HB 94 prevents construction contracts in Wyoming from including clauses that require one party to cover the other for the contractor's own negligence or intentional mistakes. It allows contracts to require specific insurance (like project protection coverage) but voids provisions shifting liability for the contractor's own actions. This affects contractors and property owners signing construction agreements, making certain liability clauses unenforceable. The law took effect July 1, 2019, for new or renewed contracts.
HB 291 allows local governments in Wyoming to restrict liquor licenses based on existing zoning rules but prohibits licensing authorities from adding extra restrictions beyond what the law already permits. It directly affects businesses seeking or renewing alcohol licenses and local officials managing licensing decisions. The law prevents authorities from imposing additional conditions (like special fees or location limits) that aren't already specified in state law. The bill took effect on July 1, 2019.
HB 66 imposes a new 5% statewide tax on lodging services (such as hotels and short-term rentals) in Wyoming. The tax is split: 3% goes to a newly created Wyoming Tourism Account for tourism board operations, while 2% is distributed monthly to counties based on where the tax was collected. Counties receiving the 2% share must distribute it to cities/towns that impose local lodging taxes (up to 2% under existing law) or retain it for tourism purposes if no local tax exists. The bill also revises how local lodging taxes (up to 4% countywide) interact with this new state tax.
Wyoming's HB 310 creates a state endowment fund and a task force to study how to make two years of community college or University of Wyoming education as free as possible for Wyoming residents. The task force will examine models like Tennessee Promise, review existing scholarship programs, and determine funding needs to cover tuition and mandatory fees for two years of undergraduate study. The program would be funded by earnings from the endowment, which must reach $400 million before implementation. It aims to provide free education regardless of academic achievement for entry, though it may consider academic standards for continued enrollment.
Wyoming's SF 146 requires state departments to study the potential costs and benefits of expanding Medicaid, directly affecting state agencies (insurance, family services, health, and library) and future policy decisions. The study must analyze enrollment demographics, provider reimbursement impacts (including hospitals and physicians), administrative costs, income cliffs in welfare programs, and compare findings to previous studies and Oregon's Medicaid expansion experience. It mandates specific cost breakdowns showing federal vs. state expenses under different federal match scenarios (90% vs. 50% for benefits) and includes health status impact analysis based on academic literature. The bill does not expand Medicaid but provides a framework for evaluating such a change.
HB 108 modifies payment procedures for contractors working on public construction projects in Wyoming. It requires contractors to submit a sworn statement confirming all subcontractor and material supplier payments before final payment can be made, and mandates a 40-day public notice period (via newspaper and website) before final settlement. Disputed claims must be directed to the prime contractor's surety bond, with disputed amounts withheld from final payment until resolved. This affects contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, and state/local governments awarding public works contracts over $7,500. The bill updates existing bond and payment rules to clarify dispute resolution and payment timelines.
This bill appropriates $1 million annually from the general fund to Wyoming's emergency fire suppression account starting July 1, 2020, with a cap preventing transfers if the account balance reaches $25 million by June 30. It also adds a one-time $20 million appropriation to the same account. These funds directly support state fire suppression efforts by ensuring dedicated resources for wildfire response. The bill creates no new policy or procedures - it solely allocates existing state funds to an established account. The funding becomes effective immediately upon the bill's enactment.
This bill (SF 35) allows certain landfill operators to expand their existing facilities onto adjacent land they owned as of July 1, 2019, without needing special permission (a "variance") from regulators. It directly affects landfill operators who owned contiguous land by that date and operate non-industrial landfills. To qualify, they must demonstrate that the expansion won’t harm public health or safety and cannot expand if the land borders a city, town, school, highway, or water well existing before July 1, 2019. The law took effect on July 1, 2019.
S 3rd Reading:Failed 14-16-0-0-0
S See Mirror Bill HB0001
S 3rd Reading:Failed 14-15-1-0-0
H 3rd Reading:Failed 23-34-3-0-0
