Rep. Chuck Gray

Maddy summaryHB 251 authorizes Wyoming's legislature to sue Washington state for denying permits for coal export terminals, which Wyoming claims unconstitutionally harms its coal industry. The bill creates a $250,000 "coal export terminal litigation account" to fund legal costs, allowing a joint legislative committee to hire private counsel and pursue damages or declaratory relief. It directly affects Wyoming's coal producers and economy by enabling legal action to address permit denials that the legislature asserts disrupt interstate commerce and state revenue. The bill does not change existing laws but provides specific funding and procedural steps for this lawsuit.

Maddy summaryHB 148 requires Wyoming's five elected state officials and all legislators to annually disclose contracts they have with state entities. Specifically, they must list the business name, address, contract type, and dates for any contract involving a business they financially own (excluding small stock holdings under 1% or minor business interests). This disclosure must be submitted by January 31 each year to the Secretary of State. The bill does not change state spending rules but mandates transparency about potential conflicts of interest in existing contracts. It applies to all state agencies and judicial branches, effective July 1, 2019.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 111 authorizes community colleges to offer applied bachelor's degree programs (called "baccalaureate of applied science" degrees) for the first time. It requires the Community College Commission to approve all new such programs before they can receive state funding. The bill also updates the Hathaway scholarship program to cover these new degrees, allowing students to use scholarships for up to eight semesters to complete them while maintaining a 2.25 GPA. This directly affects community college students pursuing applied bachelor's degrees and the colleges offering them.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 103 requires physicians performing abortions to submit detailed, non-identifying reports to the state health office within 20 days. The reports must include the patient's age, race, procedure type, and gestational age (but not names or addresses), with late submissions incurring $1,000 fees per 30-day period. Failure to report or submit complete forms may lead to disciplinary action by the medical board or misdemeanor penalties for intentional falsification. The state must publish annual anonymized abortion statistics by June 30 each year, ensuring no data could identify individual patients, and these reports are shared with national health authorities. The law took effect July 1, 2019.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 224 clarifies that existing oil and gas regulations apply to land where the surface owner does not own the mineral rights (a "split estate"). It directly affects landowners and oil/gas operators in these situations, requiring them to follow statutory requirements before operations begin. The bill explicitly excludes public utilities regulated by Wyoming's Public Service Commission and federally regulated natural gas pipelines from these rules. The bill was proposed to take effect July 1, 2019, but died in committee and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 183 repeals restrictions that previously banned concealed weapons in certain public spaces, allowing permit holders to carry concealed firearms in government meetings, the legislature, and most public schools (with exceptions for specific school district policies under existing law). It establishes that only the Wyoming state legislature can regulate firearms, weapons, and ammunition, preempting local governments from creating their own firearm restrictions. The bill explicitly preserves private property owners' rights to ban firearms on their land and maintains existing prohibitions in courtrooms. This directly affects concealed carry permit holders, local governments seeking to regulate firearms, and school districts managing firearm policies on school property.

Maddy summaryHB 312 merges Wyoming's separate State Board of Barber Examiners and State Board of Cosmetology into a single unified "State Board of Barbers and Cosmetology." This bill affects licensed barbers, cosmetologists, and related professionals by combining their regulatory oversight under one board with updated membership requirements (six members total: three cosmetologists and three barbers). Key provisions include revising definitions (e.g., renaming "Board" to reflect the merger), standardizing licensing rules for both professions, and updating inspection procedures for salons and schools. The bill aims to streamline regulation while maintaining separate licensing standards for barbering and cosmetology services.