HB 44 repeals two existing provisions that allowed minors to consent to tobacco cessation treatment or certain medical care (including vaccinations) without parental permission. The bill requires parental consent for these services for children under 18, directly affecting parents, minors, and healthcare providers. It takes effect on July 1, 2024, and does not change other healthcare consent rules.
This Wyoming bill (SF 25) requires a study to identify costs for closing and cleaning up coal-fired power plants scheduled to retire before 2034. It mandates the Public Service Commission to analyze whether past utility rates already covered decommissioning costs, and if not, limits additional cost recovery to the portion of power sold in Wyoming. The bill appropriates $500,000 for the study and requires two reports: a status update by September 2024 and a final report by September 2025. It directly affects Wyoming utilities operating coal plants and their ratepayers, focusing on how cleanup costs will be allocated.
Wyoming's HB 35 limits the state's environmental rulemaking by requiring the Environmental Quality Council to create rules no stricter than federal standards, unless the department specifically justifies a need for stricter rules in writing. The bill directs the department to review existing environmental rules by July 2024 to align with this requirement and report findings to a legislative committee. It directly affects state environmental regulations governing air, water, land, and waste management, which apply to businesses and communities across Wyoming. The law takes effect July 1, 2024, and prohibits new rules exceeding federal requirements without documented justification.
HB 15 sets a two-year time limit for health insurers to seek reimbursement from healthcare providers for overpaid claims. Insurers cannot request repayment for non-fraudulent overpayments more than two years after the claim was paid. This law directly affects insurers and healthcare providers by limiting when insurers can recover overpayments. The policy applies to overpayments made on or after July 1, 2024, with no recovery allowed after the two-year period unless fraud occurred.
HB 12 repeals Wyoming's 1971 Dairy Marketing Act (specifically W.S. 11-36-101 through 11-36-110), removing an existing law that governed dairy marketing regulations. The repeal takes effect on July 1, 2024. This bill directly affects dairy producers and marketers in Wyoming by eliminating the specific regulatory framework established by the 1971 law. It is a procedural repeal with no new provisions or policy changes.
Wyoming's HB 14, the "Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act," requires health insurers and contracted utilization review entities (like HMOs and PPOs) to make prior authorization requirements clearly accessible online and provide written notice 60 days before changes. It mandates that insurers disclose these requirements to healthcare providers within 24 hours of request and prohibits new restrictions without updating their website first. The bill defines key terms like "urgent health care service" (including mental health care) and "adverse determination" to clarify when coverage is denied based on medical necessity. This directly affects patients, healthcare providers, and insurers by standardizing how prior authorization decisions are communicated and implemented.
This Wyoming bill (SF 21) requires public utilities to share electricity cost changes with customers through approved cost-tracking mechanisms. It directly affects electric utilities and their customers by mandating that any cost-tracking method approved by the Public Service Commission must include shared cost responsibility. The key provision amends utility rate regulations to ensure that when utilities recover electricity cost fluctuations between regular rate reviews, both the utility and customers share those costs. The bill takes effect July 1, 2024, and does not change current rate-setting processes but adds this cost-sharing requirement to new mechanisms.
HB 75 amends Wyoming's laws governing public property maintenance and construction, primarily affecting the University of Wyoming and state agencies like the State Construction Department and Building Commission. It requires the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees to annually prioritize capital projects and routine maintenance schedules, report these to the State Construction Department, and cover costs for major maintenance stemming from neglected routine upkeep. The bill clarifies definitions for terms like "capital construction," "major maintenance," and "routine maintenance" while updating reporting requirements and funding formulas for public works projects. These changes aim to standardize how state and university property maintenance is planned, funded, and reported across multiple agencies.
This bill clarifies that Wyoming's State Board of Equalization can interpret all tax-related questions arising from state laws, including how tax statutes are applied to property assessments and collections. It directly affects taxpayers, counties, and the Department of Transportation in disputes over tax assessments, property valuation, or transportation-related tax rules. The Board may now decide these questions without being limited to legal arguments presented by involved parties. This change applies to cases reviewed under Wyoming's Administrative Procedure Act and specific tax statutes like W.S. 39-13-102(c)(iv).
This bill allows retired firefighters in Wyoming to be rehired by their departments while continuing to receive their retirement benefits. It amends state pension laws to align with the Wyoming Retirement Act's provisions for rehiring retired members. The policy directly affects retired firefighters seeking to return to active duty without losing their retirement income. The bill takes effect July 1, 2024.
This bill updates Wyoming's official land surveying system by modernizing the "Wyoming Plane Coordinate System" to align with current national geodetic standards. It requires all land descriptions using this system to include specific metadata (like survey date and accuracy data), use standardized coordinate formats (e.g., easting/northing in feet or meters), and reference the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). The changes affect surveyors, county recorders, and anyone preparing land deeds or boundary descriptions in Wyoming, ensuring consistency with updated federal surveying practices. It repeals outdated coordinate standards and clarifies how to handle land crossing coordinate zones.
This bill allows Wyoming's governor to formally accept jurisdiction over specific military lands previously ceded to the federal government. It directly affects state authorities by enabling them to take back control of criminal, civil, or juvenile jurisdiction over military reservations like Fort Francis E. Warren, Cheyenne's powder depot, and other federal military sites, if offered by the federal government. The key mechanism requires the governor to provide written acceptance, which becomes effective upon filing with the secretary of state. The bill does not change existing state rights reserved in prior law. (Note: This is a procedural bill focused on enabling state control, not creating new policy.)
