Rep. Landon Brown

Maddy summaryHB 203 creates a property tax exemption for single-family residential properties in Wyoming, covering the first $200,000 of value in 2024 and $1 million annually thereafter. To offset lost local revenue, it adds a 2% sales tax (raising the total rate to 6%) effective July 2024. Funds from this tax are distributed to counties based on their lost property tax revenue from the exemption, with any remaining funds used for sales tax refunds to businesses paying severance and sales taxes. The bill directly affects homeowners with qualifying properties and local governments reliant on property tax revenue.

Maddy summaryHB 175 allows Wyoming school districts to request fingerprint-based background checks for volunteers who regularly interact with or have unsupervised access to minors in K-12 schools. Previously, such checks applied only to school employees, but this bill extends the requirement to volunteers meeting these specific access criteria. School districts must cover all costs for the fingerprinting and background check process. The law takes effect July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 144 creates special suicide awareness and prevention license plates for non-commercial vehicles. Vehicle owners pay a $150 initial fee plus a $50 annual fee, with all funds going to the state's 988 suicide prevention hotline system. The plates must display the national lifeline number (988), a slogan, and a symbol, and require 500 plates sold by 2033 to continue. The program begins January 1, 2025, and will terminate if the 500-plate threshold isn't met.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 154 amends the Consumer Rental-Purchase Agreement Act to update rules for rent-to-own contracts, directly affecting consumers and merchants who use these agreements for items like furniture or electronics. The bill requires clear, plain-language disclosures in agreements - such as a mandatory notice in bold type about the right to terminate without penalty - and mandates that merchants provide digital notices with consumer consent. It also adds specific requirements for liability damage waivers, including a clear warning that they are optional and a recommendation to check existing insurance coverage. These changes standardize disclosures, expand digital agreement options, and enhance consumer transparency for rental-purchase transactions.

Maddy summaryHB 180 amends Wyoming's Controlled Substances Act to clarify and streamline property forfeiture procedures related to drug violations. It specifies that property subject to forfeiture includes controlled substances, equipment used in drug manufacturing, vehicles transporting drugs, buildings used for drug activity, and money traceable to drug offenses. The bill requires courts to issue notices to potential owners or lienholders before final forfeiture, giving them 30-60 days to contest the seizure, and mandates that property used without the owner's knowledge cannot be forfeited. This directly affects property owners involved in drug-related cases by altering the legal process for government seizure of assets.

Maddy summaryHB 107 requires Wyoming's Department of Transportation to downgrade a commercial driver's license (CDL) if a driver fails to provide a current federal medical certificate within 60 days after it expires. The bill mandates that the department must reinstate the CDL without requiring the driver to retake knowledge or driving tests once they provide a valid medical certificate before the original CDL's expiration date. This applies directly to commercial drivers who temporarily lack medical certification. The law takes effect July 1, 2024, and requires the department to create necessary implementing rules.

Maddy summaryHB 159 prohibits unauthorized fees for advising on veterans benefits, directly affecting veterans seeking benefits and third-party advisors (like claim assistants). The bill requires written fee agreements meeting federal standards, mandates clear disclosures that free government services exist (including Wyoming Military Department and county agencies), and bans guarantees of specific benefit outcomes or pre-disagreement fees. It also prohibits excessive fees and requires advertising disclosures about free alternatives. Violations are treated as deceptive trade practices under Wyoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 150 requires that during a public health emergency in Wyoming, any order exempting businesses from closure must also exempt religious assemblies, including places of worship (like churches and 501(c)(3) organizations) and gatherings in private homes or public spaces. It mandates that religious institutions be treated equally to other exempt businesses during such emergencies. The bill allows individuals to sue for violations, seeking remedies like damages, injunctions, and attorney fees, and amends state law to permit punitive damages in these cases. This directly affects religious organizations and public health enforcement during emergencies in Wyoming.

Maddy summaryHB 164 clarifies that food products made with or infused with alcohol (like candy or desserts) are not considered alcoholic beverages if they contain less than 6.25% alcohol by volume. This directly affects food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants producing or selling such items. The bill amends Wyoming's alcohol definitions to explicitly exclude these low-alcohol food products from regulations governing alcoholic beverages. The key provision sets a clear 6.25% alcohol threshold to determine when such foods fall outside the state's alcohol beverage laws.

Maddy summaryHB 80 changes the schedule for distributing county school funds in Wyoming. It removes an additional annual fund transfer, requiring county treasurers to apportion funds only on the second Monday of each month and on June 20 (or the last business day before June 20) each year. This affects county treasurers and school districts by altering when they receive funds from the county school fund, which includes interest, fines, and forfeitures. The bill does not create new funding but modifies the existing distribution timeline. It takes effect immediately upon becoming law.