Sen. Evie Brennan

Maddy summaryHB 186, the "Baby Olivia Act," requires Wyoming public schools to provide human development education to students in grades 5-12, mandating specific instructional materials. The bill directs schools to show two videos: one displaying high-definition fetal organ development via ultrasound, and another demonstrating fertilization and human development stages from conception to birth. School districts must allow parental opt-outs via written request and comply with annual audits by the state education department. The law applies to all public school districts beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, with implementation requiring legislative approval for health education standards. The bill failed its introduction in the Wyoming House (39-20-3) on February 14, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 64 increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for eligible healthcare providers offering maternal services in rural and frontier areas of Wyoming. It directly affects Medicaid-enrolled providers (like obstetricians, family doctors with OB privileges, midwives, and surgeons providing cesarean backup) and Medicaid clients receiving prenatal, labor, delivery, and postpartum care in these regions. The bill allocates $2 million ($1 million state, $1 million federal) for 2026-2028 to fund these enhanced rates, with the Department of Health required to report on costs and potential adjustments by October 2027. Its key goal is to improve access to maternal care, reduce related health risks, and maintain provider availability in underserved areas.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 64 creates the Wyoming Housing Revolving Loan Program to address affordable housing shortages. It provides loans to local governments, housing authorities, and nonprofits for new construction, rehabilitation, or land acquisition of affordable and workforce housing (80% of funds), plus zero-interest loans for planning and predevelopment (20% of funds). The program is funded by a $30 million transfer from the Strategic Investments Account (if not repealed), with repaid loans replenishing the fund. All loans require state attorney general certification and annual reporting to the legislature on fund usage and project outcomes.

Maddy summaryHB 62 amends Wyoming's prostitution and solicitation laws to explicitly include "sexual contact" as a prohibited act. The bill defines "sexual contact" as touching intimate areas (or clothing covering them) with sexual intent, expanding the scope of what constitutes prostitution. This change directly affects individuals engaging in or soliciting sexual contact for money, now covered under existing misdemeanor penalties of up to six months in jail or a $750 fine. The law becomes effective July 1, 2025, updating statutes W.S. 6-4-101 and 6-4-102.

Maddy summarySF 44 requires the University of Wyoming and Wyoming community colleges to have students compete in intercollegiate athletics based on their biological sex as recorded on their official birth certificate. The bill prohibits male students from competing in women's sports teams and female students from competing in men's sports teams, except when no equivalent team exists for their sex. It defines "biological sex" using the sex listed on a student's birth certificate (or a government record correcting a clerical error), and includes protections against retaliation for reporting violations. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and allows students to sue institutions for violations.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 43 requires commercial websites that profit from content harmful to minors (such as obscene material or child pornography) to verify users' ages before allowing access. Covered platforms must use specific, accepted methods like driver's licenses, passports, or credit cards (excluding those not requiring users to be 18+) to confirm users are not under 18. The law creates legal liability for platforms that fail to verify ages, imposing penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, and allows parents or minors to sue for damages. It directly affects commercial online platforms hosting such content, not general websites or non-profit services.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new alternative teaching certification pathway for K-12 teachers in Wyoming. It requires alternative certification programs to meet specific criteria: operating in at least five states, having run for 10+ years, requiring subject and teaching methods exams, and having certified 10,000+ teachers. The certification would be limited to the exact subject areas and grade levels the applicant completed through the program. This directly affects new teachers seeking certification through approved alternative programs, not current certified educators.

Maddy summarySF 100 allows children under 16 who are victims of incest, sexual assault, human trafficking, or certain violent crimes to testify remotely in court to reduce emotional distress. The court must hold a hearing and find that in-person testimony would cause more than minimal distress before permitting remote testimony, which uses closed-circuit technology to let the child testify separately from the defendant and jury. The bill also requires courts to provide accommodations like breaks, a supportive adult present (not a witness), or a therapeutic dog to help the child feel comfortable during testimony. It ensures defendants maintain real-time communication with their attorney during the child’s testimony and may exclude the jury from the child’s testimony room if needed. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 94 removes a limit on the number of charter schools the Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board can approve, effective March 15, 2025. Previously, the board could authorize no more than three (later amended to four) charter schools operated by entities other than school districts before July 1, 2026. The bill eliminates this cap, allowing the board to authorize any number of charter schools meeting statutory requirements. It directly affects the authorizing board and organizations seeking to establish new charter schools outside school district management.

Maddy summaryHB 36 amends Wyoming's Hathaway scholarship program to clarify that "certificate" includes trade programs (like welder or commercial driver training). It requires students receiving the scholarship after July 1, 2025, to either work in Wyoming for one year or attend graduate school at the University of Wyoming for one year for every four academic semesters of scholarship funding. The bill also mandates the Wyoming Department of Education to adopt implementing rules by July 2025. This directly affects new scholarship recipients pursuing certificates or degrees at eligible Wyoming institutions. The changes take effect July 1, 2025, for new awards.