This bill requires Wyoming school districts to notify parents or guardians about changes in a student's physical, mental, or emotional health that impact their school environment. It prohibits schools from restricting parental access to education and health records or preventing staff from sharing student well-being information. School districts must also provide parents options to decline health services and establish clear complaint procedures for non-compliance, with decisions required within 30 days. The law applies to all public school districts and takes effect for the 2024-2025 school year.
HB 32 updates Wyoming's rules for storing carbon dioxide underground (geologic sequestration). It specifically adds "pore space utilization" as a purpose for unitizing underground storage rights, clarifies definitions like "unit area" (the underground space being used), and requires applicants to detail how they'll share economic benefits with landowners whose pore space is pooled. The bill changes permit requirements to ensure applicants have legal rights to use surface land and storage space, and streamlines the process for creating unitization agreements that combine multiple landowners' rights. This directly affects landowners with underground rights, carbon storage companies, and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which reviews unitization applications.
HB 60 allows Wyoming's Game and Fish Department to compensate landowners, lessees, or agents for extraordinary damage to rangeland caused by big game animals (like elk) until July 1, 2030. It defines "extraordinary damage" as forage consumption exceeding 15% of annual production or herd populations exceeding management objectives for two consecutive years, with compensation based on 150% of private land lease rates. The bill also requires the department to develop elk population reduction plans for overpopulated areas and report them to specific legislative committees by September 2024. This directly affects ranchers and landowners with livestock on rangeland and mandates new procedures for damage claims and wildlife management.
HB 34 prioritizes funding for Wyoming's municipal solid waste facility closure and transfer projects using previously appropriated state funds. The bill establishes a ranked list of 16 projects (e.g., Upton's transfer project at $1.3M, Thermopolis' closure at $2.5M) with maximum spending limits, and authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality to adjust the list for efficiency, project readiness, or environmental concerns. It specifically allocates $77,303 for a carcass management project and requires annual reports to legislative committees. This procedural bill replaces an older priority list without creating new policy, directly affecting municipal waste operators and local governments listed in the approved projects.
HB 24 repeals Wyoming's requirement for health care facilities to obtain formal department approval before expanding beds or building additions. It changes the process so facilities only need to submit plans for the Department of Health's written comments, rather than prior approval. The bill also removes specific bed expansion limits for nursing homes and hospitals. This change takes effect July 1, 2024, directly affecting health care providers planning facility expansions.
Wyoming's HB 27 requires law enforcement officers to notify the Department of Family Services (DFS) whenever they receive a report about a vulnerable adult suspected of abuse, neglect, exploitation, intimidation, abandonment, or self-neglect. This bill directly affects vulnerable adults (such as elderly or disabled individuals who cannot care for themselves) and law enforcement officers who handle such reports. The key provision mandates that officers must immediately contact DFS to assess the need for protective services, replacing previous notification requirements. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024.
HB 46 sets a 150-day timeline for resolving most cases in Wyoming's chancery court, requiring courts to settle the majority of complex civil disputes within 150 days of issuing a scheduling order. It directly affects parties filing disputes in chancery court (typically handling business, real estate, or contract cases) by establishing a concrete deadline for case resolution. The law applies to all chancery court cases filed on or after July 1, 2024, and becomes effective on that date.
HB 73 creates Wyoming's Long-Term Abandoned Mine Reclamation Account to manage federal funds for cleaning up coal mine sites. The account will hold up to 30% of federal funds received under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (specifically Section 40701(c)), which must be used *only* for: treating acid mine drainage, preventing ground collapse from subsidence, and controlling coal mine fires. It repeals two older accounts, transferring their unspent funds to a reserve account, and limits state liability to the funds actually in the new account. This bill directly affects Wyoming's environmental management and federal grant utilization for abandoned mine cleanup.
HB 71 amends Wyoming's broadband development fund rules to allow the state to use these funds for two specific purposes: covering Wyoming's required share of matching funds for federal broadband programs (such as those under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), and paying up to $300,000 in administrative costs for the Wyoming Business Council. The bill directly affects the Wyoming Business Council, which administers these funds, and enables state participation in federal broadband initiatives. This clarifies existing fund usage without creating new programs or altering eligibility for broadband projects.
SF 1 is the state's 2024-2026 general budget bill, allocating $56.4 million in state funds to support essential government operations and programs. It specifies exact funding amounts for agencies like the Office of the Governor ($9.1 million), Homeland Security ($5.3 million), and the WY Innov. Partnership ($15 million), with conditions such as requiring matching funds for wild horse management on tribal lands. The bill also defines key terms for tracking funds (e.g., "special revenue fund") and sets strict rules, like prohibiting $20,000 for emergency response meetings from being used for other purposes. This budget directly affects all state agencies receiving these appropriations and governs their spending for the two-year fiscal period.
SF 102 prohibits foreign entities designated as "foreign adversaries" (including governments or companies from specified countries) from owning or acquiring real property within 10 miles of critical infrastructure or military installations in Wyoming. It requires such entities to divest property within 8 months of notice, with court-ordered sales and forfeiture of proceeds to the state if they fail to comply. The law mandates registration of foreign ownership with the Secretary of State, requires inclusion of ownership prohibitions in tax documents, and defines key terms like "critical infrastructure" and "significant interest" (25%+ ownership). These provisions apply directly to foreign governments, their entities, or U.S. entities controlled by them, aiming to protect infrastructure security through enforceable ownership restrictions.
Wyoming's SF 82 (Summer Vacation Preservation Act) reduces the minimum required school year from 175 to 165 days and mandates that public school years begin after Labor Day and end before Memorial Day, unless the state board approves an alternative schedule. The bill requires school districts to hold public meetings before proposing alternative schedules and annually evaluate their effectiveness. It also adjusts funding calculations, changing the required minimum operating days for full foundation funding from 185 to 170 days. These changes apply to the 2025-2026 school year and beyond, affecting all Wyoming public school districts and their funding.
