Over 350 Bills Filed In Wyoming Legislature For 2024 Session

As of Thursday morning, 353 bills and 13 joint resolutions had been filed for the current session of the Wyoming Legislature.

Wednesday at noon was the deadline to have bill drafts in final form to the Legislative Service Office for this session.

It should be noted that some of the bills are duplicates or are already dead after failing introductory votes. While this session is designated as a budget session, in terms of sheer numbers most of the proposed bills don't deal directly with the state budget, although some do have potential budget implications.

Non-budget items require a 2/3 majority vote for introduction during a budget session. That means a lot of the non-budget items won't be introduced in this session.

Many will be back in 2025, which is a general session. Only a simple majority vote is needed for introduction during a general session. Under Wyoming law, the legislature meets in 20-day budget sessions during even-numbered years and 40-day general sessions in odd-numbered years.

There have been efforts in recent years to do away with the alternating session system, but so far they have gotten little traction.

Non-budget bills have run the gamut of topics from weed decriminalization to doing away with gun-free zones to abortion legislation.

Here are just a few of the bills filed so far dealing with issues other than the state budget:

House Bill 59--would ban discrimination against people based on based on a person's COVID-19 ''vaccination, face covering or medical testing status as specified.'' Sponsored by Rep. Jeanette Ward [R-Natrona County].  One of several bills dealing with what some consider government overreach or infringements on freedom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

House Bill 76, the Reproductive Freedom Act. This bill would aim at "prohibiting the state from denying or interfering with a person's right to have an abortion prior to viability of the fetus or to protect the person's life or health." The primary sponsor of this legislation is Rep. Mike Yin [D-Jackson]. It's co-sponsored by several Democratic legislators. It would seem unlikely to pass in the heavily Republican, pro-life Wyoming Legislature.

House Bill 88, Public display of obscene materials. Would Specify that it is illegal to publicly display obscene materials in Wyoming. The primary sponsor is Rep. Pepper Ottman [R-Fremont County].

House Bill 124 ''repealing the authority of the Wyoming department of health to adopt measures for vaccination to prevent or arrest the progress of smallpox.'' The primary sponsor is Rep. Jeremy Haroldson [R-Laramie, Platte counties].

Senate File 92, restricts the ability of registered sex offenders to work in jobs where they would have contact with minors. Sponsored by Sen. Affie Ellis [R-Laramie County],

Among the Joint Resolutions that have been filed are House Joint Resolution 6 and Senate Joint Resolution 4 calling for a Convention of the States under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. You can read more about those resolutions here.