Rep. Ocean Andrew

Maddy summaryThis bill requires land developers (subdividers) in Wyoming to submit proof to the state engineer about how they will handle water rights before a subdivision permit is approved. It mandates one of three specific actions: voluntarily abandoning water rights, changing water use outside the subdivision, or providing an approved plan for distributing water rights to new lots. Developers must also notify buyers that Wyoming law does not recognize riparian rights to stream flow and disclose any potential impacts on existing water systems. The bill was introduced in 2024 but failed to pass after a 17-14 vote in the Senate.

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 152 prohibits registered sex offenders (18+ years) from being on child care facility premises when children under 18 are present, loitering within 1,000 feet of such facilities, or residing within 1,000 feet of them. It directly affects adult sex offenders required to register under Wyoming law. Key exceptions include parents dropping off/picking up children, attending facility events with permission, making deliveries, working in multipurpose buildings, voting, and residing in approved shelters or licensed facilities within the 1,000-foot zone. The bill defines "child care facility" to cover licensed centers, group homes, and government-run programs providing child care or residential care, and was scheduled to take effect July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 209 modifies Wyoming's law regarding underage alcohol possession by reducing penalties and creating automatic record expungement. It changes the penalty for minors under 21 found possessing, consuming, or having measurable alcohol in their system from a misdemeanor to a $250 fine, and automatically expunges the conviction from all records six months after the fine is paid. This applies to convictions occurring on or after July 1, 2024, and removes the need for a separate court request to clear the record. The bill directly affects individuals under 21 convicted of these specific alcohol violations.

Maddy summaryHB 113 increases scholarship amounts for Wyoming's Hathaway program, directly affecting eligible students pursuing degrees or certificates at participating institutions. The bill raises semester awards for three scholarship tiers: Opportunity ($882, up from $840), Performance ($1,323, up from $1,260), and Honor ($1,764, up from $1,680) for full-time students meeting specific GPA and standardized test score criteria. Need-based scholarships also see updated calculations, with a minimum $110 per semester and increased caps for unmet financial need. The changes apply to students qualifying under existing Hathaway program standards, effective July 1, 2024.

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 summaryThis joint resolution (SJ 1) is a non-binding request from Wyoming's legislature to the U.S. Congress. It demands that Congress extinguish federal ownership of public lands and subsurface resources within Wyoming (currently covering about 46% of the state's surface area and 69% of its subsurface resources) to fulfill Wyoming's constitutional "equal footing" status as a state admitted to the Union. The resolution requires Congress to confirm its intent to transfer these lands to Wyoming by October 1, 2024, and proposes that the transferred lands remain state public lands. It is a procedural resolution, not a law, and has not advanced beyond the introduction stage in the Wyoming Senate (failed 17-14).

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 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.