Sen. Darin Smith

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 184 would require all elections to use paper ballots with manual hand counting, banning electronic voting machines and electronic pollbooks. It repeals existing provisions allowing electronic systems and mandates specific procedures for hand-counting ballots, post-election audits, and election observer access. The bill directly affects counties, election officials, and voters by changing how ballots are processed and counted. This bill died in committee in March 2025 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 128 amends Wyoming's public health emergency laws to require the governor to declare when such an emergency exists or ends, then convene the legislature within two days for a vote on whether to concur with the declaration or terminate it. The bill allows the legislature to meet in person or remotely via electronic means to satisfy quorum and vote during emergencies. It updates the definition of "public health emergency" to include threats like pandemics or biological toxins, and clarifies that temporary health care provider licenses issued during emergencies (e.g., for out-of-state professionals) automatically end when the governor declares the emergency over. The changes apply to emergencies declared on or after July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 294 amends how the state distributes excess federal mineral royalties (payments from oil, gas, and mineral leases on federal land) received above specific annual thresholds. For fiscal years 2026 and beyond, any revenue exceeding the most recent even-year revenue forecast will be split equally: half goes to the common school permanent fund reserve account, and half to the permanent Wyoming mineral trust fund reserve account. The bill also adjusts thresholds for 2025 ($549.4 million) and 2026 ($530.2 million), repeals outdated distribution provisions (sections k, m, n), and takes effect July 1, 2025. This directly affects state school funding and the mineral trust fund by changing the allocation method for surplus royalty payments.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 271 reduces the annual spending rate for the common school account within the state's permanent land fund from 5% to 4.5% of the account's five-year average market value. This change directly affects public school funding by lowering the amount that can be spent each year from this specific account. The bill modifies statutes governing how investment earnings and federal mineral royalties are handled within the school funding system. It takes effect on July 1, 2025, and represents a concrete adjustment to the state's school finance formula. The bill does not change the total funds available but alters the calculation method for annual spending.

Maddy summaryHB 174 lowers Wyoming's minimum age to obtain a concealed carry permit from 21 to 18 years old. It directly affects residents aged 18 and older who wish to carry concealed firearms. The bill amends Wyoming Statute 6-8-104(b)(ii) to reflect this age change, while repealing an outdated section (6-8-104(j)). The law would take effect on July 1, 2025, if passed.

Maddy summarySF 161 would change how Wyoming taxes residential property by establishing a default rule that a property’s tax assessment should match its purchase price (acquisition value) when it was last bought. This applies directly to residential property owners, as their tax bills would typically be based on the original sale price unless challenged. The bill requires county assessors to use the acquisition date as the starting point for determining fair market value, with a "rebuttable presumption" allowing adjustments only if evidence shows the purchase price was inaccurate. It also clarifies confidentiality rules for sworn statements used in the valuation process. The bill died in committee in March 2025 and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 60 revises how sales and use tax revenues are distributed to counties and local governments. It reduces the percentage of sales tax going to the state general fund from 69% to 65%, increases annual county payments from $20,000 to $40,000 (for pre-2004 amounts), and adjusts the share of out-of-state vendor taxes distributed to local areas from 29.5% to 35%. These changes apply to taxes collected on or after July 1, 2025, and affect all Wyoming counties and local municipalities receiving tax distributions based on population and sales data. The bill updates existing distribution formulas without altering the overall structure of tax allocation.

Maddy summaryHB 194 creates a new misdemeanor crime for distributing material deemed "harmful to minors" to individuals under 18. It directly affects anyone who shares such material - like books, films, or online content - via digital means, in-person, or at events targeting minors. The bill defines "harmful to minors" by three criteria: material appealing to prurient interests in minors, patently offensive to adult standards for minors, and lacking literary/scientific value for minors. It repeals an existing exemption that previously protected school, library, and museum staff from obscenity charges when handling materials in their work. The law imposes fines up to $6,000 or up to one year in jail for violations, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 118) allows landowners who hold hunting licenses for elk, deer, antelope, or turkey to sell those licenses to others, subject to specific rules. Landowners cannot sell to immediate family, and buyers must follow all standard hunting license rules. The bill also exempts these sold licenses from a separate landowner coupon fee. The Game and Fish Department must create rules for the sale process, and the changes take effect July 1, 2025. It directly affects landowners with hunting licenses and potential buyers seeking access to these licenses.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 180 limits supplemental budget requests by the governor and state agencies to five specific situations: revenue shortfalls based on official estimates, funding for natural or human disasters, public welfare emergencies requiring additional funds beyond existing allocations, adjustments to savings accounts, and necessary staffing changes. The bill restricts all other supplemental funding requests, ensuring they align strictly with these defined categories. This change directly affects how state agencies and the governor propose budget adjustments outside the regular annual process. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and repeals a prior provision about alternative budget preparation.