Rep. Art Washut

Maddy summaryHB 229 allows Wyoming's Department of Revenue and county treasurers to collect sales and use taxes electronically. It updates tax filing rules to explicitly permit vendors (businesses selling taxable goods/services) and taxpayers to submit returns and pay taxes online or via electronic methods, rather than only by mail or in person. The bill specifically clarifies that county treasurers may accept electronic payments for vehicle registration taxes during initial registration. It does not change tax rates or obligations, only modernizing the payment process for existing requirements. This affects all businesses collecting sales tax and individuals purchasing taxable items in Wyoming.

Maddy summaryHB 128 clarifies that voyeurism occurs when someone secretly views another person in an enclosed space where that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy (such as bathrooms, locker rooms, or changing areas). The bill expands the definition of voyeurism to specifically include looking into such private spaces without consent, making this conduct a misdemeanor. It does not change existing penalties (up to 6 months in jail or $750 fine) but defines where voyeurism is legally prohibited. The law takes effect July 1, 2023, directly affecting individuals who secretly observe others in private settings.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 129 requires criminal background checks for all employees, interns, and job applicants in the governor's office who handle confidential information. It amends state law to mandate fingerprinting and criminal history record checks as a condition for employment or internships in the governor's office. The bill explicitly grants the governor authority to obtain these background checks and specifies that such checks are required for anyone accessing sensitive state records. The law took effect immediately upon becoming law in January 2023.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 143, the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act, creates education savings accounts (ESAs) providing $6,000 annually per eligible student (adjusted for inflation) to cover qualifying education expenses. It directly affects Wyoming residents who are K-12 students not yet graduated, allowing parents or guardians to use ESA funds for private school tuition, online learning, tutoring, textbooks, technology, and other approved educational costs. The state treasurer administers the program, disbursements occur monthly, and funds come from a dedicated state account - not local taxes - with excess funds transferred to the school foundation program if balances exceed $30 million. Qualified schools (non-governmental, non-discriminatory) are explicitly not considered state or federal agents under this program.

Maddy summaryHB 94 requires that any person appointed to Wyoming's state board of parole must have lived in Wyoming for at least one year before their appointment and must continue residing in the state throughout their entire six-year term. This rule applies to all members appointed or reappointed on or after July 1, 2023, directly affecting the governor (who appoints members), the state senate (which provides advice and consent), and potential parole board members. The bill amends existing law to add this residency requirement, ensuring board members maintain a connection to Wyoming during their service. It takes effect on July 1, 2023, with no changes to other existing board appointment rules.

Maddy summaryHB 126 amends Wyoming's criminal trespass law to clarify that property owners or their agents may use reasonable physical force to stop someone trespassing on their land. It specifies this force must be necessary to end what the owner reasonably believes is ongoing trespass. The bill does not change existing self-defense laws, as stated in Section (e). The law takes effect July 1, 2023, directly affecting landowners and their authorized representatives facing trespassers.

Maddy summaryHB 165, "Living organ donor protection," prohibits Wyoming insurance companies from discriminating against individuals who have donated an organ while alive. The bill makes it illegal for insurers to deny, cancel, or increase premiums for life or long-term care insurance solely based on a person's status as a living organ donor, or to reduce coverage benefits without proven additional health risks. It also prevents insurers from requiring donors to forgo future donations as a condition of coverage. The law applies to all such insurance policies issued in Wyoming on or after July 1, 2023.

Maddy summarySF 65 repeals a law that paid local registrars for processing vital records (such as births, deaths, and marriages) in Wyoming. It requires all payments owed under the repealed law to be made before the bill's effective date. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law, ensuring existing payment obligations are fulfilled. This directly affects local registrars who handled vital records registration under the previous compensation system.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Wyoming law to extend the deadline for filling vacancies in chancery court judgeships from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025. It modifies the existing requirement in W.S. 5-13-109(b) to delay the effective date of filling these vacancies by one year. The change is procedural, affecting only the timeline for filling judicial positions in Wyoming's chancery courts, with no new eligibility rules or direct impacts on specific groups. The bill became effective July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryHB 79 amends Wyoming's election code to allow concealed carry permits as valid identification for in-person voting at polling places. This change directly affects voters who use concealed carry permits instead of other forms of ID, such as driver's licenses or state IDs. The bill adds concealed carry permits to the list of acceptable identification under Section 22-1-102(a)(xxxix)(B)(X) and takes effect July 1, 2023. It does not alter existing voter ID requirements but expands the acceptable forms of ID.