Wyoming's SF 81 revises how state funds support K-12 public schools by implementing updated funding formulas based on the 2025 cost of education study. The bill establishes specific teacher staffing requirements: core teachers (1 FTE per 16-25 students depending on grade level), minimum teacher thresholds for smaller schools, and additional staff for English learners (1 FTE per 100 students), at-risk students (for summer/extended day programs), and career education. It directly affects all Wyoming public school districts by changing how state education funds are distributed based on student needs and school size, rather than solely on enrollment. The bill also restricts how schools can spend funds from the school foundation program and requires districts to join the state employees' health insurance program.
SF 109 creates a permanent "Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund" in Wyoming, funded through state investments and eligible contributions. The fund's earnings will provide grants to support agricultural programs, including University of Wyoming research, workforce development at community colleges, K-12 agricultural education, value-added projects, and technology adoption in farming. Recipients must match each dollar from the fund with at least one dollar in non-state funds and report on grant usage annually. The bill establishes a committee to manage grant applications, oversight, and reporting requirements. This legislation directly affects Wyoming agricultural educators, students, producers, and institutions through new funding mechanisms.
HB 178 prohibits public employers from automatically deducting union dues or fees from public employees' paychecks. It requires public employee unions to annually report detailed financial information to members, including membership numbers, revenue sources, and spending over $5,000 (such as political activities or legal services), with reports distributed to members, posted online, and available upon request. The bill applies to all public employee unions in Wyoming, including those representing firefighters, and takes effect July 1, 2026. Violations are punishable as misdemeanors, and unions already filing federal LM-2 reports are exempt from the annual reporting requirement.
HB 114 sets new safety rules for railroad operations in Wyoming. It limits train lengths to 8,500 feet or the shortest passing track/siding, requires wayside detection systems every 10 miles on main lines to identify equipment problems (like overheating parts), and mandates visual inspections and operator reporting. Railroad companies operating in Wyoming must install these systems, train staff on their use, and report detection alerts or system failures. Violations could result in civil penalties ranging from $500 per foot over length limits to $250,000 for severe safety failures causing injury. The bill directly affects all railroad companies operating trains within the state.
HB 165 increases retirement benefits for Wyoming state employees under the Wyoming Retirement System. It raises the calculation rates for normal retirement benefits: before July 1, 2026, for some members it increases from 2% to 2.125% for the first 15 years of service and from 2.25% to 2.5% for additional service years; after that date, the rates will be permanently set at 2.125% and 2.375% respectively. The bill affects state employees who became covered under the retirement system before September 1, 2012, or after August 31, 2012, depending on their hire date. The bill is pending legislative action and would take effect July 1, 2026, if passed.
HB 168 prohibits requesting an employer's experience rating to assess their safety record, including for construction projects in Wyoming. It requires the state worker's compensation division to determine within 15 days (or 45 days with additional information) whether an injury should be charged to an employer's account, and states such determinations can only be used for setting insurance premiums - not in court. The bill also clarifies that experience rating adjustments for premiums are capped at 65% until 2016 and 85% from 2017, and ensures injuries caused by third parties are not charged to employers. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
This bill amends Wyoming's Pharmacy Act to raise the minimum age for pharmacists to administer vaccines from 3 to 7 years old, directly affecting children under 7 who previously could receive immunizations from pharmacists. It also adds protections preventing employers from discriminating against pharmacists who decline to provide collaborative pharmacy care or administer vaccines to children under 13. The bill requires the Board of Pharmacy to create rules for collaborative care and vaccine administration, with most provisions taking effect July 1, 2026. These changes clarify pharmacist authority, patient eligibility, and workplace protections under the state's pharmacy regulations.
HB 131 prohibits Wyoming government entities (including state agencies, counties, cities, and school districts) from using public funds to pay for membership fees, travel, or lobbying activities with "government member associations" (groups composed primarily of government entities or employees that seek to influence government decisions). It requires these entities to document and publish online details of employee participation in such associations, including time spent and work performed, and designates all related documents as public records. The bill also repeals an existing exception that allowed the Wyoming Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors to pay for membership fees using public funds.
Wyoming's HB 32 requires commercial motor vehicle drivers to demonstrate English language proficiency based on federal standards. It directly affects commercial drivers operating in Wyoming who cannot prove this skill, prohibiting them from driving until they meet the requirement. The bill imposes a $1,000 fine for first-time violations and additional penalties - including up to 90 days in jail - for repeated offenses while under the operating ban. Enforcement will be handled by highway patrol and local law enforcement officers. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 35 requires Wyoming state wildland firefighters employed by the Office of State Lands and Investments to receive hazard pay and paid time off based on federal standards. It directly affects correctional forestry crew supervisors, correctional crew supervisors, and other state-employed wildland firefighters. The bill appropriates $422,500 from the general fund (2026-2028) specifically for this hazard pay, with unspent funds reverting in 2028. Rules to implement the law will be created by the Department of Administration and Information and the Office of State Lands.
