Sen. Bo Biteman

Maddy summaryThis bill would repeal Wyoming's existing low-carbon energy standards for public utilities. It requires utilities to refund customers for rates collected under those repealed standards (with an exception for costs already spent on carbon capture technology before the bill's effective date). The Public Service Commission would establish rules to implement these changes. The bill directly affects all public utilities operating in Wyoming and their customers who paid the now-repealed rates.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 108 would regulate chemical abortions by requiring healthcare providers to physically examine patients, be present during the first drug dose, and provide biohazard-labeled waste bags for disposal. It mandates that providers schedule follow-up visits within seven days and instruct patients on proper disposal of medical waste. The bill also holds manufacturers responsible for the environmental remediation of abortion drugs and their byproducts entering water systems. This law directly affects healthcare providers prescribing abortion drugs and drug manufacturers, with penalties including up to three years in prison or $10,000 fines for violations.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming legislative bill (SJ 3) proposes amending the state constitution to require future constitutional amendments to be approved by a majority of voters in at least three-fourths of Wyoming's counties (not just statewide). It would directly affect all future constitutional amendment proposals by adding this county-level approval requirement. The key change modifies Article 20, Section 1 of the Wyoming Constitution, which currently only requires statewide voter approval. The bill failed to advance after a 14-17 vote against introduction on February 16, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals Wyoming's temporary tax exemption for electricity produced from wind energy, ending a moratorium that previously exempted wind power from a production tax. Starting July 1, 2024, all wind-generated electricity in Wyoming - including power produced before the repeal that qualified for the old exemption - will be subject to the tax. The bill directly affects wind energy producers by requiring them to pay the tax on their electricity output. It makes no changes to existing tax rates but removes the specific exemption that had applied to wind energy since 2020. (Note: The bill failed to advance in the legislature on February 16, 2024.)

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 117 requires public schools to assess all kindergarten through third-grade students for reading proficiency three times yearly using state-approved tools. Students scoring "below basic" on the grade 3 English language arts assessment must be placed on an individualized reading plan with parental involvement, or face grade retention in third grade. The bill mandates schools to notify parents of reading deficiencies, provide evidence-based interventions, and document progress. It applies directly to K-3 students and their schools in Wyoming public education, with specific requirements for parental notification and intervention planning. The bill also prohibits score modification and outlines procedures for addressing reading deficiencies before retention.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SJ 4 is a joint resolution requesting Congress to call a constitutional convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to propose amendments focused on fiscal restraint, limiting federal power, and setting term limits for federal officials. The resolution specifies that the convention must not consider changes to the Bill of Rights and must operate with each state having one vote. The bill failed to pass during introduction in the Wyoming Senate on February 15, 2024, with 17 votes in favor and 14 against. This procedural resolution does not directly change laws but seeks to initiate a state-driven process for potential constitutional amendments.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJ 1) is a non-binding request from Wyoming's legislature to the U.S. Congress. It demands that Congress extinguish federal ownership of public lands and subsurface resources within Wyoming (currently covering about 46% of the state's surface area and 69% of its subsurface resources) to fulfill Wyoming's constitutional "equal footing" status as a state admitted to the Union. The resolution requires Congress to confirm its intent to transfer these lands to Wyoming by October 1, 2024, and proposes that the transferred lands remain state public lands. It is a procedural resolution, not a law, and has not advanced beyond the introduction stage in the Wyoming Senate (failed 17-14).

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 80 mandates that hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and other 24-hour care facilities must allow visitation for patients. It requires facilities to permit visitors while permitting reasonable restrictions (like visitor limits, timing, or safety equipment) and to provide written visitation policies to patients or their representatives. The law explicitly excludes patients involuntarily detained under certain legal codes or individuals incarcerated by the state. Facilities must visibly post current visitation rules and allow patients to designate or block visitors. The bill takes effect July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 152, the "Life is a Human Right Act," prohibits most abortions by defining "abortion" as the intentional termination of an unborn baby's life from conception. It directly affects pregnant individuals and medical providers in Wyoming by banning abortion except when a physician uses reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, address a serious risk to her life or a life-sustaining organ, or treat an ectopic pregnancy. The bill explicitly excludes contraception from the prohibition and defines "unborn baby" as a living human from fertilization through birth. This law creates criminal penalties for violations and amends existing abortion-related statutes.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 109 prohibits the use of specific abortion drugs (like mifepristone and misoprostol) for terminating pregnancies, affecting doctors, pharmacists, and anyone distributing or prescribing these drugs. Exceptions include contraceptive use before pregnancy confirmation, treatment of natural miscarriages under medical guidelines, and cases where a patient faces an immediate physical danger to life or health (excluding psychological conditions), or pregnancy from incest/sexual assault. Violations carry misdemeanor penalties of up to six months in jail or a $9,000 fine. Women seeking abortions using these drugs are explicitly exempt from criminal prosecution under this law.