Sen. Dave Kinskey

Maddy summaryHB 98 requires registered agents for Wyoming businesses to maintain current names and addresses of all entity owners (like partners, members, or shareholders) at the registered office. This applies to most businesses, except those with over 100 owners, which are exempted. Registered agents must update this information within 60 days of any change and keep it available for inspection. The law takes effect July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryWyoming HB 128, the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act, creates education savings accounts (ESAs) providing eligible students with $6,000 annually (adjusted for inflation) to cover qualified educational expenses. It directly affects Wyoming residents who are public school-eligible but haven’t graduated high school, allowing parents to use ESA funds for tuition at qualified schools (including private or online programs), textbooks, tutoring, technology, and other approved educational costs. The state treasurer administers the accounts, which are funded by state appropriations - not local tax revenues - and require parental agreements specifying eligible uses. The bill explicitly states qualified schools are not considered state or federal agents and establishes oversight mechanisms for the program.

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 It requires utilities to refund customers for rates collected under those repealed standards (with an exception for costs already spent on carbon capture technology before the bill's effective date).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 The bill directly affects all public utilities operating in Wyoming and their customers who paid the now-repealed rates.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 summaryThis bill requires land developers (subdividers) in Wyoming to submit proof to the state engineer about how they will handle water rights before a subdivision permit is approved. It mandates one of three specific actions: voluntarily abandoning water rights, changing water use outside the subdivision, or providing an approved plan for distributing water rights to new lots. Developers must also notify buyers that Wyoming law does not recognize riparian rights to stream flow and disclose any potential impacts on existing water systems. The bill was introduced in 2024 but failed to pass after a 17-14 vote in the Senate.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 151 prohibits financial institutions from discriminating against firearm retailers by using or requiring special payment codes (like those for firearm sales) to distinguish them from other businesses. It bans financial institutions from keeping records of firearm purchases or owners, or disclosing payment information tied to these codes unless required by law. The bill also prevents banks from refusing payment transactions solely based on a firearm merchant code. Violations could lead to civil penalties up to $10,000 per incident, enforced through the Attorney General's office. The law takes effect July 1, 2024.

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.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 169 creates a 12-member task force to plan a state shooting complex. The task force includes state agency directors, two firearm industry representatives, a shooting sports organization member, a hunting conservation group representative, and legislative members appointed by leadership. It must develop location criteria, review existing facilities, create a request for proposals, and make recommendations by October 1 each year until June 2026. The bill appropriates $8.125 million from existing state funds (including $5 million from American Rescue Plan funds) specifically for the complex's siting and construction, with all funds required to be spent by the 2026 deadline.

Maddy summaryHB 100 requires Wyoming's Department of Revenue to hire a consultant to study converting the state's residential property tax system from current assessed value to one based on a property's original purchase price (acquisition value). The study must analyze revenue impacts across Wyoming, develop at least three implementation options - including one using 2017 values with annual 2% inflation - and address technical details like agricultural properties, new construction, and sales exclusions. The consultant must report findings to the Joint Revenue Committee by September 1, 2023, with the committee then determining if legislative action is needed. The bill appropriates $10,000 for this study, which is a preliminary step toward potential future tax system changes, not an immediate policy shift. This study directly affects how Wyoming might eventually calculate property taxes for homeowners.

Maddy summaryThis bill reduces Wyoming's property tax assessment rate for "all other property" (including most residential and commercial properties not covered by other classifications) from 9.5% to 7.5% of fair market value. It directly affects property owners in this category by lowering the taxable value used to calculate their annual property tax bill. The change takes effect January 1, 2024, as amended in sections 39-11-101(a)(xvii)(C) and 39-13-103(b)(iii)(C) of Wyoming law.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 148 clarifies that state firearm laws override local regulations, directly affecting cities and counties that might have attempted to enact stricter gun rules. The bill amends a definition in existing law to explicitly state that state statutes (W.S. 6-8-401 through 6-8-406) take precedence over local ordinances. This is a procedural clarification - no new restrictions or exceptions are added - and takes effect immediately upon enactment. It ensures local governments cannot impose additional firearm regulations beyond what the state already permits.