Rep. Jeremy Haroldson

Maddy summarySF 105 requires public utilities in Wyoming to have a written customer allocation agreement with both utilities before providing service to a customer located within another utility's designated service territory. This directly affects utilities that might otherwise serve customers in areas legally assigned to another provider, such as when a customer's point of delivery is outside one utility's territory but consumption occurs within it. The bill allows the affected utility to sue for damages, lost income, and legal fees if this rule is violated. It became effective July 1, 2023, and aims to clarify service territory boundaries for utilities.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 253, the "Credit Card Defense Act," requires merchants selling firearms or ammunition in the state to use a "sporting goods" merchant category code for all transactions, instead of codes specifying firearms. Financial institutions, credit cards, and payment processors must not collect or generate personally identifying information beyond this category code for such purchases. The law directly affects firearm retailers, banks, and payment processors handling these transactions in Wyoming. It mandates that all relevant financial institutions adopt this coding standard by July 1, 2023, to limit transaction data collection related to firearm purchases.

Maddy summaryHB 282 created Wyoming's Critical Infrastructure Resiliency Initiative and a new board to strengthen the state's critical systems against prolonged disruptions like extended power outages. The bill targeted infrastructure including water, transportation, electrical grids, oil/gas facilities, and telecommunications, requiring systems to remain functional during "grid-down events" (months-long outages). The appointed board - comprising Homeland Security, utilities, oil/gas, telecom, and defense representatives - would coordinate with federal programs (like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) to adopt defense technologies, ensure water/wastewater systems operate without power, and leverage federal funding for resilience upgrades. The bill died in committee in February 2023 and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 256 would have provided a temporary property tax reduction for Wyoming property owners during the 2023 tax year. It offered a 33.33% reduction for most properties and a 16.67% reduction for industrial properties, as defined in existing law. The tax relief applied only to 2023 taxes and would have expired on June 30, 2024, with no permanent change to tax rates. This bill specifically affected property owners paying ad valorem taxes, including those with mineral production properties.

Maddy summaryHB 78, titled "Protection of parental rights," would have amended Wyoming statutes to expand where parental rights protections apply. It specifically required that parental rights protections cover judicial proceedings involving custody, neglect, or termination of parental rights (under Title 14), and mandated that schools and educational agencies communicate with parents about their children (under Title 21). The bill aimed to ensure parents' rights in family court decisions and school-related communications. However, it died in committee in February 2023 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 194, the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act, creates education savings accounts (ESAs) providing eligible Wyoming students with $6,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) to cover approved educational expenses. It directly affects K-12 students who are Wyoming residents and not yet graduated, allowing parents to use funds for tuition at qualified schools, online programs, tutoring, textbooks, technology, and other approved educational services. The state treasurer administers the program, prohibits using local tax revenues for funding, and requires parents to sign agreements outlining permitted uses. The bill died in committee in February 2023 and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 88 prohibits foreign governments, businesses, and individuals from purchasing or acquiring agricultural land in Wyoming. It requires existing foreign owners (as of July 1, 2023) to register their land with the Secretary of State within 60 days and annually thereafter, providing details like location and ownership structure. Violations - including failure to register - carry a $5,000 daily civil penalty, and county clerks must report suspected violations to the Secretary of State. The law also mandates that property tax statements include notices about the ownership restriction and registration requirement.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill prohibits state and local governments from enforcing "extreme risk protection orders" (ERPOs), which are court orders that temporarily restrict firearm access to prevent harm. It blocks the use of state funds or personnel to implement ERPOs and preempts any local laws conflicting with this prohibition. Violating this ban is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail or a $2,000 fine. The bill cites constitutional rights - including the Second Amendment and due process protections - as justification for its provisions.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 171, the "Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act," prohibits financial institutions from using or disclosing payment card transaction data to identify lawful firearm or ammunition purchases. It bans assigning "firearms codes" (like special merchant category codes) that would allow banks or payment networks to track gun-related transactions, preventing such data from being shared with government entities. The law defines "protected financial information" as payment records linked to firearm codes and allows civil lawsuits if the ban is violated. It directly affects banks, payment processors, and gun retailers by restricting how they handle transaction data related to firearm sales within Wyoming.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes Wyoming's wildlife terminology by replacing "trophy game animal" with "large carnivore game animal" in statutes. It specifically designates two geographic areas (in northwest Wyoming) where gray wolves will be classified as "trophy large carnivore game animals," allowing them to be hunted under regulated conditions. The change applies after gray wolves are removed from federal endangered species protections. The bill requires the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to establish implementing rules and affects how wolves are managed for hunting in designated zones. This redefinition clarifies wildlife management jurisdiction without altering existing hunting seasons or quotas.