This bill requires Wyoming cities and towns to hold elections for existing surface water drainage fee systems that began collecting payments before July 1, 2026, without prior voter approval. Municipalities must hold these elections by July 1, 2027, and if voters reject the fees, they must stop collecting them within 60 days. It clarifies that new or existing drainage systems must follow specific rate-setting rules for water use and runoff management after an election. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, directly affecting local governments managing surface water drainage.
This bill repeals a requirement that conservation district supervisors in Wyoming must have all funds immediately available to cover a contract before signing it. It directly affects local conservation district supervisors who manage contracts for district operations. The key change removes the pre-contract financial availability rule, allowing supervisors to enter agreements without needing full funds upfront. The repeal takes effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill amends Wyoming's Hathaway scholarship program to provide recipients with a single lump sum payment instead of semester-by-semester disbursements. It eliminates requirements for satisfactory academic progress, continuous enrollment, and minimum credit hours, simplifying access to funds. Eligibility remains based on high school GPA and standardized test scores, with three scholarship tiers: $6,720 for a 2.50 GPA/43rd percentile, $10,080 for a 3.0 GPA/56th percentile, and $13,440 for a 3.5 GPA/79th percentile. The changes directly affect Wyoming students pursuing degrees or certificates who meet the academic criteria.
HB 143, the "Free Speech for Health Care Providers Act," protects health care professionals (including doctors, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, and hospital staff) from state agency discrimination based on constitutionally protected speech related to patient care. It prohibits state agencies from taking adverse actions like license suspension, reprimands, or termination against providers for speech within their professional scope - unless the agency proves the speech directly caused harm to a patient within the past three years. The bill requires agencies to notify providers within 14 days of any complaint about speech-based actions and allows providers to sue for damages, attorney fees, or injunctions if their rights are violated. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 108 requires Wyoming's Department of Audit to post specific financial reports from local governments and special districts on its official website by set deadlines. This includes annual reports from counties, cities, and towns by December 31 each year, special district budgets within 30 days of submission, and annual audits within 30 days of their due date. The bill increases transparency by making these documents publicly accessible online without changing existing reporting requirements.
Wyoming's HB 140 allows building owners or contractors to hire licensed architects, engineers, or ICC-certified third-party inspectors (not involved in the project's design or construction) to perform most building permit inspections, rather than relying solely on local building departments. Owners must notify the local authority in writing before inspections (via email or online systems), provide the inspector's details, and share inspection reports electronically within deadlines. Third-party inspectors must carry $1 million in liability insurance and cannot conduct final inspections required for certificate of occupancy, which remains the local authority's responsibility. This bill directly affects construction project owners, contractors, and local building departments in Wyoming.
HB 90 requires Wyoming's state engineer to study how large-scale industrial water use permanently removes water from the natural water cycle (like data centers, carbon capture, and hydrogen production), excluding normal evaporation from irrigation. The study must analyze current impacts on all water users - including agriculture, municipalities, and recreation - and recommend ways to limit future impacts. It mandates a report to the legislature by November 2026, funded by a $500,000 appropriation specifically for this study. This bill does not change water rules but creates a formal process to assess emerging industrial water demands.
HB 133 changes how conservation district supervisors are elected in Wyoming. It requires new districts to elect five supervisors: three rural agricultural residents (one specifically for production agriculture), one urban resident, and one at-large candidate, all serving staggered terms. The bill defines "production agriculture" as commercial farming, ranching, or crop production and mandates that at least two supervisors must be rural residents actively involved in such work. These rules apply to supervisors elected on or after July 1, 2026, the bill's effective date. The bill does not alter existing supervisors' terms but sets new election standards for future appointments.
This Wyoming bill prohibits state and local government agencies from using artificial intelligence to assign "social scores" based on personal behavior or characteristics, which could lead to unfair treatment (like denying services for unrelated reasons). It specifically bans AI systems from identifying individuals using biometric data (e.g., fingerprints, facial recognition) without consent, except for health data covered under HIPAA. The law applies broadly to all government entities - including counties, schools, and departments - excluding universities and certain health districts. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 97 prohibits state and local governments, as well as financial institutions, from collecting, disclosing, or using financial records related to firearm or ammunition sales. It bans the use of "firearms codes" or merchant category codes that identify firearm retailers, preventing payment processors from discriminating against these businesses or their customers. The bill also prohibits maintaining registries of privately owned firearms or their owners through financial data and allows civil actions for violations. It directly affects firearm retailers, payment processors, and customers purchasing firearms or ammunition. Violations could result in criminal penalties (up to $2,000 fine or 1 year in jail) or civil enforcement.
The Expanding Physician Access Act allows Wyoming's Board of Medicine to issue provisional medical licenses to internationally trained physicians who meet specific criteria. To qualify, these physicians must have a job offer from a Wyoming health care provider (like a hospital or clinic), hold a current license in their home country for the past five years, complete at least seven years of practice (or 12 years without residency), pass U.S. medical exams and English fluency tests, and have valid U.S. work authorization. The provisional license is tied to employment: if a physician loses their job, the license is suspended until they find new employment, and revoked after six months without a position. A supervising physician - fully licensed in Wyoming with specific qualifications - must be approved to oversee the internationally trained physician.
HB 150 creates a 13-member Wyoming Business Council Strategic Advisory Task Force to evaluate the state's existing Wyoming Business Council (WBC). The task force, including legislative members, business representatives from agriculture, manufacturing, oil/gas, tourism, and local government, will review the WBC's programs, duties, and operations - including those not specified in the Wyoming Economic Development Act - and compare them to other states. It must recommend changes to retain, modify, privatize, or eliminate WBC functions, develop a strategic direction for the council, and improve communication of its work to state leadership. The bill does not change the WBC's current operations but mandates this review process to inform potential future reforms.
