New laws take effect

Numerous laws go into effect this week from this year’s session of the state legislature. From new crimes to benefits for emergency personnel, some of the statutes that became active on July 1 include:

School and Childcare

• School districts have additional duties related to notification and consent. For example, there are now procedures to provide notice about a child as soon as possible if there is a change in their well-being and policies must be adopted to, “reinforce the fundamental right of parents and guardians to make decisions regarding the care and control of their children.”

• A parent’s fundamental right to the care, custody and control of their child now applies to any education agency, school district, board of trustees, commission or school and requires disclosure to a parent regarding the child’s status.

• The new Firearms on School Property account will be used to reimburse school districts for costs associated to possession of firearms on school property by district employees.

• Data collection will now begin for regional cost adjustments within the education resource block grant model, which calculates operational costs for K-12 education. Information to be gathered includes, for example, mileage, wages and retirement benefits.

• School board trustees are now required to take their oath of office on or before the first day of December (or within ten days of receiving notification if appointed).

• Wyoming’s “safe haven” rule, which allows the parents of a newborn to relinquish the child to be cared for in a safe haven, such as a fire station, hospital or police department, now applies to children below the age of 60 days (rather than 14 days). A second bill requires that the safe haven provider ask if the child has any tribal affiliation or Native American ancestry and requires courts to comply with the Wyoming Indian Child Welfare Act when determining placement.

• Child care is now considered a residential use of property in cases where no more than ten children are being cared for on a regular basis.

• Parents may now change their minor child’s name without providing public notice.

Legal

• The Division of Criminal Investigation will begin the process of developing a cold case database containing all homicides and sexual offenses that remain unsolved for two years.

• Using an appropriation of $150,000, the Division of Criminal Investigation will also begin establishing a forensic genealogy pilot program – a tool that can be used to identify the perpetrator of a crime or unidentified human remains by linking DNA from a crime scene or unidentified person to relatives.

• Vulnerable adults are now included within the definition of “adults with severe mental illness” in the Behavioral Health Redesign, which became effective on July 1 and requires the Department of Health to reform the state-funded treatment system for mental illness and substance use and creates priority populations for services.

• Emergency protective services for a vulnerable adult can now be ordered for up to 14 days, rather than 72 hours. Law enforcement must notify the Department of Family Services on receiving a report that a vulnerable adult is suspected of being abused, exploited, neglected or is committing self-neglect.

• Vulnerable adults now also have a civil cause of action against a person who exploited them.

• Judges are now included in the felony charge of influencing, intimidating or impeding jurors, witnesses and officers. The maximum term for the offense has been reduced from ten to five years.

• Additives to hemp or hemp products that are produced, processed or sold are now prohibited, as is the sale of hemp containing more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol or other psychoactive substances.

• Four new offenses have now been added to the list of those for which convicted offenders must be registered: sexual servitude of an adult or a minor and either first- or second-degree human trafficking.

• The Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act authorizes a district court to order child abduction prevention measures and conditions if a hearing reveals evidence of a credible risk of abduction.

• The eligibility requirements for concealed carry permits have been updated to reflect that a person who has been convicted of a felony violation of the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act may become eligible if they have their firearm rights restored.

• A new misdemeanor criminal offense has been established for willfully failing to observe road closures for light and high profile vehicles.

Healthcare

• A hearing aid program has been created for adults with an income below 200% of the federal poverty level.

• The Medicaid reimbursement rate for hospice care has been increased from 50% to 100% for eligible individuals.

• Health care providers are now banned from providing medical procedures that relate to transitioning a child’s biological sex.

• Insurers are prohibited from discriminating against organ transplant recipients.

Emergency Services

• The Aaron Booker Firefighter Cancer Screening Act is, according to the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, “A significant advancement in protecting firefighters’ health”.

• All firefighters with at least ten years of service in any category may be entitled to undergo medically indicated cancer screenings covered by workers’ compensation.

• Screenings include examinations for breast, colon and prostate cancers, as well as other types identified as posing elevated risks in the profession. Firefighters can receive screenings for up to ten years after retirement.

• State employees will now receive up to 24 hours of paid leave each year to volunteer with a fire, ambulance or search and rescue organization.

• Retired firefighters can now be rehired while still receiving retirement benefits.

• Volunteer firefighters, EMS and search and rescue may now participate in the state employees’ group health insurance plan.

Outdoors and Recreation

• The Wyoming Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund is now fully established and implemented, including an income account, with a nine-member board appointed by the governor. Income generated by the trust fund can be used to make grants to develop, supplement and promote outdoor recreation infrastructure and opportunities.

• The Environmental Quality Council may no longer promulgate rules that are more stringent than federal regulations, unless the Department of Environmental Quality identifies a need. The Natural Resource Protection Act authorizes the governor to determine that a federal rule does not comply with federal land management laws and prohibits the use of state funds or personnel to administer that rule.

• Nonresident fishing licenses increased on July 1 to $110, or $14 for a daily license.

• In response to federal action, all bighorn sheep must be removed from the Sweetwater Rocks herd unit.

Business and Admin

• Drivers over the age of 18 may now receive a hazardous materials endorsement for their commercial driver’s license.

• County treasurers can now issue electronic copies of vehicle registration certificates.

• When an existing lease for a parcel of state lands runs out, the current lessee now has 30 days past the expiration date to submit an application to renew.

• State land lease renewals and rental payments are now deemed filed on the date of their postmark. Specific payment methods have been removed, allowing the Director of the Office of State Lands and Investments to determine appropriate methods.

• The Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety is authorized to conduct electrical inspections of buildings and may charge a fee for providing that service.

• The new Long-term Abandoned Mine Reclamation Account will hold funds provided under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and can be used for, among other things, the prevention and abatement of coal-mine and subsidence fires.

• The governor and Office of Homeland Security are required to designate properties or areas as critical infrastructure zones, meaning that they contain assets so vital that their degradation would have a debilitating impact on national security.

• Certificates of registration can now be provided in electronic form and validation stickers must be properly placed on a vehicle within 30 days of issuance.