Sen. John Kolb

Maddy summaryHB 147 prohibits all Wyoming state and local government entities - including state agencies, schools, universities, counties, and cities - from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, activities, or policies. It defines "institutional discrimination" as concepts like claiming inherent superiority based on race or requiring individuals to acknowledge guilt based on their race, and bans governmental entities from requiring attendance at related trainings. The bill mandates that all affected entities comply by July 1, 2025, including creating necessary rules. It directly affects all public institutions in Wyoming that receive state funding or operate under state authority.

Maddy summaryHB 199, titled the "Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act" (not "Steamboat Legacy," which appears to be a misreference), creates a state-funded scholarship program for K-12 students in Wyoming. It increases the maximum annual scholarship from $6,000 to $7,000 for students at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, with annual inflation adjustments, and funds it through a new "Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Program Account" using state education revenues. The bill eliminates mandatory certification for private schools and providers but adds voluntary registration, while prohibiting funding from local taxes. It directly affects low-income Wyoming families seeking to use scholarships for public, private, or online education options.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SJ 5 is a state resolution requesting Congress to call a constitutional convention to propose term limits for U.S. Congress members. It seeks to limit representatives to a set number of terms in both the House and Senate, following Wyoming's joining of 21 other states that previously passed similar state-level term limit laws (overturned by the Supreme Court). The resolution specifies that any convention would be limited to this single topic, operate on a one-state-one-vote basis, and exclude changes to the Bill of Rights. As a procedural state application under Article V of the Constitution, it does not impose term limits itself but aims to initiate the constitutional amendment process.

Maddy summarySF 83 requires legislative approval before state funds can be used for large energy projects exceeding $400,000. It mandates that state agencies, universities, cities, and counties (awarding entities) report annual project details to the legislature and seek new approval for any project funding beyond $200,000 after initial authorization. The bill defines "large energy projects" broadly to include carbon capture, hydrogen production, solar, wind, and other energy infrastructure. It applies to all state-funded projects starting July 1, 2025, shifting approval authority from agencies to the legislature for significant energy investments.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 176) sets a hard cap on employer contributions to the state's unemployment compensation fund, limiting payments to no more than $1 per employee annually. It directly affects all employers in Wyoming who pay into the unemployment insurance system. The key mechanism establishes that even when combined with base rates (8.5%) and other adjustment factors, total annual employer contributions cannot exceed $1 per employee. The bill takes effect January 1, 2026, and amends existing law to enforce this cap across all employer contribution calculations.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 160 repeals the provision allowing school identification cards as valid forms of ID for in-person voting. The bill directly affects voters in Wyoming who previously used school IDs to verify their identity at polling locations. It removes school IDs from the list of acceptable voter identification documents, effective July 1, 2025. This change modifies the state's voter ID requirements without adding new ID types or altering other voting procedures.

Maddy summarySF 90 requires Wyoming public school districts to adopt policies by the 2025-2026 school year allowing "patriotic organizations" (defined as youth groups under 21 with educational purposes promoting patriotism, like 4-H or specific federally listed groups) to participate in schools. The policy must permit organization representatives to speak to students during school hours about their activities, distribute materials, and display information - subject to parental notification and consent for student participation. School districts must allow displays outside school hours without unreasonable restrictions but are not required to provide equal access to non-patriotic groups. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 100 allows Wyoming school districts and charter schools to hire certain K-12 staff without teaching certificates or permits, provided they adopt specific board policies. These policies require applicants to be at least 18 years old and undergo criminal background checks, including fingerprinting. The bill amends existing laws to permit this hiring path while maintaining background check requirements for uncertified personnel. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 180 limits supplemental budget requests by the governor and state agencies to five specific situations: revenue shortfalls based on official estimates, funding for natural or human disasters, public welfare emergencies requiring additional funds beyond existing allocations, adjustments to savings accounts, and necessary staffing changes. The bill restricts all other supplemental funding requests, ensuring they align strictly with these defined categories. This change directly affects how state agencies and the governor propose budget adjustments outside the regular annual process. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and repeals a prior provision about alternative budget preparation.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 175 reduces the maximum duration of unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks for eligible claimants. The bill amends sections 27-3-304 and 27-3-316(c)(ii) to lower the weekly benefit calculation cap from 26 to 20 times a claimant's weekly benefit amount, and reduces extended benefits from 13 to 6.5 times the weekly amount. It also renames the "Unemployment Insurance Commission" to the "Unemployment Reemployment Insurance Commission" and appropriates $18,000 for system updates. The changes apply to all claims filed on or after January 1, 2026.