Governor signs new laws

As the 2019 Legislative Session draws to a close, Governor Mark Gordon held three formal signing ceremonies on Tuesday to sign a long list of bills into law that will impact life across Wyoming. These bills include new felony offenses, funding for a local water project and the Medal of Honor highway.

The Omnibus Water Bill (HEA-38) includes $370,000 for the Crook County Rural Water Supply Plan, the study that will inform the county commissioners as to how to proceed with water issues in the Carlile area and the possibility of creating a water district to hook onto Gillette’s Madison water system. This law becomes effective immediately.

HEA-68 relates to Wyoming’s broadband development program and amends the definition of “unserved” to refer to areas of the state in which the maximum fixed broadband speed for residential customers is 25 mbs download and 3 mbs upload. This was previously set at 10 mbs download and 1 mbs upload. As Russ Elliott of the Wyoming Broadband Advisory Committee told the county commissioners in February, the idea of this is to push providers to set standards rather than simply meet them.

HEA-72 allows the creation of joint powers boards to create and operate municipal natural gas facilities and systems.

The Beer Freedom Act (HEA-41) will allow microbreweries to purchase 24-hour malt beverage permits in order to sell their products.

Effective immediately, HEA-51 authorizes the secretary of state to create a blockchain filing system and instructs him to endeavor to do create an “industry leading” system to which all required filings can be submitted before December 31, 2021.

SEA-41 will add a new felony to Wyoming’s list of crimes in the form of “aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police officers”. A person will be considered to have committed this crime if they have previously been convicted of fleeing or eluding or if, in the course of committing the violation, they cause or intentionally cause bodily injury to another person or property damage greater than $10,000.

This crime will be considered a felony and will be punished by a fine up to $5000, imprisonment for up to five years or both.

HEA-50 will meanwhile limit the term of probation that a first time offender may be placed on to 36 months, except for major crimes such as murder and sexual assault in the first or second degree.

Joint Resolution 3 will designate U.S. Highway 20 as the Medal of Honor Highway, recognizing the 17 recipients from Wyoming of the nation’s highest award for valor.

Since 2016, school buses have been equipped by law with an external video system capable of recording footage of motorists who pass a bus while it is stopped. SEA-42 clarifies that such a recording or image is not a public record and should be destroyed within one year, but can be entered as prima facie evidence for violations or discoverable for other criminal actions.

SEA-51 gives medical professionals who have cause to believe a child is the victim of abuse or neglect – and believes there are other children living in the same home – the right to report their findings to law enforcement. Law enforcement will then bring any other children in for examination within 24 hours, the results of which will be used to determine whether temporary protective custody is necessary.

HEA-37 authorizes county treasurers to distribute leftover sales and use tax among the municipalities in the county according to population. Revenue from sales and use tax must be used for designated purposes; leftover funds will be distributed in this manner if the original resolution fails to specify how excess money should be used.

HEA-55 will amend the state’s volunteer firefighter and EMT pension account to allow membership for volunteer search and rescue personnel. HEA-61 gives school districts more flexibility to design teacher evaluations according to general criteria established by the state board.

According to SEA-43, county commissioners may now establish an endowment fund for the county fair to accept grants, transfers, gifts and donations. This law will come into effect immediately.

SEA-45 regulates electric bicycles, defining classes and requiring labels to be placed on such machines as well as defining their usage on Wyoming roads. HEA-63 meanwhile increases the cost of the annual fee for an electric vehicle from $50 to $200.

Effective immediately, SEA-46 establishes a Medicaid fraud control unit within the office of the attorney general and creates criminal penalties relating to Medicaid.

Unless otherwise specified, all new laws will come into effect on July 1. For a full list of this year’s bills, visit wyoleg.gov.