Rep. Tom Kelly

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how vacant elected offices in Wyoming are filled. It requires state or county committees to appoint replacements from a pre-approved list if vacancies aren't filled by the original deadline, and creates an automatic presumption that appointed individuals meet all legal qualifications for the office. The process applies to most state offices (excluding congressional seats or school board positions), with state committees handling certain vacancies and county committees managing others. If appointments aren't made within specified timeframes, a special election may be triggered under defined conditions. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 160 repeals the provision allowing school identification cards as valid forms of ID for in-person voting. The bill directly affects voters in Wyoming who previously used school IDs to verify their identity at polling locations. It removes school IDs from the list of acceptable voter identification documents, effective July 1, 2025. This change modifies the state's voter ID requirements without adding new ID types or altering other voting procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 100 allows Wyoming school districts and charter schools to hire certain K-12 staff without teaching certificates or permits, provided they adopt specific board policies. These policies require applicants to be at least 18 years old and undergo criminal background checks, including fingerprinting. The bill amends existing laws to permit this hiring path while maintaining background check requirements for uncertified personnel. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 174 lowers Wyoming's minimum age to obtain a concealed carry permit from 21 to 18 years old. It directly affects residents aged 18 and older who wish to carry concealed firearms. The bill amends Wyoming Statute 6-8-104(b)(ii) to reflect this age change, while repealing an outdated section (6-8-104(j)). The law would take effect on July 1, 2025, if passed.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 117 establishes a legal presumption that courts should grant "shared custody" in child custody cases unless specific exceptions apply. This means courts would default to ordering arrangements where children spend roughly equal time with both parents and parents share decision-making, unless parents agree otherwise in writing or circumstances like domestic violence, child abuse, or extreme distance between homes exist. The bill defines "shared custody" as combining both joint legal custody (shared decision-making on health/education) and joint physical custody (equal time with each parent). The law would take effect for new custody cases filed on or after July 1, 2025.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 31 requires all Wyoming school districts to adopt formal safety and security policies, including threat assessment procedures, by their boards of trustees. These policies and drafts must remain confidential and not be public records, allowing school boards to discuss them in closed sessions. The bill also limits the state fire marshal's authority by prohibiting bans on door securement devices used under these policies, though the marshal may create rules for their proper use during threats or drills. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting school districts and the state fire marshal's regulatory role.

Maddy summaryHB 226 creates special "Search and Rescue" license plates for Wyoming residents registering non-commercial vehicles. Owners pay a $100 one-time eligibility fee (waiving the first year's $25 annual fee) and can donate additional voluntary amounts. All fees and donations go directly to the state's Search and Rescue Account under Homeland Security, managed per existing law. The plates must feature Wyoming's bucking horse and rider symbol and will stop production if fewer than 1,000 sets are issued by 2032. This program directly affects vehicle owners who choose to participate in funding search and rescue services.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 75 reduces the severance tax rate for surface coal mining from 6.5% to 6% effective July 1, 2025. The bill lowers both the constitutional portion (from 1.5% to 1%) and the statutory portion (from 5% to 4.5%) of the tax. This directly affects surface coal mining companies operating in Wyoming by decreasing their tax burden. The change modifies existing tax distribution rules outlined in Wyoming statutes but does not alter how the tax revenue is allocated to the mineral trust fund or severance tax account.

Maddy summaryHB 265, the "Defend the Guard Act," prohibits the Wyoming National Guard from being deployed into active combat without a formal U.S. Congress declaration of war or specific constitutional authorization under Article I, Section 8. It directly affects Wyoming National Guard members and units by requiring the governor to block such deployments. The law allows Title 32 deployments for domestic civil support missions within U.S. territories but explicitly restricts combat-related federal service. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.