Wyoming's HB 72 creates a new misdemeanor crime for distributing "harmful to minors" materials to minors, including through electronic means. It defines "harmful to minors" as materials depicting nudity, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic behavior (Section 1(f)). The bill requires public school and county libraries to remove challenged materials deemed harmful to minors from children's sections and move them to adult areas, unless parents grant permission (Section 1(g)). Libraries must review challenges within 60 days and restrict minor access to such materials. The law repeals prior exemptions allowing schools to curate such materials without restriction.
HB 191 shifts certain marijuana possession offenses from criminal to civil penalties in Wyoming. It eliminates criminal charges for possessing small amounts of marijuana (over 3 ounces in plant form, over 16 ounces in edibles/ointments, or over 30 grams in concentrated forms) and for marijuana paraphernalia, instead imposing civil fines. The bill also prohibits practitioners from prescribing marijuana (except for FDA-approved drugs like dronabinol) and updates definitions for cannabis products. These changes apply directly to individuals possessing marijuana within the specified quantity limits, moving enforcement toward civil penalties rather than criminal prosecution.
HB 301 reorganizes Wyoming's state senate districts by assigning each district to a single county, replacing the previous multi-county structure. It creates 23 new senate districts (e.g., District 1 = Natrona County, District 2 = Laramie County), effective for the 2028 general election. The bill specifies that odd-numbered districts will have two-year terms in 2028, while even-numbered districts will have four-year terms, with all districts using four-year terms starting in 2030. This directly affects all Wyoming residents by determining which county-based district they vote in for state senate elections beginning in 2028.
HB 295, the "Invest in Wyoming Act," requires the state treasurer to contract with Wyoming-based investment managers for a portion of state funds. It mandates that at least 3% but no more than 5% of eligible state funds be managed by qualifying Wyoming investment firms, which must maintain a physical office in Wyoming, employ certified professionals, and provide audited financial records. The bill directly affects the state treasurer's office (which must implement the program) and Wyoming investment firms (which must meet new licensing, location, and reporting requirements to qualify). Key provisions include quarterly performance reports to the state and limits on how much state funds any single firm can manage (capped at 10% of the firm's total assets). The law aims to redirect state investment capital toward local firms to support economic diversification and fiscal stability.
HB 167 requires Wyoming municipalities, counties, school districts, and special districts to post their proposed and adopted budgets on their websites by specific deadlines (June 1 for proposed budgets, 30 days after adoption for final budgets). It mandates that adopted budgets include a detailed report of the previous fiscal year's revenues and expenditures. Non-compliant entities face consequences including withheld funding, public notices of potential dissolution, and mandatory cost assessments for non-compliance. The bill applies to all qualifying local government entities and aims to increase financial transparency through standardized online reporting.
HB 138 amends the structure and operations of Wyoming's Gaming Commission. It requires the commission to have nine members (five appointed by the governor), mandates at least one member be an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho or Eastern Shoshone tribe, and specifies qualifications including five years of professional experience. The bill also details salary structures, establishes legislative liaisons, and clarifies the commission's financial procedures for handling gaming permit fees and fines. These changes directly affect the commission's composition, appointment process, and administrative duties.
HB 37 amends Wyoming law to allow school boards to expel students for possessing a deadly weapon for more than one year, extending beyond the standard one-year expulsion. It directly affects students who violate school safety policies regarding deadly weapons. The key provision requires school districts to provide alternative educational services during the extended expulsion period. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not change the definition of "deadly weapon" or the initial one-year expulsion standard.
HB 254 would appropriate $93,000 from the state general fund to install microphones at every member's desk in the Wyoming House of Representatives chamber. The bill specifies these microphones would be used solely to enable roll call votes to be heard by attendees within the chamber and during legislative broadcasts. It requires the funds be used only for planning, design, purchase, and installation of the microphones, with any unspent funds reverting by June 30, 2026. The bill is procedural in nature and currently pending in the legislature (received for introduction January 21, 2025).
HB 312 creates a Regulatory Review Office within Wyoming's governor's office to oversee state agency rulemaking. It requires all state agencies to conduct cost-benefit analyses for new rules, evaluating costs to businesses, benefits to residents, and impacts on state revenue and spending. The office must review agency rules every five years to identify outdated or burdensome rules for potential repeal, and agencies must submit annual regulatory plans detailing rulemaking and streamlining efforts. This bill directly affects all state agencies that create regulations, mandating new review processes and transparency requirements for rule changes.
HB 115, the Medical Ethics Defense Act, allows healthcare providers (including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists), healthcare institutions (like hospitals), and healthcare payers (such as insurance companies) to refuse participation in or payment for specific medical services based on their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. The bill requires written consent before a provider performs an abortion and prohibits discrimination against providers who decline services for conscience reasons, while protecting religious organizations’ rights to make decisions aligned with their faith. It explicitly states these rights do not override duties to provide emergency care or other services not conflicting with their beliefs. The law also prevents adverse licensing actions or discrimination for exercising these conscience-based decisions.
HB 88 would allow Wyoming counties, cities, and towns to permit single exits in apartment-style buildings with six stories or fewer (such as apartment complexes, dorms, and boarding houses). It prevents local governments from requiring multiple exits for these specific buildings unless their ordinance explicitly states this requirement beyond adopting standard building codes. The bill directly affects local building authorities and developers of multi-family housing by limiting their ability to mandate additional exits. The law would take effect on July 1, 2025.
This bill changes how Wyoming school districts calculate "average daily membership" (ADM), the metric used to determine state funding for schools. It lowers the attendance threshold for counting students as full-time from 80% to 75% of full-time equivalent hours and requires proportional calculation for part-time students. Students who withdraw or miss over 10 consecutive days will no longer be counted in ADM totals. These changes apply to school funding calculations starting with the 2025-2026 school year. The bill directly affects Wyoming public school districts receiving state funding based on ADM.
