Rep. Marlene Brady

Maddy summaryHB 336 requires parents voluntarily giving up parental rights to sign a written acknowledgment stating that termination does not end their child support obligations. This acknowledgment must be signed by the parent and become part of the court record. The bill clarifies that courts retain full authority to modify, enforce, or terminate child support under existing law. It applies to all voluntary parental rights terminations in Wyoming and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a "Residential Property Tax Reduction Account" to fund property tax refunds for Wyoming homeowners. It directly affects primary residence owners who paid property taxes in the prior year, capping refunds at $13,300 per household. Key mechanisms include funding the account from unappropriated general fund balances (exceeding 5% of projected receipts) and mineral trust earnings, with refunds paid proportionally if funds are insufficient. Refunds will begin for 2025 taxes in 2026, with even years capped at half the account balance and odd years using the full balance. The program defines "primary residence" as where a homeowner lived at least six months of the tax year.

Maddy summaryHB 240 repeals a provision (W.S. 9-1-304) that allowed the governor to appoint an acting secretary of state. This bill removes the legal authority for temporary appointments to the secretary of state position. It takes effect on July 1, 2025. (Note: As a procedural repeal, this bill does not create new policy but changes existing state code.)

Maddy summaryHB 335, the Wyoming Educational Religious Freedom Act, prohibits public schools and state-funded educational programs from implementing curricula or practices that mandate specific beliefs about identity, power structures, or group identity. It bans activities like required cultural competency training, mandatory identity exploration, equity-based grading, or prescribed discussions of privilege. The bill requires schools to annually review all instructional materials - including digital tools and teacher resources - for "sectarian content" and establishes a complaint process for violations. It directly affects all public schools, districts, and state-funded educational programs in Wyoming, while explicitly allowing academic instruction about historical concepts and voluntary student participation in discussions. The bill does not restrict references to diverse viewpoints or historical/scientific teaching.

Maddy summaryHB 338 requires the Wyoming Legislative Service Office to publish a daily list of email domains and IP addresses blocked from delivering messages to state legislators. It allows anyone whose emails to legislators have been blocked to request removal, and the office must process such requests within two days unless a security threat exists. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, aiming to increase transparency about email delivery issues and provide a clear resolution process for the public.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a provision that allowed Wyoming's attorney general to void ballot initiatives if they were deemed substantially similar to existing laws. It directly affects citizens and groups submitting initiative petitions, ensuring their proposals cannot be blocked solely on this grounds. The change takes effect July 1, 2025, streamlining the process for placing initiatives on the ballot without the duplicate law review.

Maddy summaryHB 127 amends Wyoming law to create a legal defense for perpetrators charged with violating a domestic violence protection order. Specifically, if a victim requests the perpetrator to violate the order, that request becomes an "affirmative defense" in court. This change directly affects individuals accused of breaching protection orders in domestic violence cases. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not alter existing protections for victims.

Maddy summaryHB 287 requires Wyoming counties to reimburse individuals for legal costs (including attorney fees and bail) when they successfully use self-defense in criminal cases and are found not guilty, have charges dismissed, or are released from prosecution. It also mandates courts to automatically expunge all related criminal records in these cases, removing arrest and prosecution history from public records. The bill directly affects people facing criminal charges who defend themselves, streamlining access to reimbursement and record removal through simplified court petitions with no filing fees.

Maddy summaryHB 158 requires Wyoming's legislature to install an electronic voting system in both chambers of the state capitol. It appropriates $250,000 from the general fund specifically for planning, purchasing, and installing devices at each legislator's desk to cast votes electronically, with systems required to display results in chambers and online. The bill mandates security measures to ensure votes are cast by individual legislators and specifies that any additional system functions must fit within the budget. The funds must be spent by June 30, 2026, and unspent money reverts to the state. This bill directly affects Wyoming legislators and their voting process, with no policy changes beyond modernizing the voting mechanism.

Maddy summaryHB 145 requires absentee voters in Wyoming to include specific identification information on a designated envelope inside their ballot package. Voters must provide either their Wyoming driver's license number, Wyoming ID card number, or the last four digits of their social security number. This change applies to all absentee ballots and takes effect July 1, 2025. The bill directly affects voters who choose absentee voting by adding a new step for verifying identity when returning ballots.