Rep. Jeremy Haroldson

Maddy summaryHB 158 requires Wyoming's governor to rescind all existing refugee resettlement plans by July 1, 2024, and submit new plans to the legislature for approval before they take effect. The bill mandates that proposed plans include specific details on promoting refugee economic self-sufficiency, language training, employment services, coordination of resources, care for unaccompanied minors, medical needs, and detailed funding projections. A legislative committee must review these plans, hold public hearings, and report recommendations to the legislature. This bill directly affects state agencies and the governor's office by shifting authority for refugee resettlement oversight from executive action to legislative approval and public input.

Maddy summaryWyoming HB 128, the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act, creates education savings accounts (ESAs) providing eligible students with $6,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) to cover qualified educational expenses. It directly affects Wyoming residents who are public school-eligible but haven’t graduated high school, allowing parents to use ESA funds for tuition at qualified schools (including private or online programs), textbooks, tutoring, technology, and other approved educational costs. The state treasurer administers the accounts, which are funded by state appropriations - not local tax revenues - and require parental agreements specifying eligible uses. The bill explicitly states qualified schools are not considered state or federal agents and establishes oversight mechanisms for the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill would repeal Wyoming's existing low-carbon energy standards for public utilities. It requires utilities to refund customers for rates collected under those repealed standards (with an exception for costs already spent on carbon capture technology before the bill's effective date). The Public Service Commission would establish rules to implement these changes. The bill directly affects all public utilities operating in Wyoming and their customers who paid the now-repealed rates.

Maddy summaryHB 94 increases the maximum capacity for residential and small commercial solar/wind energy systems under Wyoming's net metering program from 25 kilowatts to 750 kilowatts. This change directly affects homeowners and small businesses that generate their own electricity, allowing larger systems to connect to the grid and receive credit for excess power. The bill amends Wyoming Statute 37-16-101 to update the definition of "net metering system" and takes effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 50, titled "What is a Woman Act," defines "sex" for legal purposes as a person's biological sex at birth, requiring all state laws, rules, and regulations to use this definition. It mandates that "woman" and "female" refer exclusively to individuals born with female biology (XX chromosomes, reproductive system for ova), and "man" and "male" refer to individuals born with male biology (XY chromosomes, reproductive system for fertilization). The bill requires state agencies, schools, and public facilities to collect vital statistics identifying people as male or female based on birth sex and to maintain separate accommodations (e.g., restrooms, shelters, prisons) based on biological sex. It applies directly to Wyoming state agencies, schools, and public entities collecting data or managing facilities. The bill failed its introduction in the Wyoming House on February 15, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 109 would repeal a three-year tax exemption for wind energy production in Wyoming. It directly affects wind energy producers who currently benefit from this exemption, ending the tax break for new projects after the bill's effective date. The bill specifies that the existing exemption would still apply to wind turbines that began generating electricity for sale before the bill takes effect. The bill failed its House introduction on February 15, 2024, with a vote of 36-25-1.

Maddy summaryHB 53 amends Wyoming law to clarify the process for declaring and managing public health emergencies. It requires the governor to immediately call the legislature into session within two days of declaring an emergency, allowing lawmakers to vote remotely via video/audio conference to either confirm the emergency or end it. The bill updates the definition of "public health emergency" to include epidemics, pandemics, or biological threats posing significant health risks, and specifies that healthcare provider exemptions (like out-of-state physical therapists or acupuncturists) during emergencies apply only to declarations after July 1, 2024. These changes directly affect the governor, legislature, and healthcare providers seeking temporary practice authorization during declared emergencies.

Maddy summaryHB 69 requires written consent from surface landowners (who aren't the mine permit holder or mineral owner) before any mine permit or reclamation plan can be revised. The bill amends Wyoming law to mandate this approval for all permit revisions or plan changes submitted after July 1, 2024, directly affecting landowners whose property is impacted by mining operations. Key provisions include prohibiting revisions without the surface owner's written agreement and applying to all mining permits except surface coal mining. This change shifts decision-making authority to landowners for modifications to existing mining operations on their land.

Maddy summaryHB 105 exempts insurance settlement payments used to purchase replacement vehicles from Wyoming's sales and use taxes. It directly affects Wyoming residents who receive insurance payouts after vehicle damage and use those funds within 90 days to buy a new motor vehicle, house trailer, trailer coach, or similar vehicle. The bill amends tax code sections to exclude the insurance payment amount from the taxable sales price of the replacement vehicle, provided the original vehicle was acquired by the insurance company through a damage settlement. This change applies only to vehicles subject to sales tax and requires the replacement purchase to occur within 90 days of receiving the insurance payment. The bill was introduced in February 2024 but failed committee consideration on February 14, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 208 proposes a severance tax on hydrogen production in Wyoming, directly affecting companies extracting hydrogen from groundwater. The bill imposes a 3% tax on hydrogen from by-product water (as defined in existing law) and a 6% tax on all other hydrogen production, collected annually based on fair market value. It incorporates existing natural gas tax administration procedures for collection, enforcement, and distribution of revenues. The tax would apply to all hydrogen production in Wyoming starting July 1, 2024, if enacted. Note: The bill failed introduction on February 14, 2024, and did not advance.