Sen. Dan Laursen

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 summaryHB 209 repeals Wyoming's low-carbon energy standards for public utilities, removing requirements that previously mandated certain carbon-reduction measures. The bill directly affects electric utilities by eliminating statutory obligations related to low-carbon energy generation and dispatchable/reliable power definitions. Key provisions repeal specific sections of Wyoming law (W.S. 37-1-101, 37-18-101, and 37-18-102) that established these standards. The Public Service Commission must then create new rules to implement the repeal, with the bill taking effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 169 creates a temporary property tax exemption for Wyoming homeowners, reducing their tax bill by 50% on the first $1 million of their home's value for tax years 2025 and 2026. It applies to single-family residential properties like houses, mobile homes, and condos, directly benefiting homeowners who own these properties. The state will compensate local governments and schools for lost revenue using $125 million from the general fund, with funds expiring after June 2027. The exemption does not apply to tax year 2027 or later.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all Wyoming hospitals to implement random drug and alcohol testing for employees and job applicants in safety-sensitive roles (like nurses or surgical staff). It mandates that employees testing positive be temporarily removed from such duties, undergo counseling through the Wyoming Professional Assistance Program, and provide a negative test before returning. The bill also clarifies that marijuana use remains unlawful under state and federal law regardless of local decriminalization, and excludes prescribed medications (not schedule 1 drugs) from treatment requirements. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, with immediate implementation for rulemaking provisions.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 184 would require all elections to use paper ballots with manual hand counting, banning electronic voting machines and electronic pollbooks. It repeals existing provisions allowing electronic systems and mandates specific procedures for hand-counting ballots, post-election audits, and election observer access. The bill directly affects counties, election officials, and voters by changing how ballots are processed and counted. This bill died in committee in March 2025 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 177 creates a new legislative committee called the "federal review joint and standing committee" to monitor federal actions. The committee, composed of 5 Senate and 9 House members appointed by March 31 after each election, reviews all federal laws, regulations, and executive orders to assess whether they infringe on Wyoming's sovereignty or exceed federal constitutional limits. It must report findings and recommend legislative responses, such as new bills or resolutions, to address perceived constitutional conflicts. The committee’s work ends if the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is repealed, with the bill taking effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 294 amends how the state distributes excess federal mineral royalties (payments from oil, gas, and mineral leases on federal land) received above specific annual thresholds. For fiscal years 2026 and beyond, any revenue exceeding the most recent even-year revenue forecast will be split equally: half goes to the common school permanent fund reserve account, and half to the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund reserve account. The bill also adjusts thresholds for 2025 ($549.4 million) and 2026 ($530.2 million), repeals outdated distribution provisions (sections k, m, n), and takes effect July 1, 2025. This directly affects state school funding and the mineral trust fund by changing the allocation method for surplus royalty payments.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 271 reduces the annual spending rate for the common school account within the state's permanent land fund from 5% to 4.5% of the account's five-year average market value. This change directly affects public school funding by lowering the amount that can be spent each year from this specific account. The bill modifies statutes governing how investment earnings and federal mineral royalties are handled within the school funding system. It takes effect on July 1, 2025, and represents a concrete adjustment to the state's school finance formula. The bill does not change the total funds available but alters the calculation method for annual spending.

Maddy summarySF 161 would change how Wyoming taxes residential property by establishing a default rule that a property’s tax assessment should match its purchase price (acquisition value) when it was last bought. This applies directly to residential property owners, as their tax bills would typically be based on the original sale price unless challenged. The bill requires county assessors to use the acquisition date as the starting point for determining fair market value, with a "rebuttable presumption" allowing adjustments only if evidence shows the purchase price was inaccurate. It also clarifies confidentiality rules for sworn statements used in the valuation process. The bill died in committee in March 2025 and was never enacted.