| 1 | 1 | | 2025 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | STATE OF WYOMING |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | 25LSO-03851HB0119 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | HOUSE BILL NO. HB0119 |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | Minimum easement standards. |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | Sponsored by: Representative(s) Banks and Allemand and |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Senator(s) Laursen, D and Steinmetz |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | A BILL |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | for |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | 1 AN ACT relating to eminent domain; requiring notice of |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | 2 condemnation as specified; requiring clauses relating to |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | 3 liability, abandonment and reclamation; providing |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | 4 requirements for existing easements; providing compensation |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | 5 standards; specifying applicability; and providing for an |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | 6 effective date. |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | 7 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | 8 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | 9 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | 10. W.S. 1-26-517 is created to read: |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | 11 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | 12 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | 13 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | 14 (a) Each person shall comply with the requirements of |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | 15 this section before acquiring any property by condemnation. 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03852HB01191 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | 2 (b) Not less than thirty (30) days before a |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | 3 condemnation action is commenced under this act, the |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | 4 condemnor shall give notice to the board of county |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | 5 commissioners of the county and any local governing body of |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | 6 a city or town in which the condemnation is to take place. |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | 7 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | 8 (c) Any easement established under this act shall |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | 9 indicate that the original landowner is not responsible for |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | 10 any liability, including vicarious liability, other than |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | 11 intentional acts arising from use of the land under the |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | 12 easement. |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 13 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | 14 (d) The condemnor shall be responsible for |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | 15 reclamation of the property after the condemnor no longer |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | 16 requires the easement, pursuant to W.S. 1‑26‑714. |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | 17 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | 18 (e) An existing easement shall be used exclusively |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | 19 for its stated purpose unless the existing easement: |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | 20 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | 21 (i) Contemplates a method by which an easement |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | 22 can be enlarged or amended; or |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | 23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-03853HB01191 (ii) Authorizes the parties to renegotiate the |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | 2 easement. |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | 3 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | 4 (f) For purposes of calculating compensation, |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 5 improvements to the property shall be included in its fair |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | 6 market value. |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | 7 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | 8 (g) If an easement is abandoned pursuant to W.S. |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | 9 1‑26‑515, the land shall revert to the original landowner |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | 10 and the land shall be reclaimed pursuant to W.S. 1‑26‑714 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | 11 and at the expense of the condemnor. |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | 12 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | 13. This act applies to condemnation actions |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | 14 initiated on or after July 1, 2025. Nothing in this act |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | 15 shall be construed to impair any existing contracts. |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | 16 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | 17This act is effective immediately upon |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | 18 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | 19 as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | 20 Constitution. |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | 21 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | 22 (END) |
|---|