Governor signs first new laws

Bills have fallen by the wayside at a steady pace throughout this year’s legislative session, but the first new laws have made it to the governor’s desk.

As a budget session, the focus on non-financial matters has been necessarily limited. The budget bills spent the beginning of the week the Joint Conference Committee, which was tasked with finding a way to reconcile a $1.1 billion gap between the proposals put forth by the House and Senate.

The two chambers went in different directions while examining the budget. While the House added additional funding to the tune of around $362 million, the Senate slashed proposed spending by more than double that amount.

The committee was asked to work through all amendments that only passed in one chamber in an effort to bring the two numbers closer together. However, with Monday’s deadline to present the budget to the governor looming, the two budgets were still more than $400 million apart.

Senate President Ogden Driskill opted to appoint a new committee and, after a contentious discussion that ended with a 15-15 vote, a new free committee was assembled to begin the process again.

Successful Bills

Meanwhile, a number of bills have reached the point of requiring a signature from the governor.

The first, HB-14, is the “Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act”, which aims to ensure that health insurers must make their requirements and restrictions for prior authorization easily accessible to enrollees and healthcare providers.

SF-03 introduces 24 hours of paid leave for state officers and employees each calendar year to be used for either performing duties or training as a volunteer EMS provider. The leave is to be offered for fire, ambulance or search and rescue.

Drivers over the age of 18 years will be able to obtain hazardous material endorsements for their commercial driver’s license through HB-08.

“Wyoming's truck driving industry often faces workforce shortages. When it comes to transporting hazardous materials like propane within the state, the situation recently became dire in Crook County. That’s when Moorcroft’s own Will Zilka of Blakeman Propane Inc. worked with me to make it clear in Wyoming statute that individuals between the ages of 18-21 could join those key workers needed to haul hazardous materials within the state,” commented Representative Chip Neiman, who championed the bill.

“When Crook County faced propane shortages due to a lack of workforce, we got to work to find a commonsense solution for our community and for Wyoming.”

Through the Aaron Booker Firefighter Cancer Screening Act (HB-66), volunteer firefighters who have served for at least ten years will be provided breast, colon and prostate cancer screenings, as well as routine screenings for any other cancers that the director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has identified as a higher risk to firefighters.

A firefighter who is rehired after retirement will now continue to receive benefits (SF-04).

County treasurers will now be able to issue certifications of registration electronically (HB-23) and there will be a grace period of 30 days from issuance for validation stickers to be placed on a vehicle.

SF-17 updates the plane coordinates system for Wyoming and SF-15 gives authority to the governor to accept retrocession over military reservations and lands previously ceded to the United States.

HB-73 creates a long-term abandoned mine reclamation account, while HB-72 allows certain investment earnings to be considered when determining rates under the worker’s compensation program. HB-71 allows broadband development subaccount funds to be used as matching grant funds towards any federal broadband program.

HB-46 amends the timeline for resolution of disputes in chancery court, while HB-27 requires cross-reporting between DFS and law enforcement in cases involving a vulnerable adult.

In an emergency situation, a vulnerable adult who is being abused, neglected or exploited can be placed in protective services for up to 14 days – an increase from the previous 72 hours – according to HB-026.

Charter schools will need to operate for at least three years before they can claim reimbursement for leasing expenses, according to HB-021.

State land lessees will now have a grace period of 30 days to submit a renewal application (HB-010) and payment types for leases and rental payment types are no longer specified, but can be anything “acceptable to the director” (HB-11).

A minor change to the crime of influencing jurors and witnesses, through SF-30, clarifies that judges are also included. The felony-level crime of intimidating, impeding or retaliating against judicial officers now also carries a lower maximum imprisonment sentence of five years.

SF-21 specifies cost-sharing between a public utility and its customers and introduces cost-tracking mechanisms, while HB-16 makes a small change to the legal description of the Sutton archaeological site.