Wyoming's HB 116 prohibits the industrial production of hydrogen by separating water molecules (hydrogen and oxygen atoms) from being considered a "beneficial use" of water under state law. This directly affects companies seeking permits for hydrogen production facilities that rely on molecular water destruction. The bill requires the state engineer to reject such water use applications, with exceptions for wastewater or by-product water use. It applies to all new permit applications filed on or after July 1, 2026, and does not retroactively invalidate existing permits issued before that date.
This bill repeals Wyoming's low-carbon energy standards that required public utilities to meet specific clean energy targets. It removes specific legal requirements from the state code (sections 37-1-101, 37-18-101, and 37-18-102) that previously governed utility operations. The repeal eliminates compliance obligations for utilities under these standards. The Public Service Commission must create new rules to implement this change, effective immediately upon enactment.
This bill (SF 25) allows Wyoming's Game and Fish Commission to set numerical limits on landowner hunting licenses for elk, deer, antelope, and turkey in designated "limited quota hunt areas." It directly affects landowners who currently hold these licenses and the Commission, which gains authority to regulate license issuance to support wildlife habitat management. The key provision amends existing law to let the Commission establish specific limits on how many landowner licenses can be issued in certain zones, while keeping fees aligned with standard hunting license rates. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
SF 52 authorizes $2.15 million in 2026 funding from Wyoming's Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Income Account for five specific environmental projects. The bill funds river restoration (Upper Greybull Fish Passage III, Cody Canal Fish Screen), rangeland restoration (Baggs Valley Headwaters V), invasive species removal (Absaroka Front Cheatgrass, North Platte Cheatgrass), and fish habitat protection. Each project receives targeted grants totaling $150,000 to $800,000 from the income account, as specified in the bill's subsections. These projects directly affect Wyoming conservation districts, wildlife agencies, and local ecosystems by supporting habitat restoration and species conservation. The bill does not create new policy but allocates existing trust funds for approved projects with defined purposes and budgets.
Wyoming's SJ 1 is a joint resolution requesting Congress to amend the federal Mineral Leasing Act. It seeks to authorize the state to manage mineral leasing (including oil, gas, and coal) on federal lands within Wyoming, currently overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The resolution cites declining federal lease sales in Wyoming (e.g., from 122 parcels in 2022 to 8 in 2024) and lengthy regulatory delays as reasons for seeking state control. Wyoming argues this aligns with the 10th Amendment, giving states greater authority over natural resources within their borders. This is a request for federal legislative action, not an enacted law.
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 66 changes how Wyoming courts review state agency decisions. It requires courts to interpret statutes and regulations without giving extra weight to agency interpretations (de novo review), and to favor interpretations that limit agency power and protect individual rights. This affects courts, state agencies (like environmental or business regulators), and people challenging agency actions. The law applies to judicial review cases filed after July 1, 2026.
This Wyoming legislative resolution requests Congress prohibit unauthorized atmospheric geoengineering (such as weather modification using chemicals or solar radiation management) without state consent. It would ban the release of substances for weather control, unmarked aircraft conducting such activities over Wyoming, and classify violations as felonies with fines. The resolution explicitly excludes ground-based cloud seeding from these restrictions and urges federal action to protect Wyoming's airspace and public health. As a request to Congress, it does not create new state law.
Wyoming's HB 12, the Clean Air and Geoengineering Prohibition Act, bans releasing substances into the state's airspace for climate, weather, or solar radiation modification (like stratospheric aerosol injection or solar radiation management). It directly affects entities conducting such atmospheric experiments, including research groups, corporations, or government agencies, while exempting commercial aviation, cloud seeding, agricultural operations, and fire suppression. The law requires the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to monitor airspace and enforce the ban by issuing cease-and-desist orders for violations. It explicitly permits existing activities like cloud seeding and standard aviation emissions, focusing only on intentional modifications not already authorized by law.
