HB 205 creates the Wyoming State Fair Department, transferring all state fair operations - including staff, funding, equipment, and responsibilities - from the Department of Agriculture. The new department will be led by a director appointed by the State Fair Board (with Senate approval), who will manage the annual fair held in Douglas and oversee fairgrounds maintenance. Existing state fair functions, including budgeting for the fair and its grounds, will now fall under this standalone department instead of Agriculture. The bill formalizes this structural change while maintaining the fair's current purpose of celebrating Wyoming's agricultural heritage through competitions and exhibits.
HB 186 requires Wyoming's Game and Fish Commission to issue "bear coupons" with certain resident elk hunting licenses, allowing the holder to harvest one brown or black bear (not grizzly) in areas where elk hunting is permitted. The bill mandates the Commission to provide evidence of grizzly bear population recovery to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by July 1, 2025, to support delisting grizzlies from the endangered species list. It prohibits taking grizzly bears within the Yellowstone recovery zone and specifies that bear coupons do not require additional fees or count toward hunting license limits. The law takes effect upon delisting confirmation or January 1, 2026, whichever comes first.
Wyoming's SF 68 creates a temporary tax exemption for all state-owned lands, making them exempt from property taxes regardless of their use (e.g., parks, buildings) starting January 1, 2025, but this exemption expires January 1, 2027. The bill also establishes a task force to study government property tax exemptions - including historical practices and a recent court decision - and recommend changes to make tax treatment uniform across state, local, and other government properties. The task force must report its findings by October 1, 2025, and includes members appointed by legislative leaders and the governor. This bill does not affect taxes on improvements to land or other government-owned property (like cities or schools), and it appropriates $65,000 total for task force operations.
Wyoming's SF 85 requires the state Attorney General to investigate local government actions (counties, cities, towns) that allegedly violate state law or the Wyoming Constitution, following a legislator's written request. If violations are confirmed, the Attorney General must give local governments 30 days to fix the issue before the state treasurer withholds their share of state funds distributed under existing revenue laws. The bill creates a specific process: legislators notify local officials first, the Attorney General investigates within 30 days, and funds are withheld until violations are resolved. This directly affects local governments that fail to comply with state law, using withheld state revenue as an enforcement tool.
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.
