Grooming of children-offenses and amendments.
HB 9 creates a new criminal offense in Wyoming for "grooming" a minor for sexual abuse or exploitation. It directly affects adults (17+ years old, at least 4 years older than the minor) who engage in behavior to manipulate, build trust with, or prepare a minor for sexual conduct - whether online or in person, including sharing explicit material or exploiting authority. Key provisions define "grooming" broadly, specify penalties (up to 10 years in prison for general cases, 25+ years if the victim is under 12), and require offenders to complete treatment programs and face probation. The bill also updates registration requirements for offenders convicted under this law, mandating annual in-person verification with law enforcement.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Feb 9, 2026
Signed Mar 6, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Enrolled
·
4 edits
·
Mar 6, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was finalized and enrolled, incorporating significant amendments to strengthen the 'grooming of a minor' statute. The primary changes include raising the minimum age of the offender from 17 to 18, expanding the definition of grooming to explicitly include social media and gaming platforms, and adding a new provision that imposes harsher penalties on offenders who hold a position of authority over the victim. These updates aim to close legal loopholes and better address modern digital behaviors.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include digital platforms like social media and gaming services, and it now specifically targets individuals in positions of authority over minors.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'electronic communication' was updated to explicitly include social media platforms, gaming platforms, and other digital communication services.
ELIGIBILITY
The minimum age for an adult to commit the crime of grooming was raised from 17 years old to 18 years old.
ENFORCEMENT
A new subsection was added to impose stricter penalties (up to 30 years in prison) for offenders who occupy a position of authority in relation to the victim.
REQUIREMENT
The definition of 'grooming' was expanded to explicitly include the act of sending electronic communications as part of the preparatory behavior.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 27, 2026 · House Feb 14, 2026
How they voted
31–0
Passed
Total votes 31
Feb 27, 2026
D
Democratic2
100% Yea
R
Republican29
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
22
Key actions
8
Committee
4
Mar 6, 2026
Signed into law
Governor Signed HEA No. 0012
legislature
Feb 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
H Concur:Passed 57-0-5-0-0
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
S COW:Passed
upper
Feb 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
upper
Feb 23, 2026
Introduced
S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary
upper
Feb 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
H 3rd Reading:Passed 61-0-1-0-0
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
H COW:Passed
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
H01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0
lower
Feb 9, 2026
Introduced
H Introduced and Referred to H01 - Judiciary 43-19-0-0-0
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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