Rep. Ken Chestek

Maddy summaryHB 101 requires guardians to have monthly in-person contact with their wards to monitor well-being, with written records submitted to the court. It sets limits on guardian fees (capping payments at federal rates) and mandates that guardians notify service providers (like healthcare or housing entities) about their appointment. The bill directly affects guardians, their wards (adults under guardianship), and courts, which must review the contact logs and reports. Key provisions include banning inappropriate restraints, requiring detailed court reports on the ward's condition, and ensuring fees don't harm the ward's financial independence. These changes aim to strengthen oversight in guardianship cases.

Maddy summaryHB 108 requires Wyoming's Department of Audit to post specific financial reports from local governments and special districts on its official website by set deadlines. This includes annual reports from counties, cities, and towns by December 31 each year, special district budgets within 30 days of submission, and annual audits within 30 days of their due date. The bill increases transparency by making these documents publicly accessible online without changing existing reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 138, the "Reproductive Freedom Act," proposes to protect abortion access in Wyoming by prohibiting the state from interfering with a person's right to have an abortion before fetal viability (when the fetus can survive outside the womb) or to protect the person's life or health. It defines key terms like "abortion" and "viability," sets penalties for unauthorized abortions (misdemeanor with up to one year in jail or $5,000 fine), and ensures state regulations must be medically necessary and impose the least restrictions possible. The bill also allows healthcare providers and facilities to refuse participation in abortions without discrimination and prohibits state penalties for aiding abortion seekers. This proposed bill, introduced in February 2026 but not yet considered for debate, would replace current abortion laws if enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 37 makes several county elected offices nonpartisan in Wyoming, directly affecting county clerks, treasurers, assessors, coroners, sheriffs, county prosecutors, district attorneys, and clerks of the district court. The bill requires nonpartisan primary elections for these positions, changes ballot order to group them together, and sets a minimum of 25 write-in votes needed for candidates to appear on future ballots. It also modifies vacancy procedures for these nonpartisan offices and updates related election laws. The bill does not change eligibility rules or create new offices, only altering election procedures for existing county positions.

Maddy summaryHB 114 sets new safety rules for railroad operations in Wyoming. It limits train lengths to 8,500 feet or the shortest passing track/siding, requires wayside detection systems every 10 miles on main lines to identify equipment problems (like overheating parts), and mandates visual inspections and operator reporting. Railroad companies operating in Wyoming must install these systems, train staff on their use, and report detection alerts or system failures. Violations could result in civil penalties ranging from $500 per foot over length limits to $250,000 for severe safety failures causing injury. The bill directly affects all railroad companies operating trains within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases Wyoming's threshold for simplified probate procedures from $200,000 to $500,000 for estates. It directly affects residents and nonresidents with smaller estates (valued under $500,000 after debts) who qualify for streamlined distribution without full court supervision. Key provisions raise the value limit for summary procedures under W.S. 2-1-205, simplify nonresident estate processing under W.S. 2-11-201 and 2-11-202, and clarify disclaimer rules under W.S. 2-1-403. The changes take effect July 1, 2025, reducing administrative burdens for smaller estates.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 22) amends state law to allow a child's parental rights to be terminated if the child has been under a relative's guardianship for over 24 months *and* the parent is found unfit. It specifically adds this scenario as a legal ground for termination, requiring clear evidence of both the extended relative guardianship and parental unfitness. The change directly affects parents whose children are in long-term relative care and have been deemed unfit by a court. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 236 makes specific county elected offices nonpartisan in Wyoming, directly affecting voters and candidates for positions like county clerk, treasurer, assessor, coroner, sheriff, and district attorney. The bill requires these offices to be nominated and elected through nonpartisan primaries (instead of partisan primaries), standardizes their ballot order, and modifies vacancy procedures. It amends existing statutes to clarify that these roles must be nonpartisan and specifies that candidates for these offices will appear together on ballots without party labels. The law applies to all counties, changing how these local officials are elected and listed on ballots.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SJ 7) passed by the Wyoming Legislature to recognize the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) on its 50th anniversary in 2025. It commends NCSL for its role in supporting state legislatures and fostering bipartisan cooperation, as detailed in the resolution's preamble. The resolution directs Wyoming's Secretary of State to send copies to Wyoming's Congressional delegation and NCSL's leadership. It does not create new laws or affect any specific groups or policies.

Maddy summaryHB 299 amends Wyoming's gaming laws to allow the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes (on the Wind River Reservation) to operate online sports betting as "qualified gaming entities," directly affecting these tribes. It modifies geolocation requirements by exempting tribal operators from needing to verify a patron's physical location within Wyoming for wagers made on tribal lands. The bill also adds tribes to the definition of eligible operators and specifies that tribal online betting is not subject to the same location restrictions as other operators. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.