CHEYENNE, Wyo. — As the first week of the 2023 General Legislative Session comes to a close, take a look at which bills representatives and senators passed during their recent Committee of the Whole meetings.
In the legislative process, a bill needs approval from either the house of representatives or senators during these meetings before it can move on to a second and third reading.
The bills approved in both Committee of the Whole meetings this week and have passed their second reading as of 5:15 p.m. today are as follows:
House
HB 9: Concurrent jurisdiction clarification in Juvenile Courts
- Sponsored by: Joint Judiciary Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Adult alleged offenders who committed crimes as minors
- What this means: The bill will clarify that the juvenile court has jurisdiction over Juvenile Justice Act proceedings involving persons ages 18 and older who are alleged to have committed offenses or delinquent acts as minors
HB 13: Office of guardian ad litem program references
- Sponsored by: Joint Judiciary Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Office of Guardian Ad Litem, a state- and county-funded agency that provides attorney guardian ad litem for children in juvenile court
- What this means: The bill will clarify that the guardian ad litem program is the office of guardian ad litem.
HB 28: Community college capital construction
- Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Wyoming community colleges
- What this means: The minimum estimated cost of community college capital construction projects will be increased from $100,000 to $250,000
Senate
SF 02: Wyoming telecommunications act – sunset date
- Sponsored by: Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Telecommunication agencies
- What this means: The sunset date of the Wyoming Telecommunications act will be extended until July 1, 2023. The current bill states the date is July 1, 2019.
SF 05: Medical malpractice statutory update
- Sponsored by: Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Insurance commissioner
- What this means: The insurance commissioner will be given discretion to require reporting of medical malpractice claims.
SF 06: Insurance rebating modernization
- Sponsored by: Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Insurers and insurance providers
- What this means: The bill will authorize specific insurance rebates and clarifying language in unfair insurance discrimination and insurance rebate statutes.
SF 16: State employee moving expenses
- Sponsored by: Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee
- Who this affects: State employees
- What this means: The department of administration will pay moving expenses for state officers and employees coming to Wyoming.
SF 19: Highway safety – child restraints
- Sponsored by: Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Drivers with children younger than 2 years old
- What this means: People driving children younger than 2 years old in their vehicles will need to have a rear-facing child safety restraint system.
SF 20: Driver’s license and ID card photo quality
- Sponsored by: Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Wyoming drivers
- What this means: Driver’s licenses and identification cards will no longer be required to be in color.
SF 58: Sutton archaeological site administration
- Sponsored by: Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Sutton Archaeological Site, the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources
- What this means: The Sutton Archaeological Site will be designated as a state archaeological site managed by the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources
SF 59: State parks account – agency expenditure authority
- Sponsored by: Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee
- Who this affects: State parks
- What this means: The department of state parks and cultural resources will have increased expenditure authority for funds in the state parks accounts.
SF 77: Public works apprenticeship programs – repeal
- Sponsored by: Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee
- Who this affects: City, county, state and local powers
- What this means: The state will repeal statutes authorizing the use of apprenticeship programs on public works projects and bid preferences for contractors who utilize the program.
SF 78: Apprenticeship and job training promotion in schools
- Sponsored by: Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee
- Who this affects: High school students
- What this means: Department of workforce will provide information to high school students regarding apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs. School officials will also have to implement guidelines for such programs and provide credit for students.
The bills approved in both the House and Senate Committee of the Whole meetings as of 5:15 p.m. today are as follows:
House
HB 05: Voter registry list – voter ID and absentee ballots
- Sponsored by: Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
- Who this affects: All eligible Wyoming voters
- What this means: The state registry list, which already mentions voters’ names, addresses and party affiliations, will include a voter identification number generated by the state and information relating to absentee ballot requests and returns.
HB 16: State land leasing – improvements
- Sponsored by: Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee
- Who this affects: State land lessees
- What this means: A lessee of state land will be able to make up to $4,000, instead of $2,000, worth of improvements on state land without the permission of the director of the office of state lands.
HB 17: State lands grazing of non-owned livestock
- Sponsored by: Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee
- Who this affects: State land lessees
- What this means: Lessees of state lands will be able to graze livestock they do not own. They will retain management and responsibility for the animals without obtaining permission from the director of the Office of State Lands and Investments.
HB 29: Community college funding – distance education credit hours
- Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee
- Who this affects: State community college students
- What this means: Distance education community college courses will now be considered a level-one, level-two or level-three class as determined by the content of the course. The updated classification of credit hours will help to determine community college funding allocation.
HB 39: Verifying the veteran designation on a Wyoming driver’s license
- Sponsored by: Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Honorably discharged Wyoming veterans
- What this means: The department of transportation will be able to accept documentation, instead of certification, from the military to verify honorable discharge of a veteran. Once it is acquired, veterans will be able to receive a “V” or “Veteran” printed on their driver’s license.
Senate
SF 07: Definition of opiate antagonist amendment
- Sponsored by: Senators Baldwin, Barlow, Brennan, Driskill, Landen and Nethercott and representatives Harshman, Larsen, Oakley, Walters and Dan Zwonitzer
- Who this affects: Healthcare professionals
- What this means: “Opiate antagonist” will mean any device or medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of an opiate-related drug overdose. The term previously referred only to brand names related to naloxone hydrochloride, a chemical used to reverse opioid overdose.
SF 09: Medicaid coverage for licensed pharmacists
- Sponsored by: Senators Baldwin, Barlow, Dockstader, Furphy and Nethercott and representative Larsen
- Who this affects: Medicaid recipients
- What this means: Medicaid coverage will extend to services rendered by a licensed pharmacist.
SF 42: Taxation of cigars
- Sponsored by: Joint Revenue Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Cigar users
- What this means: A 30-cent tax will be added per premium cigar. The term refers to any cigar that is wrapped in whole tobacco leaf, is handmade or hand rolled and has no filter, a non-tobacco tip or a non-tobacco mouthpiece.
SF 47: Repeal of immunity for corporal discipline in education
- Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Teachers, principals and superintendents
- What this means: The bill will repeal a statutory provision providing civil and criminal immunity for teachers, principals and superintendents who exercise corporal discipline on a student.
SF 63: Tax administration revisions
- Sponsored by: Joint Revenue Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Department of Revenue
- What this means: The Department of Revenue will credit or waive interest related to mine product taxes; an assessment of levy of sales and use taxes resulting from an audit or review shall be issued within a year following the competition.
SF 73: Lawful fences
- Sponsored by: Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Landowners wanting to put up a wire fence
- What this means: Any person who constructs or maintains any unlawful wire fences will be liable in a civil action for all damages to livestock. A misdemeanor fine will be between $150.00 to $750.00 and for each subsequent offense, between $750.00 and $3,000.00. An adjoining landowner to a subdivision will be required to pay for half of the actual cost to construct and maintain a lawful fence described. The subdivider will pay any additional costs of construction and maintenance of a perimeter partition fence that exceeds the requirements of a lawful fence.
SF 74: Slow-moving vehicles – amendments
- Sponsored by: Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Interim Committee
- Who this affects: Farm tractor and motor equipment owners
- What this means: Every farm tractor and motor equipment designed for speeds of up to 25 miles per hour will need to display a slow-moving vehicle emblem and a speed identification symbol mounted on the rear.
