Sen. Bill Landen

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 129 requires criminal background checks for all employees, interns, and job applicants in the governor's office who handle confidential information. It amends state law to mandate fingerprinting and criminal history record checks as a condition for employment or internships in the governor's office. The bill explicitly grants the governor authority to obtain these background checks and specifies that such checks are required for anyone accessing sensitive state records. The law took effect immediately upon becoming law in January 2023.

Maddy summaryHB 270 caps fees, property taxes, and assessments that improvement and service districts can impose on landowners, limiting them to the maximum amount originally promised when the district was formed. Landowners within these districts are directly affected, as districts cannot exceed this pre-set limit without voter approval through mail ballot or concurrent election. The law allows districts to adjust the cap only with majority voter consent, while maintaining exceptions for bond payments. Violations can be challenged in court within 120 days by affected landowners. (HB 270, effective July 1, 2023)

Maddy summaryHB 126 amends Wyoming's criminal trespass law to clarify that property owners or their agents may use reasonable physical force to stop someone trespassing on their land. It specifies this force must be necessary to end what the owner reasonably believes is ongoing trespass. The bill does not change existing self-defense laws, as stated in Section (e). The law takes effect July 1, 2023, directly affecting landowners and their authorized representatives facing trespassers.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 142 requires public utilities to offer coal-fired power plants for sale specifically for carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) projects. The bill establishes rules for selling carbon dioxide streams (e.g., for enhanced oil recovery), mandates bonding to cover future decommissioning and cleanup costs, and sets definitions for key terms like "carbon capture customer" (oil/gas companies using CO2 streams). It aims to make captured carbon dioxide available for industrial use while preventing rate hikes for electricity customers. The law also requires studies and reports on implementation, targeting coal plant operators and oil/gas industry stakeholders directly affected by the new requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 104 allows Wyoming hunters to use artificial light technologies - including thermal or infrared imaging - for night hunting of predatory animals (like coyotes or wolves) on both private and public land. It directly affects landowners (with written permission), residents managing property, and hunters on public land. The bill requires the Game and Fish Commission to create specific rules governing the permitted technology and hunting methods. The changes take effect July 1, 2023, with rulemaking provisions active immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 84) requires the state superintendent of public instruction to develop model definitions for "unexcused absence," "habitual truant," and "willful absenteeism" for public schools. School districts are not required to adopt these model rules but must define these terms themselves under existing law. The bill specifies that absences due to illness, family health issues, mental health needs, or approved activities (like the state fair) should not count as unexcused. The superintendent must complete the model rules and report them to the education committee by July 1, 2023. The bill directly affects public school districts and their student attendance policies across Wyoming.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Wyoming law to extend the deadline for filling vacancies in chancery court judgeships from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025. It modifies the existing requirement in W.S. 5-13-109(b) to delay the effective date of filling these vacancies by one year. The change is procedural, affecting only the timeline for filling judicial positions in Wyoming's chancery courts, with no new eligibility rules or direct impacts on specific groups. The bill became effective July 1, 2023.

Maddy summarySF 7 amends Wyoming's definition of "opiate antagonist" to explicitly include naloxone hydrochloride (marketed as Narcan) and other FDA-approved medications for treating opioid overdoses. This clarifies which substances qualify under the existing Emergency Administration of Opiate Antagonist Act, ensuring consistency for first responders and healthcare providers. The change takes effect July 1, 2023, and does not create new requirements or funding. The bill solely updates terminology in current law without altering enforcement or access provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Wyoming's financial institution approval process to prevent customer confusion. It requires new banks or credit unions to choose names that don't closely resemble existing institutions in the same county or state. The key change adds a specific naming criterion to the approval standards, effective July 1, 2023, directly affecting applicants seeking state licensing.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 69) allows Wyoming court clerks to digitize physical court records instead of keeping paper copies, directly affecting county court offices. It amends Wyoming Statute 5-7-103 to explicitly permit scanning and retaining digital copies in a case management system, while removing the requirement to store physical documents. The change applies to most court cases but excludes probate matters, and clerks must follow specific disposal rules (W.S. 9-2-411) for original documents. The law takes effect July 1, 2023.