HB 1 is Wyoming's budget bill allocating state funds for government operations during the 2026-2028 fiscal biennium and the remainder of the current biennium ending June 30, 2026. It specifies funding amounts for state agencies, including $250,000 reserved for gubernatorial transition costs if a new governor is elected in 2026, and allocates funds for programs like Homeland Security and natural resource policy. The bill defines key terms for fund management and sets conditions on how agencies may use the appropriated money.
This bill amends funding rules for the Wyoming State Shooting Complex by restricting how existing appropriations can be used. It requires that funds in the state shooting complex account be spent *only* for the siting and construction of the complex, prohibiting their use for any other purpose. Unspent funds must revert to their original accounts by June 30, 2026, unless otherwise specified. The amendment applies directly to the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, which manages these funds.
SF 1 is a budget bill that allocates funds for Wyoming's state government operations during the 2024-2026 fiscal biennium. It directly affects all state agencies receiving appropriations by providing specific funding amounts for their programs, such as $800,000 for infrastructure matching funds and $48,000 for software contracts. The bill includes detailed budget line items and defines fund types (like S7 for highway funds) to govern how money can be spent. It specifies restrictions, such as requiring matching funds for wild horse management and limiting certain allocations to specific purposes. This is a standard appropriations bill focused on funding state operations, not policy changes.
HB 1 is a budget bill that allocates supplemental funding for Wyoming's state government operations during the 2024-2026 fiscal biennium. It provides specific funding amounts to state agencies (like the Governor's Office, Homeland Security, and Natural Resource Policy) and includes conditions such as requiring matching funds for tribal partnerships on wild horse management. The bill adjusts existing budget allocations, modifies funding for specific programs (like a $800,000 matching grant for federal infrastructure projects), and establishes definitions for budget tracking. It directly affects state agencies and programs receiving these funds, ensuring they have resources to operate within the biennial budget framework. This is a routine appropriations measure, not a policy change.
This bill (SF 139) updates Wyoming's trapping regulations for furbearing and predatory animals. It requires trappers to mark traps permanently with owner details (not publicly accessible), maintain a 30-foot setback from exposed bait or carcasses over 5 pounds, and equip snares with breakaway devices. Traps must be checked every 72 hours (or weekly for snares), and wildlife caught must be removed immediately. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission must create implementing rules by 2026, directly affecting licensed trappers.
HB 85 requires local government approval for simulcasting permits (broadcasting horse races to locations like bars or racetracks) in Wyoming. It directly affects businesses seeking to operate simulcasting (e.g., racetracks, bars with betting machines) and local governments (cities, towns, or counties), which must now approve or deny permits. Key provisions include: requiring public notice and hearings for applications, allowing local authorities to set reasonable conditions (like operating hours matching alcohol sales rules), and permitting revocation only for specific violations like unaddressed permit breaches. The bill ensures local input while keeping final permit issuance under the state commission's authority.
This Wyoming bill (HB 118) prohibits the state from transferring land to the federal government in a way that increases the federal government's total land holdings in Wyoming. It applies to all sales, exchanges, or conveyances of state-owned land, requiring that no transaction result in a net gain of land (including surface rights, minerals, or water rights) for the federal government. The law amends existing state statutes to enforce this "no net gain" rule for all future land transfers involving the federal government.
Wyoming's HB 80 requires state investment managers and fiduciaries to consider **only financial factors** when managing state funds, explicitly prohibiting consideration of social, political, or ideological goals. It bans actions like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting diversity policies, or divesting from gun manufacturers as part of investment decisions. The bill mandates that all proxy votes on state-held stocks must align solely with financial interests and requires annual public reporting of voting records. This directly affects entities managing Wyoming’s retirement funds, permanent funds, and state treasurer investments.
HB 157 requires voters in Wyoming to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. It defines "proof of U.S. citizenship" to include documents like a Wyoming driver's license (without citizenship indicators), tribal ID cards, U.S. passports, birth certificates, or naturalization certificates. This applies to all voter registration processes, both in-person and by mail, and takes effect July 1, 2025. The bill directly affects any Wyoming resident seeking to register to vote for the first time or update their registration.
HB 232 requires manual hand counting for certain election recounts in Wyoming, directly affecting county clerks, candidates, and election officials. The bill mandates that recounts requested by candidates must be conducted by hand (not electronic systems), revises primary and canvass deadlines to allow time for this process, and specifies that candidates can request recounts based on defined criteria. It clarifies that county clerks must appoint counting boards for recounts and authorizes the secretary of state to establish rules for handling ballots during manual counts. The bill does not change who can request recounts but replaces electronic recount options with mandatory hand counting in specified cases.
HB 245 requires Wyoming counties to use paper ballots and pens as the default method for marking ballots during in-person voting in all elections, effective July 1, 2025. Counties must provide voters with paper ballots and pens to mark ballots secretly, though electronic ballot marking devices may still be available for voters with disabilities who meet federal accessibility standards. This bill directly affects county clerks and election officials who manage voting systems, replacing current default practices with paper ballots unless specific disability accommodations apply. The law amends existing election codes to ensure paper ballots remain the standard, with no requirement for counties to adopt electronic systems as the default.
This bill continues Wyoming's Regulatory Reduction Task Force through 2025. The task force includes 3 House members, 3 Senate members, 3 jointly appointed members, and 6 public representatives (from oil/gas, mining, agriculture, business, local governments, and construction industries). Its main duty is to identify regulatory burdens on Wyoming industries and propose legislative changes to reduce them, with annual reports due to the governor and legislature by October 1. The bill appropriates $55,000 for legislative members' expenses and $55,000 for other members' expenses through June 2026.
