Status of Bills We Are Watching.

The last day of this Legislative Session was Thursday March 6.

UPDATED 3pm, March 9, 2025

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ENVIRONMENTAL BILLS

We’re pleased to report that the worst anti-public lands and anti-wildlife bills met their ends but there were still some losses for the environment.

• HB0275 Treatment of Animals.  Makes it legal to run down wildlife with motorized vehicles but requires the person to kill the animal if injured. Passed both chambers and Governor Signed.
• Senate Joint Resolution 2, which demanded nearly all federal public lands in Wyoming be turned over to the state, was defeated, revived, and then defeated again — this time for good!
• Senate File 105, which would have eroded private property rights (and limited new public lands access). Failed
• HB118 Limits to Conveyances of land to the Federal Government. AN ACT relating to state lands and conveyances; limiting conveyances, exchanges and sales of land to prohibit the federal government from net increases in land within Wyoming. Passed House. Failed
• HB286 Mountain Lion Hunting Season changes. Failed
• HB0331 Taking of Predators on Public Land. Failed
• SF0170 Grizzly Bear Management Prohibition. Failed
• SF 0183 Moratorium on Solar and Wind Projects. Failed
• Senate File 88, every year, the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust brings a package of large-scale projects before the legislature for approval. This year’s package, represents WWNRT’s biggest investment in Wyoming’s wildlife and natural resources to date. It includes important projects across the state, from wildlife crossings and cheatgrass treatment to rangeland restoration and watershed improvement. This bill sailed through the House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee unanimously last Thursday before passing unanimously out of the House Appropriations Committee on Friday. We are happy that it passed and was signed by Governor Gordon  !
• HB0045 Removing Otters as a protected Species. Passed both chambers and Governor Signed.

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VOTER’S RIGHTS AND ELECTION-RELATED BILLS

We’re pleased that the worst bills (prohibiting ballot drop boxes and making school board offices partisan) met their ends.

• HB0165 Ranked Choice Voting Prohibition AN ACT clarifying that elections shall not be conducted by ranked choice voting: Passed the house and passed the Senate. It will now go to the Governor for a signature or a veto.
• HB0156 Proof of Voter Residency status: Passed the house and passed the Senate. It will now go to the Governor for a signature or a veto.
• HB0160 Repeal of Student ID s for voting IDS AN ACT repealing school identification cards as acceptable forms of identification for in person voter identification purposes: Failed
• HB0249 Runoff Elections  Failed
• SF0098 Making School Board offices partisan. AN ACT requiring candidates for school board trustee to have their political party affiliation printed on general election ballots Failed
• SF0184 Prohibition on electronic voting equipment Failed
• HB0236 – County officials-nonpartisan elections.  Failed
• SF0184 Hand Counting of Ballots Failed
• HB0215 Prohibition of electronic voting equipment  Failed
• HB0131 Ballot Drop Boxes Prohibition AN ACT  prohibiting the use of drop boxes for delivery of ballots. Failed
• HB0144 County Canvassing Boards status: Failed

WyoFile has a roundup of election bills HERE

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EDUCATION BILLS

WEA firmly believes that HB199 is unconstitutional.

•  HB199 Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act  HB199 redirects 47.2% of money that would be normally be distributed to public schools into a new program account that would give money to families of students who attend private schools.  (On 2/19 the Wyoming Senate passed HB199 on third reading. They removed the income qualification and made vouchers universal, meaning that anyone would qualify for $7,000 per child of public money that can be used for private schools, which is against the Wyoming Constitution. However, they did put certification and testing requirements back in, and they also added Pre-K coverage. In addition, the Senate removed the 80/20 split, which in the current voucher program (passed last year) limits the vouchers for Pre-K to 20% of the total allowance.While we don’t support the bill in any form, amendments were made that are preferable to the original bill, which had absolutely no accountability. WEA still firmly believes that HB199 is unconstitutional. ) Passed both chambers and Governor Signed.
• HB 270 AN ACT relating to public funds; amending spending policy amounts for earnings from the investment of permanent funds. 
• HB 271 AN ACT relating to the investment of state funds; decreasing the spending policy amount for the common school account within the permanent land fund. House Bills 270 and 271, combined, would drain the School Foundation Program by more than $30 million per fiscal year, according to the bills’ fiscal impact notes. Both bills Failed.
• HB0046 Homeschool freedom act. AN ACT removing the requirement that a home-based educational program submit curriculum to the local school board. Passed both chambers and Governor Signed.

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REPRODUCTIVE AND LGBTQ RIGHTS

• HB0042 Regulating surgical abortions  AN ACT requiring the licensure of surgical abortion facilities. Passed both chambers and Governor Signed.
• SF0125. Defining Healthcare (more precisely: defining that abortion is not healthcare): Passed and waiting for governor’s signature or veto 3/5/25.
• HB0064 Chemical Abortions and Ultrasound Requirements: Passed both chambers and Governor vetoed. Both houses voted to override. The bill will go into effect immediately.
• HB0032 What is a Woman Act. AN ACT specifying definitions and standards for the application of a person’s biological sex in law. Passed and waiting for governor’s signature or veto 3/5/25
• HB0159 Protecting water from chemical abortion waste: Failed.
• HB 0250 Defining Life and Rights: Failed.

Wyoming Equality is tracking a number of additional bills HERE

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Thanks to our Wyoming Rising team, the Wyoming Outdoor Council, League of Women Voters, and Wyoming Equality for this info.