Sen. Barry Crago

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 63 allows property owners adjacent to state lands (without a lease) to build legal partition fences along those boundaries. The state lands office will cover half the construction cost, and both parties share maintenance costs based on their interest in the fence. The bill requires the state lands office to create implementing rules and takes effect July 1, 2025, except for rulemaking and effective date provisions that take effect immediately upon enactment. This directly affects landowners bordering state lands and the state lands office.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 75 reduces the severance tax rate for surface coal mining from 6.5% to 6% effective July 1, 2025. The bill lowers both the constitutional portion (from 1.5% to 1%) and the statutory portion (from 5% to 4.5%) of the tax. This directly affects surface coal mining companies operating in Wyoming by decreasing their tax burden. The change modifies existing tax distribution rules outlined in Wyoming statutes but does not alter how the tax revenue is allocated to the mineral trust fund or severance tax account.

Maddy summaryHB 22 updates Wyoming law to include certified water and wastewater operators as official "emergency responders" for homeland security planning. It requires local governments to coordinate with these operators in developing their emergency response plans, ensuring water system continuity during crises. The bill amends two statutes: one mandating coordination in local homeland security plans (W.S. 19-13-108) and another expanding the definition of "emergency responders" (W.S. 35-9-152(a)(i)). This directly affects certified water/wastewater operators and local jurisdictions responsible for emergency planning. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 45 removes otters from Wyoming's list of protected animals under hunting regulations. This change directly affects hunters and wildlife management by allowing regulated hunting of otters, which were previously protected. The bill amends Wyoming Statute 23-1-101(a)(ix) to delete "otter" from the definition of "protected animal," which previously included species like black-footed ferrets and lynx. The law would take effect on July 1, 2025, if enacted. This is a substantive policy change altering hunting permissions, not a procedural or commemorative measure.

Maddy summaryHB 168 prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cultivated meat in Wyoming. It directly affects businesses producing or selling lab-grown meat products within the state. The bill defines "cultivated meat" as meat grown from cultured animal cells in a lab (not harvested from animals) and bans its sale under state law, with penalties including license suspension for violators. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, except for implementation rules that take effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryHB 170 clarifies when documents filed by nonprofit corporations and statutory trusts in Wyoming become effective. It amends two sections of Wyoming law to specify that documents are effective at the time they are received for filing, as shown by the secretary of state's endorsement date and time on the original document. This procedural change directly affects nonprofit organizations and statutory trusts that file documents with the state. The bill does not alter substantive requirements but updates the legal language to remove ambiguity about effective dates. It takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 140, the Continuity of Permitting Act, ensures that building permit and land use applications pending at the time a county annexes land into a city or town remain under the county's handling until they are approved or denied. After a decision is made, jurisdiction transfers to the newly annexed city or town. This directly affects property owners, developers, and local governments with pending applications during annexation events. The law applies to all such applications filed on or after July 1, 2025, preventing delays or confusion during the transition.

Maddy summaryHB 329 modifies Wyoming law to give the Office of Homeland Security discretion over whether to cooperate with other states' and federal homeland security agencies (previously required). It mandates that Wyoming's Division of Criminal Investigation must cooperate with the Office of Homeland Security. The bill also authorizes the Office to receive criminal identification and intelligence information from law enforcement for security purposes. These changes directly affect Wyoming's homeland security office, law enforcement agencies, and their coordination with state and federal partners. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a 36.5-mile segment of US Highway 16 in Johnson County (between mile markers 52.47 and 89) as the "USMC CPL Seth Rasmuson Memorial Highway" to honor a Marine Corps corporal. It authorizes the Wyoming Department of Transportation to install appropriate signage and appropriates $3,000 from the general fund for this purpose, with funds expiring June 30, 2026. The bill has no policy impact beyond naming the highway segment and installing commemorative signage.

Maddy summaryHB 251 creates a new misdemeanor crime for operating a drone below 200 feet over someone else's private property without permission. The bill specifically targets drones weighing 55 pounds or less (including attached items) and prohibits unauthorized flights over private land or residences. Violators face up to six months in jail, a $750 fine, or both. This law directly affects drone operators who fly near homes or private property without the landowner's consent, effective July 1, 2025.