Sen. Jeff Wasserburger

Maddy summaryHB 147 changes Wyoming law to make foreign language instruction for kindergarten through second grade optional for school districts, rather than mandatory. School districts may choose to offer such programs, but if they do, they must follow state board standards for instruction. This bill directly affects all Wyoming public school districts serving K-2 students. It became effective July 1, 2019, after passing the Education Committee unanimously.

Maddy summaryHB 109 amends Wyoming law to increase the required service period for students in the University of Wyoming's advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner program. It extends the maximum work obligation from two to three years in Wyoming for each academic year of financial support received, with payments capped at $10,000 per semester or $2,500 per summer session. Students must sign agreements committing to this service period as a condition of receiving state-funded tuition support. The bill applies only to new agreements signed on or after July 1, 2019.

Maddy summaryHB 131 amends Wyoming's Build Wyoming loan program to clarify it as a revolving, continuing fund administered by the state loan and investment board. It sets specific spending limits: a total cap of $400 million for all loans, with separate $200 million limits for infrastructure projects (like water systems) and road/street projects. The bill ensures local governments (counties, cities, etc.) can access these loans from the Wyoming mineral trust fund to finance public infrastructure improvements. It also specifies that the program operates under established rules for loan administration and becomes effective immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summarySF 91 would have required Wyoming's community college commission to create a single, common application system for all University of Wyoming and community college admissions. It would have mandated that both the University of Wyoming and community colleges accept applications exclusively through this system starting with the 2021-2022 academic year. The bill aimed to simplify the application process for students seeking admission as freshmen or transfer students across Wyoming's public postsecondary institutions. However, the bill died in committee in February 2019 and was never enacted into law.

Maddy summaryHB 294 requires Wyoming's Office of State Lands to study specific school trust land parcels near major highways (I-25, I-80, I-90) and the Grand Teton National Park Kelly parcel. The study must evaluate development options - including commercial, residential (including affordable housing), sustainable resource use, and limited gaming - to maximize land value, while preserving the state's royalty interests. The office must solicit proposals from development firms, estimate costs/revenue, and submit a final plan to state committees by November 2019. This is a preparatory study; it does not authorize development but sets the framework for future decisions.

Maddy summarySF 80 requires all Wyoming school buses transporting students to have external video systems starting with the 2016-2017 school year. It allows recordings from these systems to be used as evidence for violations of passing a stopped school bus (W.S. 31-5-507), with a $195 fine issued to the vehicle's registered owner if the driver cannot be identified. This fine does not count as a moving violation for license suspension or as a conviction for other purposes. The bill also specifies defenses for owners who did not consent to the driver using the vehicle or who sold the vehicle before the violation occurred.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 310 creates a state endowment fund and a task force to study how to make two years of community college or University of Wyoming education as free as possible for Wyoming residents. The task force will examine models like Tennessee Promise, review existing scholarship programs, and determine funding needs to cover tuition and mandatory fees for two years of undergraduate study. The program would be funded by earnings from the endowment, which must reach $400 million before implementation. It aims to provide free education regardless of academic achievement for entry, though it may consider academic standards for continued enrollment.