2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-02041HB0070 HOUSE BILL NO. HB0070 Irrigation districts-bid requirements. Sponsored by: Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Interim Committee A BILL for 1 AN ACT relating to irrigation districts; increasing the 2 cost requirements for irrigation district purchases or 3 projects that are required to be submitted for bids; and 4 providing for an effective date. 5 6 7 8W.S. 41-7-412 and 41-7-813 are amended to 9 read: 10 11 12 13 In all cases where the work to be done at any one (1) time 14 under the direction of the commissioners will, in their 15 opinion, cost to exceed 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02042HB0070 1 2 same shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder, and the 3 commissioner shall advertise for sealed bids, by notice 4 published in some newspaper published in the county in 5 which the petition is filed, and may advertise in one (1) 6 or more newspapers published elsewhere. If there be no 7 newspaper published in the county in which the petition is 8 filed, they shall advertise in some newspaper published in 9 an adjoining county, which said notice shall particularly 10 set forth the time and place when and where the bids 11 advertised will be opened, the kind of work to be let and 12 the terms of payment. Said commissioners may continue the 13 letting from time to time, if in their judgment the same 14 shall be necessary, and shall reserve the right to reject 15 any and all bids. This section shall not be construed to 16 apply to the employment of superintendent, engineer, 17 attorney or other employee engaged in the general work of 18 the district. 19 20 21 22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02043HB0070 1 Before any district shall enter into any contract for the 2 construction, building, alteration, extension, or 3 improvement of any irrigation works, power plant or system, 4 or any part or section thereof for the use of the district, 5 or for the purchase of any materials, machinery, or 6 apparatus, such district shall cause estimates of the cost 7 thereof to be made by some competent engineer or engineers 8 and if such estimated cost shall exceed the sum of 9 10 no such contract shall be entered into for a 11 price, cost or consideration exceeding such estimate nor 12 without advertising for sealed bids. Prior to such 13 advertisement, plans and specifications for the proposed 14 construction work or materials shall be prepared and filed 15 at the principal office or place of business of the 16 district. Such advertisement shall be inserted for three 17 (3) consecutive issues, with not less than twenty (20) days 18 intervening between the first and last publication dates, 19 in one (1) or more newspapers of general circulation in the 20 district and, in the discretion of the board of directors 21 of the district, in such additional newspapers or trade or 22 technical periodicals as may be selected by the board in 23 order to give proper notice of the receiving of bids. Such 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02044HB0070 1 advertisement shall designate the nature of the 2 construction work proposed to be done or materials proposed 3 to be purchased; that the plans and specifications therefor 4 may be inspected at the office of the district, giving the 5 location thereof, and shall designate the time within which 6 bids shall be filed and the date, hour and place the same 7 shall be opened. The board of directors of the district, 8 with the assistance of the state engineer, whose duty it 9 shall be to supervise such lettings, may let the contract 10 for such work or materials to the lowest responsible 11 bidder, or, in the sole discretion of the board, all bids 12 tendered may be rejected and readvertisement for bids made 13 in the manner, form and time in this section provided. No 14 such contract shall be valid nor shall any money of the 15 district be expended thereunder unless advertisement and 16 letting shall have been had as in this section provided. 17 Such contract shall provide that wherever possible workmen 18 who are citizens of Wyoming shall be employed by the 19 contractor. All provisions of W.S. 16-6-112 through 20 16-6-115, with reference to contractor's bonds, shall be 21 applicable and effective as to any contract let pursuant to 22 the provisions of this act; provided further, that if all 23 or a portion of the cost of the proposed works is to be met 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-02045HB0070 1 by grant of labor or a grant in aid from a federal or state 2 agency, the rules and regulations of which agency provide 3 that work shall not be done by contract, the board may 4 proceed with the necessary construction or other work 5 without first complying with any of the foregoing 6 provisions of this section. 7 8. This act is effective July 1, 2025. 9 10 (END)