public forum for these cases. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024.
Wyoming's SF 52 amends the Wyoming Stable Token Act to allow stable token issuers to invest reserves in cash and specific government securities (like U.S. treasury bills under one year). It gives the Wyoming Stable Token Commission authority to issue different token types/amounts and contract with financial service providers. The bill requires reporting only for fully reserved tokens (tokens backed 100% by reserves) and updates criminal history record procedures for commission staff. This bill, effective immediately, modifies existing regulations without creating new obligations for token holders.
This bill modifies Wyoming law to exempt certain special districts from requiring voter approval for bond elections when borrowing funds from federal or state entities. It specifically applies to improvement/service districts and water/sewer districts that agree to repay loans solely from revenues generated by the associated service or project, with security limited to those revenues or project assets. The change eliminates the need for a public vote on these specific financing arrangements, streamlining the process for districts seeking to fund infrastructure improvements. The exception applies only to new bonds issued after July 1, 2024, and does not affect bonds already approved before that date.
Wyoming's SF 103 (Wyoming PRIME Act) allows producers to sell meat products directly to consumers in Wyoming from animals they raised, slaughtered, and processed on their own property or at a custom slaughter facility. The bill requires clear warning labels stating the meat is uninspected, prohibits resale or donation, and mandates producers to disclose their animal health and processing standards. Sales cannot begin until the governor certifies that federal law permits such sales - either through new federal legislation or a court ruling invalidating federal bans. The law takes effect July 1, 2024, pending this federal certification.
SF 90 creates a state-managed investment pool allowing Wyoming cities, towns, counties, school districts, and other local governments to pool their existing funds for equity investments (like stocks) through the state treasurer. Local entities must acknowledge investment risks in writing and cannot seek state reimbursement for losses. The state treasurer will set rules for fund transfers, withdrawals, minimum pool sizes, and fees covering only actual costs. This bill modifies existing investment rules (W.S. 9-1-419) without creating new government spending, effective July 1, 2024.
Wyoming's SF 100 requires insurers and their intermediaries to pay pharmacies within 21 days for electronic pharmacy claims and 30 days for non-electronic claims, provided the claim is "clean" (complete with all required documentation). If payment isn't made on time, insurers must pay 18% annual interest. The bill defines "clean claims" as those without deficiencies, mandates insurers to notify pharmacies of missing information within 10-15 days, and prohibits insurers from charging pharmacies fees for payment processing. This applies to all pharmacy benefit contracts and takes effect July 1, 2024.
Wyoming's SF 80 amends definitions in solid waste management law to clarify what constitutes solid waste and recycling facilities. It excludes certain materials (like post-use polymers processed through advanced recycling) from "solid waste" definitions and creates new terms for "advanced recycling" (using processes like pyrolysis) and "advanced recycling facilities." This change specifically affects recycling operations that convert plastic waste into raw materials, removing them from standard solid waste management regulations. The bill requires the Environmental Quality Council to create implementing rules, with most provisions effective July 1, 2024.
