2020 Budget Session Roundup
by Albert Sommers, Majority Party of the Wyoming Legislature
March 15, 2020
(as of 3-14-2020)
FEBRUARY 10 - MARCH 12, 2020
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# of House Bills: 256
Total House Enrolled Bills (as of 3-14-2020): 97
# of Senate Files: 142
Total Senate Enrolled Files (as of 3-14-2020): 70
Total # of Bills: 398
Total # of Enrolled Bills/Files: 167
An "enrolled" bill or file has passed the House and the Senate but has not undergone review by the Governor
TOOLS & RESOURCES
Coronavirus/COVID 19 Resources
o For the latest on the pandemic in Wyoming, Wyoming Department of Health COVID 19 website
o Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID 19 website
Frequently asked questions about the proposed Occidental Petroleum land purchase website
Bills signed into law by Governor Mark Gordon available here
GOVERNOR'S VETOES (as of 3-14-2020)
Governor Mark Gordon delivered line item vetoes for the following bills:
SF 1 General government appropriations. Governor Gordon's letter about line item vetoes.
SF 2 Legislative budget. Governor Gordon'sletter about line item vetoes
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KEY HOUSE BILLS/SENATE FILES THAT PASSED
Budget/Revenue
HB 134, Wyoming tourism account funding, establishes a statewide lodging tax.
HB 47, Local sales and use taxes allows municipalities to impose an optional increase, upon local voter approval, to their local sales tax of up to one percent.
SF 57, Local government distributions provides funding to cities, towns and counties and establishes local government funding formulas and distributions.
SF 114, State budget division - reorganization. This bill creates the state budget department, transferring the budget division of the department of administration and information into the state budget department and require appointment of a director.
SF 138, Investment of state funds - 2, provides authority to the state to explore purchasing approximately one million acres of land and four million mineral acres in southern Wyoming from Occidental Petroleum Corporation.
Education
HB 40, School finance - model recalibration creates the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration. The recalibration process is designed to study the states education system and ensure it remains cost-based.
HB 174 Kindergarten start date amends the minimum school age, changing the statewide cut off date for children to attend school from September 15 to August 1.
SF 17, Hathaway need-based scholarships - graduate school, authorizes need-based Hathaway scholarships for graduate school students.
HB 32, Resident tuition for military members and family, amends provisions for resident tuition for military members, spouses and children ensuring that our veterans, service members and their families are eligible for in-state tuition at the University of Wyoming or our community colleges.
HB0119, Medicaid billing for school-based services, authorizes school districts to bill for school based services for Medicaid eligible students.
Healthcare
HB 13, Importation of prescription drugs - study, requires the state Department of Health to study the feasibility of a foreign drug importation program with the goal of driving down costs for consumers. According to AARP Wyoming, 70% of their members say that prescription drug prices are their top concern when it comes to healthcare.
SF 69, Rural health care district authority, clarifies the authority of districts to own and operate a nursing home.
HB 172, Air ambulance - Medicaid coverage amendments, requires the state employees' and officials' group insurance plan to offer air ambulance services under the air ambulance transport services program upon federal approval of the program.
Energy/Minerals
HB 4, Wyoming coal marketing program, creates the Wyoming coal marketing program to help promote our coal resources and promote Wyoming as ground zero for clean technology development and deployment.
SF 21, Coal fired electric generation facilities, provides authority to purchasers of retiring coal fired power plants and amend limitations on retiring facilities.
SF 36, Large scale solar and wind energy facilities, establishes a framework for large scale solar and wind projects to operate in Wyoming. The law requires permitting for solar energy facilities by local Boards of County Commissioners and puts in place a process for review of solar and wind facilities by the Industrial Siting Council. It also establishes minimum standards for solar and wind energy projects.
HB 74, Small modular nuclear reactor permitting, authorizes permits of small modular nuclear reactors and the replacement of coal generation capacity with small modular nuclear reactor capacity.
House Bill 200, Reliable and dispatchable low-carbon energy standards, incentivizes carbon capture by allowing utilities to recover the cost of construction of carbon capture equipment from ratepayers. The bill requires utilities to go through the Public Service Commission before they can consider rate changes and puts a cap at a 2% rate change.
Coal/Mineral Bankruptcies Task Force
HB 159, Monthly payment of ad valorem tax on mineral production, moves to monthly payments of ad valorem tax on mineral production beginning January 1, 2020. The bill also specifies the payment schedule for the transition period.
SF 139, Tax Lien enforcement - 2, updates the priority tax lien on ad valorem tax and the definition of "delinquent taxpayer" for purposes of liens on mineral production. This will give county governments the tools they need to recoup lost tax dollars, making certain that the lien survives bankruptcy and maximize payment.
HB 132, Unpaid wage claim amendments, gives authority to the Department of Workforce Services to investigate unpaid wage claims, specifies employees who can file suit for payment of wages due and implements an anti-retaliation provision for issues related to unpaid wages.
HB 181, Attorney general authority in bankruptcy actions, authorizes the attorney general to act jointly with or on behalf of a county in bankruptcy proceedings.
Law Enforcement
HB 10 Human trafficking - penalty for subsequent conviction will stiffen penalties for those charged with human trafficking.
SF 8, Missing and murdered persons and other events - cooperation specifies duties for the division of criminal investigation, Wyoming office of homeland security, division of victim services, highway patrol and others in the reporting, investigation, emergency alert and recovery of missing persons and requires state cooperation with federal, tribal and local law enforcement.
HJ 3, Supporting federal missing and murdered persons efforts, a joint resolution requesting Congress to enact legislation expanding and improving efforts to coordinate reporting, investigation and pursuit of justice for missing and murdered Native Americans and other persons.
SF 50, Nicotine products-lawful age and penalties increases the legal age to purchase or possess nicotine products to 21 years of age.
House Bill 171, Wyoming Gaming Commission creates a statewide gaming commission, expanding the states seven-member Pari-Mutuel Commission to a nine-member gaming commission to be in charge of the permitting process for in-state gaming and instituting punishments for rule violations.
SF 117, First responder workplace mental injury coverage, enables mental injuries to be considered a compensable injury for first responders. The law will ensure the Wyoming Workers Compensation program can provide mental health treatment and services to first responders across the Cowboy State.
Judiciary
Senate File 97, Born alive infant - means of care, requires the commonly accepted means of care to be employed in the treatment of any infant born alive, imposes duties on physicians performing abortions and exempts parents from liability for the actions of physicians performing abortions.
SF 56, Absentee polling places, authorizes the establishment of satellite absentee polling places.
SF 120, Office of guardian ad litem - 2, establishes the office of guardian ad litem as a separate operating agency. The position would be appointed by, and serve under, the Governor.
Hunting/Sportsmen
SF 106, Lifetime game and fish licenses, amends requirements for the complimentary issuance of lifetime bird, small game and fish licenses, providing licenses for residents who are disabled veterans, recipients of the United States military purple heart medal or residents over 65 who have lived in Wyoming for over 30 years.
SJ 1, Firearm and hunter education. This resolution requests the game and fish commission work with the state superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education to provide firearm and hunter education as a voluntary physical education elective in public schools.
HB 155, Animal Shares, specifies requirements for distribution of meat pursuant to ownership of an animal share.
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