Rep. John Winter

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 170 prohibits the state Game and Fish Commission and Department from taking any management actions for grizzly bears unless required by state law or necessary for public safety. The bill restricts agency activities until grizzly bears are federally delisted and management responsibility returns to Wyoming. It requires the commission to create implementing rules and takes effect immediately upon enactment. This procedural bill directly limits state agency authority over grizzly bear management without changing current federal or state protections.

Maddy summaryHB 209 repeals Wyoming's low-carbon energy standards for public utilities, removing requirements that previously mandated certain carbon-reduction measures. The bill directly affects electric utilities by eliminating statutory obligations related to low-carbon energy generation and dispatchable/reliable power definitions. Key provisions repeal specific sections of Wyoming law (W.S. 37-1-101, 37-18-101, and 37-18-102) that established these standards. The Public Service Commission must then create new rules to implement the repeal, with the bill taking effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 243 establishes a licensing framework for denturists in Wyoming, creating a new profession category under the existing dental licensing system. The bill requires denturists to complete accredited training programs, work under a dentist's supervision, and provide services only through written prescriptions from dentists. It also adds denturists to the Board of Dental Examiners and specifies that dental laboratories must follow written work authorizations. This directly affects denturists (who gain regulated practice), dentists (who must issue prescriptions), and dental labs (requiring formal written orders for work). The bill does not apply to students performing denturism as part of their curriculum.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill prohibits using eminent domain (government power to take private land) for pipelines transporting carbon dioxide used in carbon capture, utilization, or storage projects. It directly affects companies developing carbon capture infrastructure, preventing them from acquiring land through eminent domain for CO2 pipelines. The law applies only to projects starting construction on or after July 1, 2025, and amends existing eminent domain statutes to exclude carbon dioxide pipelines from standard utility rights. It does not impact other pipeline projects or existing carbon capture operations.

Maddy summaryHB 281 requires hunters using private land for antelope, deer, or elk hunting to give landowners a coupon after the hunt - whether an animal was harvested or not. Landowners can then claim $16 per coupon by submitting a form by March 1st, proving the hunt occurred on their property (even without a harvest). The bill allows landowners to redirect payments to the state's animal damage management board instead of receiving cash directly. It applies to all such hunts on private land and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 150 allows Wyoming meat processors licensed by federal or state authorities to sell compost made from non-edible animal parts (excluding certain high-risk materials like brain, spinal cord, or specific intestines from older cattle) as fertilizer, soil amendment, or soil conditioner. Processors must register this compost with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and follow existing commercial fertilizer regulations. The bill defines "specified risk materials" to exclude parts posing potential health risks and takes effect July 1, 2025. It directly affects licensed meat processing facilities seeking to repurpose waste materials.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 84) requires retailers and wholesalers to label beef derived entirely from cattle born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States as "product of the United States of America." It directly affects businesses selling beef within Wyoming by mandating this specific country-of-origin labeling. The bill amends existing meat labeling laws to add this requirement, defining "beef" as meat from cattle including veal. The rule takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 177 creates a new legislative committee called the "federal review joint and standing committee" to monitor federal actions. The committee, composed of 5 Senate and 9 House members appointed by March 31 after each election, reviews all federal laws, regulations, and executive orders to assess whether they infringe on Wyoming's sovereignty or exceed federal constitutional limits. It must report findings and recommend legislative responses, such as new bills or resolutions, to address perceived constitutional conflicts. The committee’s work ends if the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is repealed, with the bill taking effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 60 revises how sales and use tax revenues are distributed to counties and local governments. It reduces the percentage of sales tax going to the state general fund from 69% to 65%, increases annual county payments from $20,000 to $40,000 (for pre-2004 amounts), and adjusts the share of out-of-state vendor taxes distributed to local areas from 29.5% to 35%. These changes apply to taxes collected on or after July 1, 2025, and affect all Wyoming counties and local municipalities receiving tax distributions based on population and sales data. The bill updates existing distribution formulas without altering the overall structure of tax allocation.

Maddy summaryHB 182 clarifies that for voting purposes in Wyoming, "residence" refers only to a person's primary home where they actually live and intend to return, excluding secondary or commercial addresses not used for habitation. The bill amends election code definitions to prevent voters from registering using vacation homes, rental properties, or business locations as their official residence. It directly affects Wyoming voters who might attempt to register at non-primary addresses. The bill died in committee in March 2025 and never became law, with no effective date implemented.