HB 1020 prohibits Wyoming public officials and entities from enforcing or implementing federal mandates requiring COVID-19 vaccinations or related preventative treatments (like nasal sprays or pills). It directly affects state/local government employees, elected officials, and public schools or services that might face federal vaccine requirements. Violations would result in misdemeanor charges (up to 1 year in jail, $10 million fine), termination from public employment, and loss of retirement benefits. The bill also allows individuals harmed by such enforcement to sue the public servant responsible.
SF 1016 amends Wyoming's firemen's pension law to halt automatic annual pension increases after January 1, 2022, requiring future legislative approval for any raises. It also mandates that the pension fund shift investments away from fixed-income portfolios to align with other retirement systems, following the "prudent investor" standard. The bill affects current and future firemen retirees receiving pensions under Wyoming's Fire A program. It takes effect immediately upon becoming law, with no automatic increases permitted without new legislative action.
Wyoming's HB 1015 would provide a $1,000 incentive payment to eligible state employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 31, 2021. It defines "state employee" broadly to include full-time staff across all government branches (executive, legislative, judicial), universities, and public institutions, but excludes elected officials. The bill appropriates $14.72 million from unused federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover these payments, distributing amounts to specific state entities like executive agencies, the University of Wyoming, community colleges, and courts. The incentive is explicitly tied to voluntary vaccination efforts during the pandemic, with payments only available to employees continuously employed through the deadline.
HB 1004 prohibits Wyoming employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations as a condition of employment or discriminating against employees based on their vaccination status. The bill defines "COVID-19 vaccination status" and creates penalties, including misdemeanor charges (up to 6 months in jail or $750 fine) and potential $500,000 in damages for affected workers. It also amends other laws to ensure employers violating this prohibition cannot claim liability immunity under public health emergency protections. This law directly affects all Wyoming employers with one or more employees and their workers regarding vaccination-related employment decisions.
Wyoming's SF 1006 (inactive since 2021) would require health care facilities, government services, and essential businesses (like pharmacies, grocery stores, and hospitals) to provide reasonable accommodations - such as virtual visits or alternative service methods - for people unable or unwilling to show vaccination proof. It also creates a new personal exemption for schoolchildren to skip required vaccines, while banning employers from making vaccination a job requirement as a form of discrimination. The bill defines "reasonable accommodation" as changes to policies that avoid undue hardship or health risks, and specifies that schools must allow unvaccinated students to attend during outbreaks without counting them as absent. This bill was never introduced in the legislature and remains inactive.
HB 1018 adds a new exception to Wyoming's unemployment eligibility rules, allowing workers who voluntarily quit due to an employer's failure to follow local public health orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic to still qualify for benefits. This specifically covers situations where employers didn't comply with measures like vaccination requirements or other pandemic prevention rules authorized under Wyoming law. The bill directly affects workers who left jobs under these circumstances, ensuring they aren't disqualified from benefits they would otherwise lose for "voluntarily leaving without good cause." The law takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
This bill (SF 1005) proposes that Wyoming employers must grant exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates for employees with religious objections, medical reasons, or proof of prior infection. It requires employers to accept written evidence of these exemptions and mandates that employers pay $5,000 or actual damages if they deny a valid exemption and terminate an employee. The bill also modifies liability protections (in W.S. 35-4-114) to ensure employers cannot claim immunity for violating these exemption requirements. It directly affects Wyoming employers and employees in workplaces with vaccine mandates. The bill was introduced in 2021 but did not advance beyond committee consideration.
HB 1011, the "Medical Treatment Opportunity Act-2," aims to expand Wyoming's Medicaid program to cover individuals meeting specific federal eligibility criteria under the Social Security Act. It requires state officials to negotiate with federal authorities to secure Medicaid coverage for these individuals, but only if federal funding rates remain at or above 90% for expanded coverage and 55% for standard Medicaid. The bill repeals a prior 2013 Medicaid authorization and takes effect immediately upon enactment. This bill directly affects low-income residents eligible under the specified federal criteria, with coverage dependent on maintaining minimum federal funding levels.
SF 1013 would amend Wyoming's unemployment benefits law to allow workers to qualify for benefits if they leave their job because their employer failed to follow federal rules about preventing the spread of COVID-19, such as vaccination mandates or safety protocols. The bill adds a new exception to the standard rule that typically disqualifies people who quit without "good cause," explicitly stating that an employer's noncompliance with federal pandemic-related requirements constitutes valid reason for leaving. This change would directly affect workers in Wyoming who face such employer noncompliance and seek unemployment benefits. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
Wyoming's SF 1018 amends unemployment benefits law to allow workers who voluntarily leave jobs due to employer non-compliance with local COVID-19 prevention measures to qualify for benefits. This directly affects employees who quit because their employer failed to follow health orders from state or local officials, including requirements like vaccinations or safety protocols during the pandemic. The bill creates a new exception (subparagraph E) in the eligibility rules, overriding standard disqualifications for "voluntary quit" without "good cause." It applies specifically to public health orders issued under Wyoming law in response to COVID-19 and takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
HB 1010 (Grace Smith Medical Freedom Act) would require Wyoming county and state health officers to grant written waivers for K-12 students' immunization requirements or mask mandates upon request from parents, guardians, or authorized adults. The bill specifies health officers must process these requests within seven business days, with exemptions allowed for religious objections or medical contraindications. Students with granted waivers would still be excluded from school during vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, as determined by health authorities. This proposed legislation, introduced in 2021 but never advanced, would directly affect K-12 students and their families seeking exemptions from school health requirements.
HB 1008 prohibits discrimination based on vaccination status in public access, services, and employment. It bans requiring proof of vaccination for entry to public spaces or services, prevents employers from mandating vaccinations, and repeals public health requirements for student COVID-19 vaccinations in public schools. The bill explicitly maintains existing school immunization requirements under W.S. 21-4-309 and child care requirements under W.S. 14-4-116 as exceptions. It takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
