Rep. Pat Sweeney

Maddy summaryHB 105 reduces Wyoming's severance tax rate for surface coal mining from 7% to 6.5% by lowering the statutory tax portion from 5.5% to 5%, while maintaining the constitutional 1.5% rate. This change directly affects surface coal mining companies operating in Wyoming, reducing their tax burden on coal extracted from the surface. The bill updates tax distribution rules to reflect the new rate, with the constitutional portion (1.5%) continuing to fund Wyoming's permanent mineral trust fund. The reduced rate applies to surface coal produced on or after July 1, 2022.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 100) amends the state's stalking law to explicitly prohibit using electronic devices to surveil others without permission. It directly affects individuals who might use GPS, digital tools, or internet tracking to monitor someone's location or online activity without their authorization. The key provision adds a new section banning unauthorized surveillance via electronic devices, including tracking internet/wireless activity, to the existing stalking statute. The law became effective July 1, 2022.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts certain after-school programs in Wyoming from requiring full child care facility certification. It applies to programs operating primarily when school is out (before/after school, summer), exclusively serving school-aged children, and focused on educational/recreational activities - while still following local health and safety codes. The exemption became effective July 1, 2022, and directly affects qualifying after-school programs that meet all four specified criteria. It simplifies regulatory requirements for these specific programs without altering broader child care standards.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 81 allows people with disabilities to operate motorcycles with attached wheelchair or assistive devices by amending motorcycle operation rules. The bill removes a previous restriction on handlebar height and explicitly permits attaching assistive devices (as defined in state law) to motorcycles designed for such use. This directly affects disabled motorcycle riders who previously faced equipment limitations. The law took effect on July 1, 2022.

Maddy summaryHB 54 authorizes Wyoming's Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources to lease state lands for recreational use and sell permits allowing public access to these areas. The bill establishes a system where funds from permit sales must be used for operations and maintenance of leased recreational sites, and permits may include restrictions like per-person or vehicle limits. It also allows the department to lease concessions (such as boat rentals or cabins) on leased lands under specific terms. The bill directly affects state parks management and recreational users who purchase permits or use concession services on state lands. This legislation modifies existing statutes (W.S. 36-4-103, 36-4-104, etc.) to clarify and expand the department's authority for managing recreational lands.

Maddy summaryHB 140 requires landowners to obtain a permit from their county commission before creating a conservation easement, effective July 1, 2022. It limits all new conservation easements to a maximum 30-year duration (with possible renewal) and establishes a formal application process including survey requirements and a 45-day review timeline by the county board. The bill also mandates that county commissions adopt rules for implementation and specifies that fees for permits (capped at processing costs) fund the county general fund. This directly affects landowners seeking to create easements, county commissions managing permits, and the Wyoming Wildlife Trust Account, which cannot fund non-compliant easements.

Maddy summaryHB 151 clarifies that Wyoming's state government, not local authorities, is responsible for annually valuing and assessing the property of independent power producers (companies generating or transmitting electricity for wholesale sale) at fair market value for tax purposes. This bill directly affects electricity generation and transmission facilities operated by these independent producers. The key provision amends state tax law to explicitly include such property under the state's assessment authority, removing ambiguity about who handles these valuations. The bill was set to take effect July 1, 2022, but did not pass the legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 113 imposes an annual tax on Wyoming businesses providing digital asset custodial services. It requires corporations, LLCs, statutory trusts, and statutory foundations (excluding banks) to pay $0.0002 for every $1 of digital assets they hold in custody, based on annual reports to the Secretary of State. The tax applies to entities engaging in "custodial services" as defined in Wyoming law, with banks subject to similar requirements under separate provisions. The tax revenue must be deposited into the Financial Institutions Administration account and becomes effective July 1, 2022.

Maddy summaryHB 143, the "Wyoming Patient Cannabis Act of 2022," proposes a legal framework for medical cannabis in Wyoming. It would allow patients with qualifying conditions (like chronic pain, cancer, or multiple sclerosis) to access cannabis products through licensed dispensaries, with caregivers permitted to assist them. The bill establishes licensing for cultivation facilities, testing labs, and dispensaries under the Wyoming Department of Revenue Liquor Division, prohibits local governments from banning such operations, and defines medical cannabis products while banning synthetic marijuana prescriptions. This would be the first state-regulated medical cannabis program in Wyoming, affecting patients, caregivers, and licensed businesses.

Maddy summaryHB 98 revises Wyoming's property tax appeal process to increase transparency and fairness for taxpayers challenging their assessments. It requires county assessors to provide property owners with specific documents (like statements of consideration for similar properties and the assessor's valuation data) during appeals, and mandates that assessors explain why certain properties weren't used in valuing the taxpayer's property. The bill also sets strict deadlines for exchanging evidence and witnesses before county board hearings, requires hearings to be recorded, and gives boards clearer authority to remand cases back to assessors if they fail to provide required information. This affects property owners who dispute tax assessments and county officials handling those appeals, without changing tax rates or property values.