Rep. Mark Jennings

Maddy summaryHB 102 would allow school employees with valid concealed carry permits to carry firearms on school property if their district board adopts specific rules. School boards that choose not to adopt such rules must submit a written explanation to the state education department. The bill appropriates $100,000 for a statewide marketing campaign to promote this authority, with funds restricted to use from July 2024 through June 2026. The bill failed its introduction in the Wyoming House on February 14, 2024, with a vote of 35-26.

Maddy summaryHB 157 clarifies that Wyoming property tax valuations must consistently follow the state law definition of "fair market value" as specified in W.S. 39-11-101(a)(vi). The bill requires county assessors and the Department of Revenue to use appraisal methods aligned with this definition when annually valuing taxable property. It directly affects property taxpayers and local assessors by mandating uniform valuation practices under existing tax statutes. The bill, which failed committee passage in February 2024, takes effect July 1, 2024, if enacted.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 152, the "Life is a Human Right Act," prohibits most abortions by defining "abortion" as the intentional termination of an unborn baby's life from conception. It directly affects pregnant individuals and medical providers in Wyoming by banning abortion except when a physician uses reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, address a serious risk to her life or a life-sustaining organ, or treat an ectopic pregnancy. The bill explicitly excludes contraception from the prohibition and defines "unborn baby" as a living human from fertilization through birth. This law creates criminal penalties for violations and amends existing abortion-related statutes.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 109 prohibits the use of specific abortion drugs (like mifepristone and misoprostol) for terminating pregnancies, affecting doctors, pharmacists, and anyone distributing or prescribing these drugs. Exceptions include contraceptive use before pregnancy confirmation, treatment of natural miscarriages under medical guidelines, and cases where a patient faces an immediate physical danger to life or health (excluding psychological conditions), or pregnancy from incest/sexual assault. Violations carry misdemeanor penalties of up to six months in jail or a $9,000 fine. Women seeking abortions using these drugs are explicitly exempt from criminal prosecution under this law.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 133) prohibits male students from competing on teams designated for female students in K-12 interscholastic sports. It requires schools to designate teams as "male," "female," or "coed" based on biological sex at birth (defined as "genetics and anatomy at birth" in Section 21-25-101(iv)). The bill also creates a commission to determine eligibility if courts invalidate the main prohibition (Section 21-25-202), but its core effect is to bar male students from female-designated teams. It directly affects public and private K-12 schools and student athletes in Wyoming.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 174 creates a new Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board to oversee public charter schools statewide. The board, consisting of five members (including the state superintendent and appointees from the governor, Senate, and House), will approve, renew, and oversee charter schools under specific quality standards. The bill modifies how charter schools are authorized (replacing school district oversight with the state board), adjusts funding rules, and requires transparency in decision-making. This directly affects public charter schools, their governing boards, and the state education department as the local education agency.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 167) allows individuals seeking domestic violence protection orders in Wyoming to request remote participation in court hearings via video or audio technology. It directly affects petitioners and respondents in domestic violence cases who may face barriers to in-person attendance. Courts may approve remote hearings if they have the necessary technology, but retain full discretion to deny requests. The law takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 103 modifies Wyoming election rules for voters changing political party affiliation. It clarifies that voters can submit a written request to change or cancel their party affiliation at any time except during the prohibited period before primary elections. The bill specifies deadlines for submitting applications (filed with county clerks before primary nomination deadlines for primaries, or 14 days before general elections), and states that requesting a partisan primary ballot automatically declares current party affiliation. This affects all Wyoming voters who wish to change their party registration for upcoming elections.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Wyoming's state treasurer to accept gold or silver coins (called "specie") as legal payment for state and local taxes, subject to authentication. It mandates the treasurer to set and publish real-time exchange rates between precious metal coins and regular currency, and to exchange these coins for other legal tender. The treasurer must also hold and potentially invest in precious metals, with rulemaking authority to implement these changes. This directly affects taxpayers who pay with coins and the treasurer's office, which gains new duties under the Wyoming Legal Tender Act.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 67 creates a special decal for honorably discharged women veterans to attach to their existing veteran license plates. It directly affects eligible Wyoming women veterans who already qualify for veteran plates, requiring them to submit proof of service and gender to apply. The decal must be placed in the lower left corner of the plate, with a $5 administrative fee per vehicle, and the program became effective July 1, 2023. This is a recognition measure, not a new plate type, and does not alter existing veteran plate eligibility requirements.