Wyoming's SF 114 requires all public schools to teach state and federal constitutional principles, including American institutions and ideals, for at least three years in grades K-8 and one year in high school. It mandates that high school students passing a graduation exam must score at least 60% on the same civics test used for U.S. citizenship. This applies to all Wyoming public high school diplomas awarded starting with the 2023-2024 school year. The bill directly affects all public high school students in Wyoming who seek graduation credentials.
This bill adds Wyoming legislators and their dependents to the state's group health insurance plan, which currently covers state employees and officials. It requires the Legislative Service Office to handle enrollment and pay the state's share of premiums. Legislators must choose to enroll within 31 days of January 7, 2025, with their portion paid via payroll deduction or bank account. The bill amends existing law to define "member of the legislature" and establish this enrollment process.
Wyoming's SJ 6 is a joint resolution urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to require public identification of who funds political campaign contributions and to limit or ban corporate political spending. It directly addresses corporations and entities not composed of natural persons (individual people), aiming to restrict their ability to make untraceable campaign expenditures. The amendment would allow states and Congress to mandate disclosure of donor sources and restrict non-human entities from spending in elections, while exempting groups made up of natural persons that publicly identify members and donors. This resolution does not change current law but requests a constitutional change to override Supreme Court rulings like Citizens United.
This bill appropriates $8.6 million from Wyoming's general fund to the Department of Transportation specifically for the WyoLink public safety communications system. It directs funds to prioritize operations/maintenance (including local government charges), equipment acquisition, infrastructure development, and other system expenses in that order. The funding is available through June 30, 2024, with unspent funds reverting to the state treasury. This directly affects public safety agencies relying on WyoLink for interoperable communications during emergencies.
SF 3 adjusts fees for new retail liquor licenses in Wyoming issued after July 1, 2023. It sets a minimum annual fee of $300 and a maximum of $1,500, with the exact amount determined by the licensing authority. This bill directly affects businesses applying for their first retail liquor license after the effective date. The change modifies existing law (W.S. 12-4-201(e)) to establish this fee range, without altering other licensing requirements.
HB 43 amends Wyoming law to remove the requirement that drivers must "willfully" ignore road closure signs to be charged with a misdemeanor. The bill keeps the same fine range ($750-$1,500) but lowers the legal bar for conviction by eliminating the "willful" element. It directly affects drivers who disregard posted road closures, particularly during winter conditions when closures are common. The law takes effect July 1, 2023, and does not change existing penalties or exceptions.
HB 71 creates an annual sales tax holiday during the first weekend in August (Friday 12:01 a.m. to Sunday 11:59 p.m.) when specific items are exempt from Wyoming's sales tax. It directly affects consumers purchasing eligible school-related items, including clothing, computers, school supplies (like pens, notebooks, and backpacks), and school sports equipment. The exemption excludes high-priced items (e.g., clothing over $100, computers over $1,500) and non-eligible goods like jewelry, cosmetics, or items bought for resale. The bill specifies these rules to provide temporary tax relief for back-to-school shopping, effective July 1, 2023.
This bill (SF 103) adds a sales tax exemption for current Wyoming state legislators purchasing lodging services while acting in their official capacity. It amends Wyoming tax law to exempt these specific lodging purchases from the state sales tax. The exemption applies only to legislators using lodging for official duties, not personal travel. The change took effect July 1, 2023.
This bill changes Wyoming's election ballot rules by allowing independent candidates to list a party affiliation (e.g., "Independent - Green Party") alongside the word "Independent" on ballots. It modifies how candidates are ordered, requiring partisan candidates to appear in sequence based on their party's vote totals from the last congressional election in that county. Independents will still appear after all parties, listed alphabetically, and the bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law. The changes apply to all general election ballots for state and local offices.
SF 73 updates Wyoming's fence laws to clarify responsibility when livestock damages property. It increases fines for unlawful wire fences and changes liability from "animals" to "livestock" for damage claims. For subdivisions, it requires adjacent landowners to pay half the cost of perimeter fences (not full cost), while the subdivision covers additional construction expenses. This directly affects ranchers, landowners with fences, and developers building near grazing areas.
This Wyoming bill (SF 60) increases fees for nonresident hunters seeking elk, deer, or antelope licenses. It adds $576 to the elk license fee ($1,258 total), $288 to deer ($826 total), and $288 to antelope ($874 total) beyond existing license costs. The bill also requires 40% of available nonresident licenses for these species to be allocated through a separate drawing system for nonresidents, with 75 deer licenses reserved for a national bow hunt. The changes take effect January 1, 2024, directly affecting nonresident hunters seeking these big game licenses.
Wyoming's SF 37 requires businesses claiming certain sales and use tax exemptions (for services or tangible property) to file a new certification with the state department. This certification must confirm they are employing Wyoming residents "to the extent practicable" and have informed non-resident workers about Wyoming vehicle registration rules. The requirement applies to all exemption claims made on or after January 1, 2023, and must be submitted using a state-prescribed form. The law aims to ensure that tax-exempt economic incentives directly benefit Wyoming residents and comply with vehicle registration requirements.
