New laws to go into effect

New Wyoming laws that will impact residents of northeast Wyoming are set to become official in a couple of weeks. During the Legislative Budget Session earlier this year, numerous bills were passed with an effective date of July 1.

HEA-23 allows county clerks to start the process of counting absentee ballots on the Thursday or Friday before election day. If a county clerk feels this is necessary, they must first notify the Secretary of State’s Office and each political party, giving them the details to allow for in-person observation.

Allowing absentee votes to be counted early was a measure taken by Secretary of State Ed Buchanan during the 2020 elections, when a high number of voters opted for absentee voting due to the pandemic. In Crook County, a record-breaking 827 absentee ballots were received for the primary.

HEA-22 increases the fines for campaigns and political action committees that fail to file an itemized statement of contributions and expenditures. This will now lead to $500 in daily penalties, rather than a one-time fine of $500.

HEA-10 has increased the resident license allocation for bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose and grizzlies, with only 10% of the available licenses now offered to non-residents. The new law also states that all five species will be once-in-a-lifetime draws and creates a five-year waiting period for ewe and lamb bighorns and cow and calf moose and bison.

However, while the law comes into effect on July 1, it will no impact draws this year as the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish has until the end of the year to implement it.

If an applicant for a hunting license is unsuccessful, HEA-41 allows them to contribute all or part of the fee to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust income account or the Game and Fish access account.

The Tomorrow Scholarship comes into existence on July 1, a higher education program that aims to support Wyomingites over the age of 24 who wish to go to college through scholarship opportunities up to $7200. Applicants will need to have been residents of the state for at least a year to qualify for the program, which has been allocated $10 million from the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account (or “rainy day fund”).

HEA-13 specifies the timeline to file an appeal against property tax valuations, stating that a written objection must be postmarked or transmitted within 30 days of the mailing of notification of assessed value. SEA-26 officially creates the Property Tax Refund program through which counties can choose to allow property owners with household incomes below three quarters of the local average to apply for tax relief.

SEA-15 repeals the collection of fees related to state inheritance taxes.

The Sixth Judicial Districts of District Court may get an extra judge, thanks to SEA-25, with appropriations to fund the new positions. For the Sixth Judicial District, which covers Crook County along with Weston and Campbell, the new judge position will be authorized only if the Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court certifies that adequate facilities exist, including a courtroom to accommodate a 12-person jury and offices.

SEA-29 gives county commissioners the authority to dissolve county-created boards or solid waste districts and establishes a procedure for doing so.

HEA-32 changes the law that pertains to operating motorcycles to allow persons with disabilities to lawfully ride them. Now, the operator of the bike may ride on any seat designed to be used by a driver, including one that incorporates a wheelchair or other assistive device and, for passengers, an assistive device or wheelchair can be attached to a bike designed to hold one.

SEA-28 will require school districts to put screeners and assessments in place so that they can detect dyslexia and other learning disabilities or reading deficiencies early on. HEA-47 creates the Wyoming “seal of biliteracy” for kids who graduate high school proficient in both English and one or more world languages.

SEA-2 redefines a “habitual truant” as a child who disobeys the demands of their guardian or is “ungovernable and beyond control” and “willful absenteeism” as a situation in which the guardian is at fault when the child misses school.

HEA-49 amends preferences for the leasing of state lands, giving preference will be given first to applicants who are owners, lessees or lawful occupants of adjoining lands.

HEA-44 meanwhile requires developers who are subdividing land to submit plans for the existing water rights on those lands for approval with the state engineering office before the plat can be approved. The intention of this is to ensure landowners are aware of the water rights in existence to prevent them becoming “orphaned” by lack of use for seven years, which makes them claimable by someone downstream.

When selling or transferring ownership of a mobile home or vehicle, HEA-50 specifies that any person certified as an owner on the title has the right to do so without the signature of other persons also named, unless held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship or tenancy or the title uses the word “and” instead of “or”, which will be read to mean that the property is held by co-owners and requires the permission of both or all parties.

Through HEA-9, mine operators can now meet the requirement for reclamation bonding through cash payments into an assigned trust that can earn interest through investments by the state treasurer, which will be credited to the operator’s account.

HEA-40 allows the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to order wells shut in and sealed and to prohibit drilling if written notice is received from the Department of Revenue that the owner or operator has been delinquent in paying their taxes for more than 120 days.

“This sorely-needed bill enhances efforts to collect millions of dollars in back taxes owed to counties,” commented Governor Mark Gordon upon signing the bill.

HEA-60 meanwhile reduces coal severance tax to 6.5%, a drop from 7% and HEA-36 asks the Environmental Quality Council to establish rules for using or disposing of inert material from mine sites.

HEA-5 amends the Wyoming Partnership Challenge loan program through the Wyoming Business Council to allow for loans of up to $500,000 for succession planning, available to businesses that have been in existence for at least seven years before being transferred or succeeded to a new owner.

HEA-16 removes the requirement for public notice to be given of a petition to change the name of a minor.

According to HEA-11, any person who has been convicted of a crime will now be able to apply to a board, commission or other authority at any time to find out whether their conviction will prevent them from receiving a license, certification or registration for any profession.

SEA-44 recognizes online stalking by adding to the definition of the crime that stalking can include using any electronic, digital or GPS system to place someone under surveillance or watch their internet activity without permission.

According to SEA-46, the Second Amendment Protection Act, public officers may not enforce, administer or cooperate with any federal regulation of firearms or accessories, an action that will be punishable as a misdemeanor with a sentence of up to one year or a fine of up to $2000.

HEA-47 increases salaries for county and district attorneys, while HEA-56 increases salaries for county officers and HEA-52 increases salaries for the state’s top five elected officials.

A person who uses a commercial motor vehicle to commit a felony involving human trafficking will now be disqualified for life as a commercial driver according to HEA-12. If you are charged with driving with a suspended license, a previous conviction in another jurisdiction with similar laws will now be counted as a prior violation, according to HEA-43.

HEA-27 expands the possible uses of the state’s military assistance trust fund such that, “Any member of the Wyoming national guard who requires assistance in meeting dependent care responsibilities directly related to their service in the Wyoming National Guard to enable participation without financial hardship to the member or member’s immediate family.”

The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) will now be included in the grievance process for the state’s military department. If a member of the military wants their claim of sexual misconduct or discrimination handled by an outside party, they will now have the choice to have DWS handle the investigation, according to HEA-54.