2017 WSCC LEGISLATIVE STATUS REPORT (#6)
February 13, 2017
The 64th Wyoming Legislature convened at noon on January 9, 2017 and will run until Friday, March 3, 2017. 485 total bills and resolutions were submitted by committees and individual legislators for the 2017 general session- they can be found here
Key Dates
Friday, February 24 Last day for bills to be reported out of Committee in second house
Monday, February 27 Last day for Committee of the Whole in the second house
Tuesday, February 28 Last day for Second Reading in the second house
Wednesday, March 1 Last day for Third Reading in the second house
Thursday, March 2 Concurrences on Amendments/Joint Conference Committee Reports.
Friday, March 3 Joint Conference Committee Reports; All JCC Reports due to Front Desk by 2:00 p.m. ADJOURN by Midnight.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - March 6, 7 and 8 are available if necessary
The following list is comprised of the bills currently listed, related to the business community in Wyoming. This list will be updated weekly. Please watch for the WSC legislative update every Monday for additions and up to date information on our legislative priorities.
Call To Action- Please keep a close eye out during the entire legislative session for call to action emails. This will be a difficult session with many impactful decisions being made at a very quick pace. Now is the time to engage and ensure that our voice is heard as an industry. All call to action emails will come with all of the information you need and should only take you a few minutes to engage. Your voice is the most critical one during the legislative session and it is absolutely imperative that our industry plays an active role this session.
Priorities
Support HB 19 Sales from Remote Sellers
Bill would require out of state, online sellers, selling into Wyoming with more than $100,000 annually in sales or 200 transactions, to collect and remit Wyoming sales taxes. Status- passed the house and passed Senate Revenue Committee 5-0. Will be heard on senate floor this week
Support-SF 14 Inoperative Liquor Licenses
Reduces the amount of time that owners of a full retail liquor license may remain inoperative.
Status-passed the senate and will be heard in House Corporations Committee this week
Support- SF 24 Film Industry Financial Incentive Program
Extends the sunset date for the Wyoming Office of Tourism’s Film Industry Financial Incentive Program
Status- passed senate and passed House Travel Committee. Joint Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Nicholas has laid the bill back. We are hopeful that it will be heard on the house floor this week
Support-SF 45 Liquor Dispensing Rooms
Removes the definition of “dispensing room” for full retail liquor license holders allowing them to serve alcoholic beverages from anywhere inside their business
Status-passed the senate and passed House Corporations Committee. Should be heard on the house floor this week
Support- SF 94 Franchise Business Relationships
The bill would define a franchisee's employee as their own and not the employee of the franchisor and would protect franchisor's from unwarranted lawsuits, etc. It helps protect the franchise model of business.
Status-passed the senate and awaiting introduction in the house
Bills that have died
HB 49 Mountain Daylight Savings Time
Would place Wyoming into the central time zone for the entire year.
Status-failed in House Minerals Committee
HB 85 Unemployment Compensation-Delinquent Employers
Would allow delinquent employers to enter into an installment plan for up to 12 months when warranted.
Status- was not heard in House Labor Committee
HB 102 Lodging Tax Rate
Would allow additional 2% local option lodging tax earmarked for tourism related infrastructure. Would allow shifting of lodging tax to be used for up to 4% for infrastructure or up to 4% for promotion with a total of no more than 6% tax imposed.
Status- failed in House Revenue Committee-lack of a second motion.
HB 127 Wind Energy Production Tax-2
Would increase the tax on wind energy by 500%
Status- will be heard Monday, Jan 23 in House Revenue Committee
HB 140 Minimum Wage
Amended to raise Wyoming State minimum non-tipped wage to federal level of $7.25/hr
Status- failed on First Reading in the house
HB 141 Daylight Savings Time Exemption
Would exempt Wyoming from daylight savings time.
Status-failed in House Minerals Committee
HB 149 Lodging Tax Distribution
Would split local option lodging tax collections from the current 90/10 for local promotion to 50/50 promotion with half going to local government.
Status- failed in House Revenue Committee 8-1
HB 169- Prohibited Firearms-Business and Commercial Establishments
Bill states that anyone that prohibits the carrying of a firearm on the person's commercial or business premises by an individual legally allowed to carry shall assume responsibility for the safety and protection of the individual while on the premises.
Status-was never introduced in the house
HB 243- School Finance-Capital Construction Funding
Creates a sales tax on most services.
Status-failed in House Revenue Committee
HB 234- Airport Support
Would adjust the lodging tax split of 60/30/10 in applicable county to be 10/50 (for airport funding) 30/10
Status- was not considered in committee
HB 269 Prohibited Question on Job Applications
Bill would prohibit employers from asking about applicant’s criminal history on job applications.
Status-never introduced in house
HB 290- State Lodging Tax
Would create a 1% statewide lodging tax with 100% collections going to Game and Fish.
Status- was never heard in House Revenue Committee
SF 71 Electricity Production Standard
Bill would require utility companies within the state to provide electricity that comes from “eligible resources” listed as Coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, nuclear, and oil. Electricity from renewable energy sources like rooftop solar or backyard wind projects would also be permitted. The bill would require 95% of all electricity in the state to be derived from “eligible resources” by 2018 and 100% by 2019. Any utility company who violates the proposed new renewable energy law would be fined $10 for every megawatt of non-conforming electricity provided to Wyoming residents. Status-failed in Senate Corporations Committee
SF 159 Tax Reform 2020
Creates a tax reform committee to study Wyoming’s tax structure.
Status-Status-was not heard in Committee of the Whole
Monitoring
HB 71 Unemployment Insurance-electronic communications
Would allow Unemployment Insurance notifications to be delivered electronically through email as specified.
Status- passed house and passed the senate. Headed to Governor Mead for signature
HB 80 Transportation Network Companies
Would allow companies like UBER to operate in Wyoming
Status-passed house and will be heard in House Corporations Committee this week
HB 82 Local Option Sales and Use Taxes
Would allow local option sales and use taxes to be voted on for increase during a non-renewal year without the threat of losing the tax entirely. Local option sales and use taxes would still be all or nothing voting on renewal year. Status-passed house. Awaiting hearing on senate floor
HB 84- Workers Compensation-Delinquent Employers
Would allow delinquent employers to enter into an installment plan for up to 12 months when warranted.
Status- passed house and senate. Headed to Governor Mead for signature
HB 92 Payment of Wages Upon Termination-Time Limits
Would allow employers to pay final pay based upon a collective bargaining agreement between the employer and employee.
Status- passed house and senate. Headed to Governor Mead for signature
HB 96 Microbrewery permits
Authorizes microbrewery permit holders to dispense malt beverages in areas adjacent to their site as specified.
Status- passed house and awaiting hearing in Senate Corporations Committee
HB 114 Service and Assistance Animals
Establishes a penalty for those falsely impersonating a Service Animal in a business
Status-passed house and awaiting hearing in Senate Travel Committee
HB 253 Economic Development Account Funding
Would add $25 million from the LSRA account to the Large Project Economic Development Account. $5 million would be earmarked for telecommunication broadband services.
Status-passed the house 53-7 (2/3 vote was needed) and passed Senate Minerals Committee. Awaiting hearing on senate floor
HB 267 LLC and Corporation License Fees
Raises license fees on LLC and Corporation License Fees fro $50.00 annually to $75.00 annually
Status- passed house and awaiting hearing in Senate Corporations Committee
HB 236- School Finance-Omnibus Education Funding
Omnibus education funding bill that includes increase in sales and use taxes as specified.
Status-passed house and awaiting introduction in senate
SF 53 Veterans Hiring Preference
An act relating to veterans; specifying the hiring preference in public employment for veterans and surviving spouses of deceased veterans; eliminating the residency requirement for the preference; amending archaic language; and providing for an effective date.
Status-passed senate and House Transportation Committee. Awaiting hearing on house floor
SF 70 Manufacturing Machinery Exemption Sunset
Extends the sunset on the sales and use tax exemption for manufacturing machinery by 10 years
Status- passed senate and awaiting hearing in House Revenue Committee
SF 155 Bar and Grill Liquor License Increase
Would increase Bar and Grill Liquor Licenses as specified
Status- passed senate and awaiting hearing in House Corporations Committee
Get Involved! Keep up with the Session & Contact your Legislators
Click here for a list of all legislators’ emails, which is their preferred method of contact.
During the session you can contact a legislator to leave a message by calling the Senate receptionist at 307-777-7711 or the House receptionist at 307-777-7852.
To check on committee schedules, view bills, listen to live broadcasts of the legislative session or find out how individual legislators vote, log on to the Legislative website at
You can also comment on bills online by visiting .
If you have any questions, please contact Chris Brown at 307-634-8816 x 207 or