Wildfire liability, overdose reporting bills pass into Wyoming law

CASPER, Wyo. —  Gov. Mark Gordon announced the signature of eight bills into law on Thursday. A full list of the bills signed so far can be found on the governor’s website here. Details on many of those bills can be found here.

HEA0058 HB0192 Public utilities-wildfire mitigation and liability limits. The bill requires utility companies to identify wildfire risk around its infrastructure and devise plans to mitigate the risk, including vegetation management and equipment inspections. Companies with plans approved by the Wyoming Public Services Commission will carry a presumption of prudence and good faith with regard to wildfire risk in civil cases.

PacifCorp officials have said that insurance costs have increased 1,800% in the last few years due to wildfire risk and costly civil judgments. They cite the cost as one of the prime reasons behind their proposed rate hike. PacificCorp was ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Oregon customers following the Labor Day fires in 2020 that killed nine and destroyed over 5,000 homes.

Wyoming Rep. J.T. Larson of Sweetwater County said the goal of the bill was to save ratepayers money and protect utilities who act in good faith from lawsuits.

HEA0060 HB0083 Child custody-sex offense conviction presumption. The bill says that judges “shall” consider a parent’s sex-offender registration status when making custody decisions. It also establishes a presumption that it is not in the best interests of a child to be unsupervised with a parent who is a registered sex offender, though the point may be argued to the judge.

HEA0061 HB0337 Prohibiting foreign funding of ballot measures. The bill prohibits groups, political action committees and organizations influencing state policy from allowing a foreign national to fund or participate in the initiative. The groups must submit certifications of compliance with the Secretary of State, and violators are subject to civil action.

HEA0066 HB0207 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The bill says that “state action shall not substantially burden a person’s right to the exercise of religion.” A person or corporation restricted in violation of the law may seek declaratory or injunctive relief from a judge.

HEA0068 HB0316 School finance-model recalibration. The bill creates a committee dedicated to recalibrating the education resource block grant model to ensure that funding keeps up with the actual costs of goods and services in the education system.

SEA0063 SF0074 Immunity for drug overdose reporting. The bill provides immunity from prosecution for possession or use of a controlled substance when reporting an overdose on behalf of themselves or another, provided they cooperate with law enforcement and remain at the scene where the event is occurring. A person reporting an overdose on their own behalf is only eligible for immunity twice in a 12-month period, and must complete a treatment program beforehand to retain immunity in the second instance.

SEA0067 SF0100 Child witnesses-courtroom procedures. The bill establishes procedures whereby, in cases of sexual assault of a minor, incest or human trafficking, the minor victim may testify remotely or have the defendant excluded from the courtroom. Other accommodations may also be made if the court determines the child may experience extraordinary emotional distress or barriers to communicating.

HEJR0002 HJ0003 Support for rural schools. The joint resolution notes that Wyoming has 15 schools throughout 12 districts that have three rooms or less, collectively supporting 102 students, and reiterates that “the members of the Wyoming Legislature commit to ensuring rural and isolated families do not have to fight to gain access to an education for their children and that keeping families together and providing them with a complete and uniform system of public instruction is in the public’s best interest.”