Rep. Scott Heiner

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 125) defines "health care" in state law to clarify what legal actions qualify as health care. It specifies that medical procedures causing harm to body systems (like heart, brain, or organs) are *not* considered health care unless documented as medically necessary to save a pregnant woman’s life or for patients with no chance of meaningful recovery. The definition applies broadly to all Wyoming statutes and constitutional interpretations but excludes the Wyoming Health Care Decisions Act. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, aiming to protect public health and welfare through clear legal standards.

Maddy summaryHB 32, titled "What is a Woman Act," defines "sex" as biological sex at birth for all state laws, rules, and regulations. It requires state agencies, schools, and public facilities to distinguish between males and females based on biological sex (e.g., XX chromosomes for females, XY for males) and mandates separate accommodations in settings like restrooms, prisons, shelters, and sports. The bill also requires collecting vital statistics identifying individuals as male or female at birth and states that sex-based distinctions are permitted when related to safety, privacy, or health objectives. It explicitly states that "woman" refers only to biological females and includes protections for intersex individuals under disability laws.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 43 requires commercial websites that profit from content harmful to minors (such as obscene material or child pornography) to verify users' ages before allowing access. Covered platforms must use specific, accepted methods like driver's licenses, passports, or credit cards (excluding those not requiring users to be 18+) to confirm users are not under 18. The law creates legal liability for platforms that fail to verify ages, imposing penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, and allows parents or minors to sue for damages. It directly affects commercial online platforms hosting such content, not general websites or non-profit services.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new alternative teaching certification pathway for K-12 teachers in Wyoming. It requires alternative certification programs to meet specific criteria: operating in at least five states, having run for 10+ years, requiring subject and teaching methods exams, and having certified 10,000+ teachers. The certification would be limited to the exact subject areas and grade levels the applicant completed through the program. This directly affects new teachers seeking certification through approved alternative programs, not current certified educators.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 154 clarifies that voting more than once in the same federal election - including voting in another state and then voting in Wyoming - is considered illegal "false voting." It directly affects voters who attempt to cast multiple ballots across states for the same election and election officials responsible for enforcement. The bill adds specific language to the false voting statute and authorizes the Secretary of State to request investigations into such cases, requiring county sheriffs to investigate when requested and refer cases to prosecutors if warranted. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySF 100 allows children under 16 who are victims of incest, sexual assault, human trafficking, or certain violent crimes to testify remotely in court to reduce emotional distress. The court must hold a hearing and find that in-person testimony would cause more than minimal distress before permitting remote testimony, which uses closed-circuit technology to let the child testify separately from the defendant and jury. The bill also requires courts to provide accommodations like breaks, a supportive adult present (not a witness), or a therapeutic dog to help the child feel comfortable during testimony. It ensures defendants maintain real-time communication with their attorney during the child’s testimony and may exclude the jury from the child’s testimony room if needed. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThe Wyoming Religious Freedom Restoration Act (HB 207) protects individuals and religious organizations from government actions that interfere with their religious practices, unless the government proves it has a compelling reason and uses the least restrictive approach possible. It defines government interference as denying benefits, imposing penalties, excluding from programs, or blocking access to facilities, and requires strict justification for such actions. People affected by these government actions can challenge them in court to seek remedies like injunctions, compensation, or other relief. The law applies to all state and local laws, rules, and policies, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 94 removes a limit on the number of charter schools the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board can approve, effective March 15, 2025. Previously, the board could authorize no more than three (later amended to four) charter schools operated by entities other than school districts before July 1, 2026. The bill eliminates this cap, allowing the board to authorize any number of charter schools meeting statutory requirements. It directly affects the authorizing board and organizations seeking to establish new charter schools outside school district management.

Maddy summarySF 127 requires the Wyoming legislature to approve "major agency rules" before they take effect. This affects state agencies creating significant regulations (like environmental or business rules) and the legislature, which must vote to approve or reject these rules within the next regular or special session after receiving them. The bill establishes a timeline for review, specifies that rules not approved become void, and allows the governor to temporarily bypass this for emergency rules (limited to 120 days). Key provisions include requiring agencies to provide impact analyses and ensuring rules cannot take effect without legislative approval, except for short-term emergencies.

Maddy summaryHB 183 amends Wyoming's net metering rules by setting a 25-kilowatt maximum per meter for residential systems and 200 kilowatts per meter for nonresidential systems. It allows customer-generators to combine multiple meters on their property under specific conditions, such as being physically located on the same premises, using the same electricity rate, and served by the same power line. Electric utilities must report annually by July 1 on the total installed capacity and peak demand of net metering systems, with additional reporting to a legislative committee when systems reach 5% of an utility's peak demand. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2025.