Wyoming 2025 Regular Session

Wyoming House Bill HB0148 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025
2	2	STATE OF WYOMING
3	3	25LSO-05061HB0148
4	4	HOUSE BILL NO. HB0148
5	5	University of Wyoming governance-elected trustees.
6	6	Sponsored by: Representative(s) Rodriguez-Williams, Bear,
7	7	Haroldson and Pendergraft and Senator(s)
8	8	Hicks, Laursen, D and Steinmetz
9	9	A BILL
10	10	for
11	11	1 AN ACT relating to the University of Wyoming board of
12	12	2 trustees; increasing the members of the board of trustees;
13	13	3 providing for election of trustees as specified; specifying
14	14	4 election requirements; making conforming amendments;
15	15	5 specifying requirements for the initial election and
16	16	6 initial terms of elected trustees; specifying expiration of
17	17	7 existing appointed trustee terms; specifying requirements
18	18	8 for appointment and terms of appointed trustees after the
19	19	9 2026 general election; repealing duplicative provisions;
20	20	10 and providing for an effective date.
21	21	11
22	22	12
23	23	13
24	24	14. W.S. 21-17-201, 21-17-202(a) and by
25	25	15 creating a new subsection (c), 22-2-101(a) by creating a 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05062HB0148
26	26	1 new paragraph (xi), 22-2-104(e), 22-5-101, 22-5-208(c),
27	27	2 22-6-125(a) by creating a new paragraph (ix) and by
28	28	3 renumbering (ix) through (xiv) as (x) through (xv),
29	29	4 22-6-128, 22-18-111(a)(intro) and (b), 22-22-101,
30	30	5 22-22-102(a) and (c), 22-22-201 by creating a new
31	31	6 subsection (c), 22-22-202(a), 22-22-301, 22-22-302 and
32	32	7 22-22-304(a)(i), (ii) and (iv) are amended to read:
33	33	8
34	34	9
35	35	10
36	36	11
37	37	12
38	38	13 The government of the university is vested in a board of
39	39	14, with fourteen (14)
40	40	15
41	41	16
42	42	17 appointed by the governor, no two (2) of whom may be
43	43	18
44	44	19
45	45	20. At least one (1) trustee shall be appointed
46	46	21
47	47	22 from each appointment district
48	48	23 W.S. 9-1-218. Not more than seventy-five 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05063HB0148
49	49	1 percent (75%) of the
50	50	2 shall be registered in the same political party.
51	51	3 The governor, the president of the university,
52	52	4 the state
53	53	5 superintendent of public instruction and the president of
54	54	6 the associated students of the university are
55	55	7 officio , having the right to speak, but not to
56	56	8 vote. A majority of the board is a
57	57	9 quorum.
58	58	10
59	59	11
60	60	12
61	61	13
62	62	14
63	63	15 (a) Except as otherwise provided by law for the
64	64	16
65	65	17he term of office of the
66	66	18 trustees
67	67	19. During each session of the
68	68	20 legislature, the governor shall nominate, and with the
69	69	21 advice and consent of the senate, appoint successors to
70	70	22 those trustees whose term of office has expired
71	71	23 or will expire before the next session of the legislature. 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05064HB0148
72	72	1 Any vacancy in the trustees caused by
73	73	2 death, resignation, removal from the state or otherwise,
74	74	3 shall be filled by appointment by the governor
75	75	4 as provided in W.S. 28-12-101
76	76	5. No member of the faculty, while holding that
77	77	6 position, shall ever be appointed a trustee. The governor
78	78	7 may remove any
79	79	8 9-1-202.
80	80	9
81	81	10
82	82	11
83	83	12
84	84	13
85	85	14
86	86	15
87	87	16
88	88	17
89	89	18
90	90	19
91	91	20
92	92	21
93	93	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05065HB01481 (a) Chapters 1 through 28 of this Election Code apply
94	94	2 to the following elections:
95	95	3
96	96	4
97	97	5
98	98	6
99	99	7
100	100	8
101	101	9 (e) The election of members of the board of trustees
102	102	10 of each school district, and
103	103	11 shall be held
104	104	12 for each district on the
105	105	13 first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in general
106	106	14 election years.
107	107	15
108	108	16
109	109	17
110	110	18 Nominations of candidates for all offices filled at a
111	111	19 general election, except school and community college
112	112	20 district offices, the elected University of Wyoming
113	113	21 and special district offices, may be made by
114	114	22 primary election, by petition for nomination as an
115	115	23 independent candidate as provided in W.S. 22-5-301 through 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05066HB0148
116	116	1 22-5-308 or by convention as provided in W.S. 22-4-303 and
117	117	2 22-4-406.
118	118	3
119	119	4
120	120	5
121	121	6 (c) A filing fee shall not be required of candidates
122	122	7 for special district director, school district trustee,
123	123	8 community college trustee,
124	124	9 precinct committeeman or precinct committeewoman.
125	125	10
126	126	11
127	127	12
128	128	13
129	129	14 (a) The nonpartisan ballot shall contain the offices
130	130	15 and ballot propositions to be voted on in the following
131	131	16 order:
132	132	17
133	133	18
134	134	19
135	135	20
136	136	21 (x) Candidates for special district
137	137	22 directors;
138	138	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05067HB01481 (xi) Candidates for other offices of county
139	139	2 subdivisions;
140	140	3
141	141	4 (xii) Constitutional amendments;
142	142	5
143	143	6 (xiii)
144	144	7
145	145	8 (xiv)
146	146	9
147	147	10 (xv) Other ballot propositions.
148	148	11
149	149	12
150	150	13
151	151	14 At the county clerk's discretion, separate ballots for
152	152	15 bond, school and community college districts,
153	153	16 and special
154	154	17 district elections may be required and shall be provided by
155	155	18 the authority responsible for holding the election. Ballots
156	156	19 shall conform as nearly as possible to general requirements
157	157	20 specified by law for the general election ballot, except as
158	158	21 otherwise specifically provided.
159	159	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05068HB01481
160	160	2
161	161	3
162	162	4 (a) Any vacancy in any other elective office in the
163	163	5 state except representative in congress,
164	164	6 board of trustees of a school community
165	165	7 college district , shall be
166	166	8 filled by the governing body, or as otherwise provided in
167	167	9 this section, by appointment of a temporary successor. The
168	168	10 person appointed shall serve until a successor for the
169	169	11 remainder of the unexpired term is elected at the next
170	170	12 general election and takes office on the first Monday of
171	171	13 the following January. Provided, if a vacancy in a four
172	172	14 (4) year term of office occurs in the term's second or
173	173	15 subsequent years after the first day for filing an
174	174	16 application for nomination pursuant to W.S. 22-5-209, no
175	175	17 election to fill the vacancy shall be held and the
176	176	18 temporary successor appointed shall serve the remainder of
177	177	19 the unexpired term. The following apply:
178	178	20
179	179	21 (b) The trustees of a school or community college
180	180	22 district shall fill
181	181	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05069HB0148
182	182	1 in a manner provided by law. If the trustees
183	183	2
184	184	3 fail to appoint a person qualified to hold the office to
185	185	4 fill vacancy within thirty (30) days
186	186	5 from the date the vacancy occurs, or if, for any reason,
187	187	6 the entire membership of the board of trustees of a school
188	188	7 or community college district
189	189	8 is depleted, the board of county commissioners of the
190	190	9 county or counties involved, within ten (10) days of either
191	191	10 occurrence, shall appoint a person qualified to hold the
192	192	11 office to fill each vacancy until the next
193	193	12 election at which time an election shall be held to fill
194	194	13 the unexpired term, and each appointee shall serve until
195	195	14 his successor is elected and qualified. Each appointee
196	196	15 shall be a resident of the trustee
197	197	16 residence area, or election subdistrict, if any, previously
198	198	17 represented.
199	199	18
200	200	19 CHAPTER 22
201	201	20 SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ELECTIONS
202	202	21 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-050610HB01481
203	203	2
204	204	3
205	205	4
206	206	5 The cost of a school or community college district
207	207	6 election or
208	208	7 equitably proportioned shares of a concurrent election as
209	209	8 determined by the county clerk shall be paid by the
210	210	9 appropriate board from the funds of the school district,
211	211	10 community college district
212	212	11.
213	213	12
214	214	13
215	215	14
216	216	15 (a) The election of members of the board of trustees
217	217	16 of each school district, community college
218	218	17 district shall be held at the
219	219	18 regular polling places for each district on the Tuesday
220	220	19 next following the first Monday in November in general
221	221	20 election years, except as otherwise provided by law. Terms
222	222	21 of office shall run for four (4) years beginning at 12:00
223	223	22 noon on the first day in December following the election,
224	224	23 except as otherwise provided by law. 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-050611HB0148
225	225	1
226	226	2 (c) Not more than a simple majority of members of the
227	227	3 board of trustees of each school district,
228	228	4 community college district
229	229	5 shall be elected at
230	230	6 any election unless the election is to fill an unexpired
231	231	7 term. This subsection shall not apply to the election of
232	232	8 the initial board of a community college district,
233	233	9 first regular election of a community college district
234	234	10 board
235	235	11.
236	236	12
237	237	13
238	238	14
239	239	15
240	240	16
241	241	17
242	242	18
243	243	19
244	244	20
245	245	21
246	246	22 (a) A qualified elector may be nominated for the
247	247	23 office of school district trustee, 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-050612HB0148
248	248	1 college board by
249	249	2 filing an application for election in the office of the
250	250	3 county clerk not more than ninety (90) nor less than
251	251	4 seventy (70) days prior to the election. The application
252	252	5 shall be in substantially the following form:
253	253	6
254	254	7 APPLICATION FOR ELECTION FOR SCHOOL, OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
255	255	8 TRUSTEE
256	256	9
257	257	10 I, the undersigned, swear or affirm that I was born on
258	258	11 ...., ....(year), and that I have been a resident of the
259	259	12 State of Wyoming since ...., and that I am a registered
260	260	13 voter of the ....
261	261	14
262	262	15 school district or community
263	263	16 college district (and resident of trustee residence area or
264	264	17 subdistrict ...., if any), residing at ...., and I do
265	265	18 hereby request that my name, ...., be printed on the ballot
266	266	19 of the election to be held on the .... day of ....,
267	267	20 ....(year), as a candidate for the office of .... for a
268	268	21 term of .... years. I hereby declare that if I am elected,
269	269	22 I will qualify for the office.
270	270	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-050613HB0148
271	271	1 Dated: ....
272	272	2
273	273	3 .......... (Signature of Candidate)
274	274	4
275	275	5 .... Name as it is to appear on the ballot
276	276	6
277	277	7 ARTICLE 3
278	278	8 SCHOOL, COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY OF
279	279	9 WYOMING ELECTION PROCEDURE
280	280	10
281	281	11
282	282	12
283	283	13 As used in this article
284	284	14
285	285	15 community college district board or a school district board
286	286	16 of trustees.
287	287	17
288	288	18
289	289	19
290	290	20 Unless specifically otherwise provided, a school or
291	291	21 community college district
292	292	22 election shall be governed by the laws regulating
293	293	23 statewide elections and in even-numbered years be conducted 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-050614HB0148
294	294	1 and canvassed by the same election officials, using the
295	295	2 same poll lists, and at the same times and polling places,
296	296	3 as county elections.
297	297	4
298	298	5
299	299	6
300	300	7 (a) The official ballot shall contain the following
301	301	8 information:
302	302	9
303	303	10 (i) The name of the school district,
304	304	11 community college district
305	305	12
306	306	13;
307	307	14
308	308	15 (ii) The county or counties in which the
309	309	16 district or appointment district is located;
310	310	17
311	311	18 (iv) In districts divided into trustee residence
312	312	19 areas or subdistricts, the trustee residence area or
313	313	20 subdistrict of each candidate and the number to be elected
314	314	21 from each trustee residence area or subdistrict. For the
315	315	22
316	316	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-050615HB0148
317	317	1
318	318	2;
319	319	3
320	320	4W.S. 21-17-202(b) and 21-17-207 are
321	321	5 repealed.
322	322	6
323	323	7
324	324	8
325	325	9 (a) The terms of the seven (7) University of Wyoming
326	326	10 trustees elected at the first regular election after the
327	327	11 effective date of this act shall begin as provided by W.S.
328	328	12 22-22-102(a). The four (4) elected trustees receiving the
329	329	13 highest number of votes at the election shall serve four
330	330	14 (4) year terms and the elected trustees receiving the next
331	331	15 three (3) highest number of votes at the election shall
332	332	16 serve two (2) year terms. Thereafter, all terms shall be
333	333	17 for four (4) years in accordance with W.S. 21-17-202(a).
334	334	18
335	335	19 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law,
336	336	20 the terms of the twelve (12) existing appointed trustees
337	337	21 shall expire at 11:59 a.m. on the first day in December
338	338	22 following the 2026 general election. As provided by W.S.
339	339	23 28-12-101, the governor shall appoint seven (7) trustees to 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-050616HB0148
340	340	1 the University of Wyoming board of trustees. As designated
341	341	2 by the governor, four (4) appointed trustees shall serve
342	342	3 six (6) year terms and three (3) appointed trustees shall
343	343	4 serve three (3) year terms. Thereafter, all terms shall be
344	344	5 for six (6) years in accordance with W.S. 21-17-202(a).
345	345	6
346	346	7This act is effective immediately upon
347	347	8 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
348	348	9 as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming
349	349	10 Constitution.
350	350	11
351	351	12 (END)