Rep. Bob Davis

Maddy summaryHB 214 allows Wyoming cities, towns, and counties to pay claims and demands using electronic payments or fund transfers, instead of physical checks or warrants. It updates existing laws to explicitly permit electronic methods while maintaining current requirements, such as requiring claim certification by a manager and approval by a governing body before payments over $50. The bill ensures electronic payments must still specify the purpose, be payable to specific recipients, and be documented in county payment registers, with effective implementation set for July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 45 removes otters from Wyoming's list of protected animals under hunting regulations. This change directly affects hunters and wildlife management by allowing regulated hunting of otters, which were previously protected. The bill amends Wyoming Statute 23-1-101(a)(ix) to delete "otter" from the definition of "protected animal," which previously included species like black-footed ferrets and lynx. The law would take effect on July 1, 2025, if enacted. This is a substantive policy change altering hunting permissions, not a procedural or commemorative measure.

Maddy summaryHB 168 prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cultivated meat in Wyoming. It directly affects businesses producing or selling lab-grown meat products within the state. The bill defines "cultivated meat" as meat grown from cultured animal cells in a lab (not harvested from animals) and bans its sale under state law, with penalties including license suspension for violators. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, except for implementation rules that take effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryHB 304 prohibits trespassing on state-leased cultivated cropland for hunting or fishing without authorization from the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners. It directly affects individuals who enter such land without permission for recreational hunting or fishing activities. The bill adds a new violation to existing law, making this trespass a misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $750, up to six months in jail, or both, plus restitution for damages. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 110 requires nonresidents applying for a Wyoming trapping license to provide two specific documents: a notarized affidavit confirming their state of residence and proof that their home state issues similar trapping licenses to Wyoming residents. This bill directly affects nonresidents seeking to trap in Wyoming, ensuring reciprocity by verifying that their state permits Wyoming residents to trap the same species. The key change adds these verification steps to the application process, effective July 1, 2025. The bill does not alter trapping regulations but modifies licensing eligibility requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 251 creates a new misdemeanor crime for operating a drone below 200 feet over someone else's private property without permission. The bill specifically targets drones weighing 55 pounds or less (including attached items) and prohibits unauthorized flights over private land or residences. Violators face up to six months in jail, a $750 fine, or both. This law directly affects drone operators who fly near homes or private property without the landowner's consent, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 263 creates a state program to provide financial assistance to Wyoming cities, towns, and special districts for improvements to public water and wastewater systems. The program covers upfront planning costs, local matching funds, repayment of other loans, and regional system integration, with eligibility requiring projects to align with existing state water programs or charge consumer rates. Funding comes from borrowing up to $50 million annually from the legislative stabilization reserve, to be repaid using future revenue distributions. The State Loan and Investment Board administers applications, reviews projects based on population, repayment ability, and system efficiency, and reports annually to legislative committees. This directly affects local governments managing community water infrastructure.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 197 limits fees that local governments can charge developers to fund affordable or workforce housing. It caps these fees at 4% of construction costs (or less based on impact studies), exempts the first 3,000 square feet of single-family homes and 1,750 square feet of multi-family units, and prohibits fees for agricultural land subdivisions. Developers must receive written fee notices within 30 days and can request a detailed, individualized explanation of the fee calculation from local authorities. The law applies to all cities, towns, and counties issuing land use permits for residential or commercial projects.

Maddy summaryHB 44 designates a 3.5-mile stretch of State Highway 230 between Highway 130 and Riverside, Wyoming, as the "Loren 'Teense' Willford Memorial Highway." The bill authorizes the Wyoming Department of Transportation to install appropriate signage identifying the memorial highway and appropriates $3,000 from the general fund for this purpose, with funds expiring June 30, 2026. This is a commemorative measure with no substantive policy changes or direct impact on residents or regulations. The bill requires no voting record analysis as it is purely a naming resolution.

Maddy summaryHB 57 prohibits Wyoming counties and municipalities from banning or restricting fireworks use or possession between noon and midnight on July 4, except during an open fire ban. It also explicitly allows fireworks in state parks, campgrounds, and similar public areas during that same time window, unless an open fire ban is active. The bill amends existing state laws to remove local restrictions specifically for July 4, while maintaining other fireworks regulations outside this timeframe. It does not alter rules for fireworks displays outside July 4 or for other public safety concerns.