Sen. Jared Olsen

Maddy summaryHB 142 establishes a dedicated funding account for Wyoming's Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission by adding a $1 fee to vehicle registration for both passenger and commercial vehicles. The fees collected will be deposited into this account, with counties or departments allowed to retain up to 5% for administrative costs. This bill creates a stable, recurring funding source to support the commission's operations, effective July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 113 increases scholarship amounts for Wyoming's Hathaway program, directly affecting eligible students pursuing degrees or certificates at participating institutions. The bill raises semester awards for three scholarship tiers: Opportunity ($882, up from $840), Performance ($1,323, up from $1,260), and Honor ($1,764, up from $1,680) for full-time students meeting specific GPA and standardized test score criteria. Need-based scholarships also see updated calculations, with a minimum $110 per semester and increased caps for unmet financial need. The changes apply to students qualifying under existing Hathaway program standards, effective July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 102 would allow school employees with valid concealed carry permits to carry firearms on school property if their district board adopts specific rules. School boards that choose not to adopt such rules must submit a written explanation to the state education department. The bill appropriates $100,000 for a statewide marketing campaign to promote this authority, with funds restricted to use from July 2024 through June 2026. The bill failed its introduction in the Wyoming House on February 14, 2024, with a vote of 35-26.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 152, the "Life is a Human Right Act," prohibits most abortions by defining "abortion" as the intentional termination of an unborn baby's life from conception. It directly affects pregnant individuals and medical providers in Wyoming by banning abortion except when a physician uses reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, address a serious risk to her life or a life-sustaining organ, or treat an ectopic pregnancy. The bill explicitly excludes contraception from the prohibition and defines "unborn baby" as a living human from fertilization through birth. This law creates criminal penalties for violations and amends existing abortion-related statutes.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 120 restores civil rights for certain individuals convicted of nonviolent offenses. It automatically restores voting rights for nonviolent felony offenders after they complete their sentence or serve five years (whichever is shorter), and requires a written application to the Department of Corrections for domestic violence misdemeanor offenders to regain firearm rights. The bill also specifies that other rights (like firearm possession) are restored only after voting rights are reinstated. This applies to people convicted of nonviolent felonies or domestic violence misdemeanors under Wyoming law, following specific procedural steps outlined in the bill.

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 174 creates a new Wyoming Charter School Authorizing Board to oversee public charter schools statewide. The board, consisting of five members (including the state superintendent and appointees from the governor, Senate, and House), will approve, renew, and oversee charter schools under specific quality standards. The bill modifies how charter schools are authorized (replacing school district oversight with the state board), adjusts funding rules, and requires transparency in decision-making. This directly affects public charter schools, their governing boards, and the state education department as the local education agency.

Maddy summarySF 83 modifies how Wyoming school districts and charter schools manage leased K-12 facilities. It requires lease agreements to separately track and report funds dedicated to major facility maintenance, ensuring these funds are used only for that purpose and not diverted elsewhere. Districts must get approval before spending maintenance funds, and they can be reimbursed if leased space isn't counted in square footage calculations for maintenance funding. The bill applies to all districts leasing facilities and takes effect July 1, 2023.

Maddy summaryHB 76 amends various Wyoming licensing board statutes by removing outdated language, obsolete dates, and redundant requirements. It specifically eliminates the state board's requirement to conduct cosmetology exams, updates continuing education rules for occupational therapists, and removes references to an accreditation committee for respiratory care practitioners. The bill affects multiple licensed professions, including cosmetology, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and real estate, by modernizing administrative procedures without creating new obligations. Key changes streamline existing rules by deleting expired provisions while maintaining current licensing processes. The bill takes effect upon enactment, with no new financial or operational impacts on licensees.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 153 strengthens election security by requiring counties to audit up to 5% of ballots after each election to verify results. It changes absentee ballot distribution timelines (45 days before election for military voters, 28 days for others) and mandates that electronic voting systems maintain an "air gap" (physical isolation from networks/internet). The bill also requires election records and ballots to be transported in sealed, locked containers with unique numbered seals. A $100,000 appropriation funds county training and consultant services for implementation. These changes directly affect county clerks, election administrators, and electronic voting systems statewide.