About Bill Passage
To become law, a bill goes through (or fails at any point along) the following steps.
1). Drafting and presentation by a member of the legislature
2). Finding co-sponsors (not necessary but helps)
3). Pre-filing with Clerk and assignment of a number in House or Senate series
4). Hoppered: filed with the chief clerk. Time restrictions on this.
5). First Reading: Clerk reads title and sponsor only on floor of appropriate chamber. Up/down vote to assign to a standing committee for review, debate, amendments or not, vote With DO PASS vote, bill is returned to its Chamber
6). Committee of the Whole Chamber devolves into COW to debate, amend, etc. Vote.
7). Second Reading of bill returned to the chamber by the COW. Debate. Vote.
8). Third Reading of bill on the following day. Vote passage or not. (Passage requires majority of the entire body.)
9). Above process duplicated either simultaneous or subsequently in opposite chamber.
10). Joint Committee resolution, if bills/amendments are different and if necessary.
11). Final Passage (or not) of resolved bills in each chamber.
12). Sent to Governor who signs or vetoes.
13). Vetoed bills returned. Can still be made law by 2/3 vote in each chamber.
About The Wyoming Legislature
Wyoming’s legislature meets for a total of 60 days during a two-year period with a budgetary session every other year. Thus, if it meets for 28 days in a budgetary year, it can only meet for 32 days in a general session. 2018 is a budgetary session year and will convene on February 12, 2018.
Committees meet in various locations around the state, as required for hearings and deliberations, during the entire year. A calendar of hearings can be found here.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms. Senators for four.
All congressmen and congresswomen are paid $150/day.
2018 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
MAJOR BILLS PENDING
(as of 2/21/2018)
EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK: HB 146 to increase penalties for violations of equal pay law.
•All BHB reps voted to introduce.
•PLACED ON GENERAL FILE as DO PASS committee recommendation.
WRN favors passage.
GUNS: HB 168 Stand Your Ground. To broaden right to kill, with no duty to retreat, and not be prosecuted.
• Co-sponsors – Laursen, Court, Flitner, Northrup, and Coe.
• IN THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY: HB 192 to record and transcribe all interim committee and other sessions.
• PLACED ON GENERAL FILE as DO PASS.
WRN favors passage.
EDUCATION: Twenty-one separate bills have been filed with the Clerk and are working their way through the system.
ECONOMY: SF 98. Tax Reduction for Oil Production. Would reduce state revenues to encourage more oil production. Latter result considered unlikely.
• Senator Coe voted to introduce; Senator Peterson voted against. Senator Agar was excused.
• Introduced and sent to committee.
MAJOR BILLS FAILED
GAY MARRIAGE:
• HB 167 Prohibits marriage other than between a man and a woman. FAILED w/o vote.
• HB 190 Provides for same sex marriage and brings WY law into agreement with Federal law. FAILED w/o vote.
SANCTUARY CITIES: HB 105 to prohibit sanctuary cities FAILED on introduction but ALL Big Horn Basin reps voted to introduce.
STATE TAKING FEDERAL LANDS: HB 094 to incorporate Federal Lands if Congress released them, FAILED but all Big Horn Basin reps voted to introduce.
MINIMUM WAGE: HB 171 to raise the minimum wage. FAILED in 2018 w/o vote. HB 140 failed in 2017 with all BHB reps voting against it.
to find if bills have been introduced on your issue, click here.
BILLS INTRODUCED BY BIG HORN BASIN REPS
for more information and the text of these bills click here
Representative Court Introduced:
HB 079. Title Insurers and agents. FAILED to be sent to Committee.
Representative Laursen Introduced:
• HB 003. Federal Single Subject Constitutional Amendment. FAILED to be sent to Committee. Also presented and failed in 2017.
• HB 045. Mountain daylight time. FAILED to be sent to Committee. Also presented and failed in 2016 and 2017.
• HB 047. Architects and engineers – underground facilities. FAILED to be sent to Committee.
Representative Northrup introduced:
• HB140. School Finance Amendments. Referred to Committee
• HB 191. Termination of parental rights – child support obligation. Referred to Committee.
Representative Winters introduced:
HB 093. Speeding Fines amendment. On the General File to go to the Committee of the Whole or back to the Standing Committee.
Senator Peterson introduced:
SF 117. School Finance Amendments. Referred to Committee.
Our Legislators
Find your senator and representative on this list and WRITE OR CALL them to express your views on pending legislation.
Senator Henry H.R. “Hank” Coe
Cody, Wyoming
Represents Cody, N & S Forks, Meeteetse
Hank.Coe@wyoleg.gov
Senator R. Ray Peterson
Cowley, Wyoming
Represents N & W Powell, Lovell, Greybull
Ray.Peterson@wyoleg.gov
Senator Wyatt Agar
Introduced No Legislation
Thermopolis, WY
Wyatt.Agar@wyoleg.gov
Representative Scott B. Court
Introduced No Legislation
Cody, Wyoming
W & Central Cody, N. & S. Forks
Scott.Court@wyoleg.gov
Representative Jamie Flitner
Introduced No Legislation
Greybull, Wyoming
Jamie.Flitner@wyoleg.gov
Representative Dan Laursen
Powell, Wyoming
Dan.Laursen@wyoleg.gov
Representative David Northrup
Powell & North Cody
David.Northrup@wyoleg.gov
Representative Nathan Winters
Thermopolis to Meeteetse
Nathan.Winters@wyoleg.gov
Representative Mike Greear
Washakie County
Mike.Greear@ wyoleg.gov