Sen. Brian Boner

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Wyoming cities and towns to hold elections for existing surface water drainage fee systems that began collecting payments before July 1, 2026, without prior voter approval. Municipalities must hold these elections by July 1, 2027, and if voters reject the fees, they must stop collecting them within 60 days. It clarifies that new or existing drainage systems must follow specific rate-setting rules for water use and runoff management after an election. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, directly affecting local governments managing surface water drainage.

Maddy summaryHB 108 requires Wyoming's Department of Audit to post specific financial reports from local governments and special districts on its official website by set deadlines. This includes annual reports from counties, cities, and towns by December 31 each year, special district budgets within 30 days of submission, and annual audits within 30 days of their due date. The bill increases transparency by making these documents publicly accessible online without changing existing reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 90 requires Wyoming's state engineer to study how large-scale industrial water use permanently removes water from the natural water cycle (like data centers, carbon capture, and hydrogen production), excluding normal evaporation from irrigation. The study must analyze current impacts on all water users - including agriculture, municipalities, and recreation - and recommend ways to limit future impacts. It mandates a report to the legislature by November 2026, funded by a $500,000 appropriation specifically for this study. This bill does not change water rules but creates a formal process to assess emerging industrial water demands.

Maddy summaryHB 97 prohibits state and local governments, as well as financial institutions, from collecting, disclosing, or using financial records related to firearm or ammunition sales. It bans the use of "firearms codes" or merchant category codes that identify firearm retailers, preventing payment processors from discriminating against these businesses or their customers. The bill also prohibits maintaining registries of privately owned firearms or their owners through financial data and allows civil actions for violations. It directly affects firearm retailers, payment processors, and customers purchasing firearms or ammunition. Violations could result in criminal penalties (up to $2,000 fine or 1 year in jail) or civil enforcement.

Maddy summaryHB 29 clarifies requirements for nonresidents to obtain trapping licenses in Wyoming. It mandates that nonresidents provide a notarized affidavit confirming their home state allows Wyoming residents to trap the same species, along with proof of their state's relevant laws. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department must create implementing rules to enforce this reciprocity standard. This directly affects nonresident trappers who must now verify reciprocal licensing agreements with their home states before obtaining a Wyoming trapping license.

Maddy summaryHB 68 expands Wyoming's property tax exemption for veterans with permanent, total service-connected disabilities. It allows eligible veterans certified as having a 100% service-connected disability to claim a full exemption on the assessed value of their primary residence, including up to 10 acres of associated land - replacing the previous $6,000 annual limit. Surviving spouses who haven't remarried and keep the property as their primary residence also retain this full exemption. The change applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2027, and does not affect veterans who qualify only for the standard $6,000 exemption.

Maddy summaryHB 180 requires cities and towns in Wyoming to address surface water runoff systems established before April 1, 2026. By July 1, 2027, these systems must either be reorganized into a drainage utility (with voter approval) or operated using only city funds without user fees after April 1, 2026. If cities fail to comply by the deadline, they must refund all fees collected before April 1, 2026 to users by September 1, 2027. The bill also allows fees for other services (like water or trash) but prohibits new fees for runoff systems after 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 170 would amend Wyoming's parole eligibility rules to make prisoners ineligible for parole if they were convicted of assault or escape in district court *or* found guilty of those acts through the Wyoming Department of Corrections' administrative disciplinary process. This change directly affects individuals serving sentences who have been disciplined for assault or escape while incarcerated. The bill adds administrative disciplinary findings (not just court convictions) as a basis for parole ineligibility under state law. It would take effect on July 1, 2026, if enacted. (Note: The bill is currently pending introduction and has not yet been considered by the legislature.)

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 190 directs the Board of Land Commissioners to transfer specific parcels of land (totaling approximately 3,000 acres in Natrona County) to the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources for development as a state park. The bill requires the transfer to occur by July 1, 2027, after completing a site criteria process, with lands sold at fair market value (funds going to the common school account). It appropriates $6.5 million from the general fund specifically for land procurement and resolving mineral leases on the properties. The department must report on the site criteria process to a legislative committee by October 2027.

Maddy summaryWyoming HB 154 creates a special license plate decal for honorably discharged U.S. veterans who live in Wyoming. To qualify, applicants must provide proof of honorable military service and be Wyoming residents at the time of application. The decal, placed in the lower left corner of a license plate without obscuring other text, carries a maximum $5 fee to cover administrative costs, and the decal does not need renewal when the license plate is renewed. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.