| 1 | 1 | | 2025 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | STATE OF WYOMING |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | 25LSO-03091HB0093 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | HOUSE BILL NO. HB0093 |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | Protect Wyoming's Lands Act. |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | Sponsored by: Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Water Resources Interim Committee |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | A BILL |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | for |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | 1 AN ACT relating to corporations, partnerships and |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | 2 associations; prohibiting natural asset companies from |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | 3 selling credits through national securities exchanges as |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | 4 specified; providing definitions; specifying applicability; |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | 5 and providing for an effective date. |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | 6 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | 7 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | 8 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | 9. W.S. 17-33-101 is created to read: |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | 10 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | 11 CHAPTER 33 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | 12 NATURAL ASSET COMPANIES |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | 13 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | 14 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | 15 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03092HB00931 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | 2 (a) As used in this section, "natural asset company" |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | 3 means a company: |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | 4 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | 5 (i) That holds a conservation interest in land |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | 6 in Wyoming or has the rights to the ecological performance, |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | 7 including value from natural assets and the production of |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | 8 ecosystem services, of a defined land area in Wyoming and |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | 9 has the authority to manage such area for conservation, |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | 10 restoration or sustainable management; and |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | 11 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | 12 (ii) The primary purpose, with respect to such |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 13 defined land area in Wyoming, is to: |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | 14 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | 15 (A) Manage, maintain, restore and grow the |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | 16 value of natural assets and the production of ecosystem |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | 17 services in the area; or |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | 18 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | 19 (B) Carry out activities that do not cause |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | 20 any material adverse impact on the condition of the natural |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | 21 assets in the area and replenish the natural resources used |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | 22 in the area. |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | 23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03093HB00931 (b) It shall be unlawful for a natural asset company |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | 2 having a conservation interest in land or defined land area |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | 3 entirely within Wyoming to sell its credits through a |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | 4 national securities exchange registered under 15 U.S.C. ยง |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 5 78f. This subsection shall not prohibit a natural asset |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | 6 company from selling its credits from land it holds outside |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | 7 the state of Wyoming. |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | 8 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | 9This act shall apply to natural asset |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | 10 companies with conservation interests in land or defined |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | 11 land areas entirely within Wyoming on or after the |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | 12 effective date of this act. |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | 13 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | 14This act is effective immediately upon |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | 15 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | 16 as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | 17 Constitution. |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | 18 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | 19 (END) |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | 20 |
|---|