Wyoming 2025 Regular Session

Wyoming House Bill HB0149 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-05451HB0149
4	4	HOUSE BILL NO. HB0149
5	5	Adoption discrimination-keep kids first act.
6	6	Sponsored by: Representative(s) Rodriguez-Williams,
7	7	Angelos, Haroldson, Hoeft, Neiman,
8	8	Pendergraft and Singh and Senator(s)
9	9	Brennan, Hutchings, Ide, Olsen and Salazar
10	10	A BILL
11	11	for
12	12	1 AN ACT relating to children; providing legislative
13	13	2 findings; specifying protections for specified adoption and
14	14	3 foster care providers and parents; prohibiting
15	15	4 discriminatory actions associated with adoption and foster
16	16	5 care; specifying remedies and causes of action; making
17	17	6 conforming amendments; providing definitions; and providing
18	18	7 for an effective date.
19	19	8
20	20	9
21	21	10
22	22	11.
23	23	12
24	24	13 (a) The legislature finds that:
25	25	14 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05452HB01491 (i) The state seeks to place children in a safe,
26	26	2 loving and supportive home when the state is required to
27	27	3 place a child with an adoptive or foster family;
28	28	4
29	29	5 (ii) There are several adoption and foster care
30	30	6 agencies in this state that assist families with adoption
31	31	7 and foster parent placements of children;
32	32	8
33	33	9 (iii) The adoption and foster care agencies in
34	34	10 Wyoming represent diverse organizations and groups, some of
35	35	11 which are faith-based and some of which are not
36	36	12 faith-based;
37	37	13
38	38	14 (iv) Children in need of adoption and foster
39	39	15 care placement services benefit from having as many
40	40	16 adoption and foster parent agencies available as possible,
41	41	17 because the more agencies that participate in these
42	42	18 services, the greater the likelihood that children will
43	43	19 find permanent placements;
44	44	20
45	45	21 (v) The United States Supreme Court has
46	46	22 recognized the benefits of having more, not fewer, adoption
47	47	23 and foster care providers. "Maximizing the number of foster 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05453HB0149
48	48	1 families and minimizing liability are important goals, but
49	49	2 the City fails to show that granting [Catholic Social
50	50	3 Services] an exception will put those goals at risk. If
51	51	4 anything, including [Catholic Social Services] in the
52	52	5 program seems likely to increase, not reduce, the number of
53	53	6 available foster parents." Fulton v. City of Philadelphia,
54	54	7 141 S. Ct. 1868, 1881–82 (2021);
55	55	8
56	56	9 (vi) Children and families benefit greatly from
57	57	10 the adoption and foster care services provided by
58	58	11 faith-based and nonfaith-based child placement agencies;
59	59	12
60	60	13 (vii) Faith-based organizations and groups have
61	61	14 a lengthy and distinguished history of providing adoption
62	62	15 and foster care services in Wyoming;
63	63	16
64	64	17 (viii) Private child placement agencies and
65	65	18 persons, including faith-based child placement agencies and
66	66	19 persons, have the right to free exercise of religion under
67	67	20 both the United States and Wyoming Constitutions. Under
68	68	21 well-settled principles of constitutional law, this right
69	69	22 includes the freedom to abstain from conduct that conflicts
70	70	23 with an agency's sincerely held religious beliefs; 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05454HB01491
71	71	2 (ix) Ensuring that faith-based child placement
72	72	3 agencies can continue to provide adoption and foster care
73	73	4 services will benefit the children and families who receive
74	74	5 those services;
75	75	6
76	76	7 (x) The United States Constitution allows all
77	77	8 adoption and foster care providers to operate according to
78	78	9 their beliefs without fear of unjust government punishment;
79	79	10
80	80	11 (xi) In a unanimous decision, the United States
81	81	12 Supreme Court made clear that state governments violate the
82	82	13 requirements of religious neutrality when they undermine
83	83	14 religious beliefs or practices, stating that government
84	84	15 "fails to act neutrally when it proceeds in a manner
85	85	16 intolerant of religious beliefs or restricts practices
86	86	17 because of their religious nature." Fulton v. City of
87	87	18 Philadelphia, 141 S. Ct. 1868, 1877 (2021);
88	88	19
89	89	20 (xii) "The Constitution forbids laws that
90	90	21 prohibit the free exercise of religion. That guarantee
91	91	22 protects not just the right to be a religious person,
92	92	23 holding beliefs inwardly and secretly; it also protects the 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05455HB0149
93	93	1 right to act on those beliefs outwardly and publicly."
94	94	2 Espinoza v. Mont. Dep't of Revenue, 591 U.S. 464, 510
95	95	3 (2020) (Gorsuch, J., concurring) (emphases in original);
96	96	4
97	97	5 (xiii) The United States Supreme Court has "long
98	98	6 recognized the importance of protecting religious actions,
99	99	7 not just religious status." Espinoza, 591 U.S. at 511
100	100	8 (Gorsuch, J., concurring). The "First Amendment protects
101	101	9 the 'freedom to act' as well as the 'freedom to believe.'"
102	102	10 Espinoza, 591 U.S. at 511 (Gorsuch, J., concurring)
103	103	11 (quoting Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296, 303
104	104	12 (1940));
105	105	13
106	106	14 (xiv) The government violates the Free Exercise
107	107	15 Clause whenever it "conditions receipt of an important
108	108	16 benefit upon conduct proscribed by a religious faith, or
109	109	17 where it denies such a benefit because of conduct mandated
110	110	18 by religious belief, thereby putting substantial pressure
111	111	19 on an adherent to modify his behavior to violate his
112	112	20 beliefs." Thomas v. Review Bd. of Ind. Employment Sec.
113	113	21 Div., 450 U.S. 707, 717–18 (1981).
114	114	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05456HB01491. W.S. 1-39-124 and 14-1-301 through
115	115	2 14-1-304 are created to read:
116	116	3
117	117	4
118	118	5
119	119	6
120	120	7 A governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from
121	121	8 a violation of W.S. 14-1-301 through 14-1-304 pursuant to
122	122	9 W.S. 14-1-303.
123	123	10
124	124	11 ARTICLE 3
125	125	12 ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE PROTECTION
126	126	13
127	127	14
128	128	15
129	129	16 (a) As used in this article:
130	130	17
131	131	18 (i) "Adoption or foster care" means any social
132	132	19 service provided to or on behalf of children for adoption
133	133	20 or foster care, including:
134	134	21
135	135	22 (A) Promoting foster parenting;
136	136	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05457HB01491 (B) Providing foster homes, residential
137	137	2 care, group homes or temporary group shelters for children;
138	138	3
139	139	4 (C) Recruiting foster parents;
140	140	5
141	141	6 (D) Placing children in foster homes;
142	142	7
143	143	8 (E) Licensing or certifying foster homes;
144	144	9
145	145	10 (F) Promoting adoption or recruiting
146	146	11 adoptive parents;
147	147	12
148	148	13 (G) Assisting adoptions or supporting
149	149	14 adoptive families;
150	150	15
151	151	16 (H) Performing or assisting home studies;
152	152	17
153	153	18 (J) Assisting kinship guardianships or
154	154	19 kinship caregivers;
155	155	20
156	156	21 (K) Providing family preservation services;
157	157	22
158	158	23 (M) Providing family support services; 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05458HB01491
159	159	2 (N) Providing temporary family
160	160	3 reunification services.
161	161	4
162	162	5 (ii) "Governmental entity" means the state and
163	163	6 its agencies and political subdivisions, the University of
164	164	7 Wyoming, cities, towns and counties and their agencies,
165	165	8 instrumentalities and institutions;
166	166	9
167	167	10 (iii) "Religious organization" means one (1) or
168	168	11 more of the following:
169	169	12
170	170	13 (A) A house of worship, including churches,
171	171	14 synagogues, shrines, mosques and temples;
172	172	15
173	173	16 (B) A religious group, corporation,
174	174	17 association, school, educational institution, ministry,
175	175	18 order, society or other entity, regardless of whether the
176	176	19 entity is integrated or affiliated with a church or other
177	177	20 house of worship;
178	178	21 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05459HB01491 (C) An officer, owner, employee, manager,
179	179	2 religious leader, clergy or minister of an entity or
180	180	3 organization described in this paragraph.
181	181	4
182	182	5 (iv) "State benefit program" means any program
183	183	6 administered, controlled or funded by the state or any
184	184	7 other governmental entity that provides cash, payments,
185	185	8 grants, contracts, loans or other in-kind assistance.
186	186	9
187	187	10
188	188	11
189	189	12
190	190	13
191	191	14 (a) No governmental entity shall take any
192	192	15 discriminatory action against a person:
193	193	16
194	194	17 (i) That advertises, provides or facilitates
195	195	18 adoption or foster care, wholly or partially on the basis
196	196	19 that the person has provided or declined to provide any
197	197	20 adoption or foster care service or related service based on
198	198	21 or in a manner consistent with a sincerely held religious
199	199	22 belief;
200	200	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-054510HB01491 (ii) To whom the governmental entity grants
201	201	2 custody of a foster or adoptive child, or who seeks the
202	202	3 custody of a foster or adoptive child, wholly or partially
203	203	4 on the basis that the person guides, instructs or raises a
204	204	5 child, or intends to guide, instruct or raise a child,
205	205	6 based on or in a manner consistent with a sincerely held
206	206	7 religious belief. For purposes of this paragraph, a
207	207	8 governmental entity may consider whether a person shares
208	208	9 the same religion or faith tradition as a foster or
209	209	10 adoptive child when considering placement of the child in
210	210	11 order to prioritize placement with a person of the same
211	211	12 religion or faith tradition.
212	212	13
213	213	14 (b) No governmental entity shall take any of the
214	214	15 following discriminatory actions against any person
215	215	16 protected under subsection (a) of this section because of a
216	216	17 sincerely held religious belief:
217	217	18
218	218	19 (i) Alter in any way the tax treatment of, or
219	219	20 cause any additional tax, penalty or payment to be assessed
220	220	21 against, or deny, delay, revoke or otherwise make
221	221	22 unavailable an exemption from taxation;
222	222	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-054511HB01491 (ii) Disallow, deny or otherwise make
223	223	2 unavailable a deduction for state taxation purposes of any
224	224	3 charitable contribution made to or by a person protected
225	225	4 under subsection (a) of this section;
226	226	5
227	227	6 (iii) Withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate,
228	228	7 materially alter the terms and conditions of or otherwise
229	229	8 make unavailable or deny any state grant, contract,
230	230	9 subcontract, cooperative agreement, guarantee, loan,
231	231	10 scholarship or other similar benefit;
232	232	11
233	233	12 (iv) Withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate,
234	234	13 adversely alter the terms or conditions of or otherwise
235	235	14 make unavailable or deny any entitlement or benefit under a
236	236	15 state benefit program;
237	237	16
238	238	17 (v) Impose, levy or assess a monetary fine, fee,
239	239	18 penalty, damages award or injunction, unless otherwise
240	240	19 expressly provided by law;
241	241	20
242	242	21 (vi) Withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate,
243	243	22 materially alter the terms or conditions of or otherwise
244	244	23 make unavailable or deny any license, certification, 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-054512HB0149
245	245	1 accreditation, custody award, agreement, diploma, grade,
246	246	2 recognition or other similar benefit, position or status,
247	247	3 unless otherwise expressly provided by law;
248	248	4
249	249	5 (vii) Refuse to hire or promote, force to
250	250	6 resign, fire, demote, sanction, discipline, adversely alter
251	251	7 the terms or conditions of employment or retaliate or take
252	252	8 any other adverse employment action, if the person is
253	253	9 employed or is seeking employment with a governmental
254	254	10 entity.
255	255	11
256	256	12 (c) Except as otherwise provided by state and federal
257	257	13 law, each governmental entity shall consider a person
258	258	14 protected under subsection (a) of this section to be
259	259	15 accredited, licensed or certified as an adoptive parent or
260	260	16 foster care parent if the person would otherwise be
261	261	17 accredited, licensed or certified as an adoptive parent or
262	262	18 foster care parent under state law but for a determination
263	263	19 against the person wholly or partially on the basis that
264	264	20 the person believes, maintains policies and procedures or
265	265	21 acts in accordance with a sincerely held religious belief.
266	266	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-054513HB01491 (d) Each governmental entity shall consider any
267	267	2 person for a contract, grant or agreement related to
268	268	3 adoption or foster care if the person otherwise would be
269	269	4 considered but for a determination against the person
270	270	5 wholly or partially on the basis that the person believes,
271	271	6 maintains policies and procedures or acts in accordance
272	272	7 with a sincerely held religious belief.
273	273	8
274	274	9
275	275	10
276	276	11
277	277	12 (a) Any person may assert a violation of this article
278	278	13 as a claim against a governmental entity in any judicial or
279	279	14 administrative proceeding, or as a defense in any judicial
280	280	15 or administrative proceeding.
281	281	16
282	282	17 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an
283	283	18 action arising from this article may be commenced, and
284	284	19 relief may be granted, without regard to whether the person
285	285	20 commencing the action has sought or exhausted remedies
286	286	21 available under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act.
287	287	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-054514HB01491 (c) Any person who successfully asserts a claim or
288	288	2 defense under this article may recover:
289	289	3
290	290	4 (i) Declaratory relief;
291	291	5
292	292	6 (ii) Injunctive relief;
293	293	7
294	294	8 (iii) Compensatory damages;
295	295	9
296	296	10 (iv) Reasonable attorney fees and costs;
297	297	11
298	298	12 (v) Any other appropriate relief.
299	299	13
300	300	14 (d) For purposes of subsection (c) of this section,
301	301	15 declaratory relief and injunctive relief shall only be
302	302	16 available upon a successful assertion of a defense under
303	303	17 this article.
304	304	18
305	305	19 (e) Any action commenced under this section shall be
306	306	20 brought not later than two (2) years after the date the
307	307	21 person knew or reasonably should have known that a
308	308	22 discriminatory action was taken against a person in
309	309	23 violation of this article. 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-054515HB0149
310	310	1
311	311	2
312	312	3
313	313	4 (a) This article shall be construed in favor of a
314	314	5 broad protection of free exercise of religious beliefs, to
315	315	6 the maximum extent permitted by the constitutions of the
316	316	7 United States and Wyoming.
317	317	8
318	318	9 (b) The protection of free exercise of religious
319	319	10 beliefs afforded by this article are in addition to the
320	320	11 protections provided under federal law, state law and the
321	321	12 constitutions of the United States and Wyoming. Nothing in
322	322	13 this article shall be construed to:
323	323	14
324	324	15 (i) Preempt or repeal any state or local law
325	325	16 that is equally or more protective of the free exercise of
326	326	17 religious beliefs;
327	327	18
328	328	19 (ii) Narrow the meaning or application of any
329	329	20 state or local law protecting the free exercise of
330	330	21 religious beliefs;
331	331	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-054516HB01491 (iii) Prevent the state or a governmental entity
332	332	2 from providing, either directly or through a person not
333	333	3 seeking protection under this article, any benefit or
334	334	4 service authorized under state law.
335	335	5
336	336	6 (c) This act shall apply to, and in cases of conflict
337	337	7 shall supersede, any other statute, rule or regulation that
338	338	8 infringes upon the free exercise of religious beliefs and
339	339	9 moral convictions protected by this article, unless a
340	340	10 conflicting statute is expressly made exempt from the
341	341	11 application of this article. This act shall apply to and
342	342	12 supersede any ordinance, rule, regulation, order, opinion,
343	343	13 decision, practice or other exercise of the state's and
344	344	14 each governmental entity's authority that infringes on the
345	345	15 free exercise of religious beliefs protected by this
346	346	16 article.
347	347	17
348	348	18W.S. 1-39-104(a) is amended to read:
349	349	19
350	350	20
351	351	21
352	352	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-054517HB01491 (a) A governmental entity and its public employees
353	353	2 while acting within the scope of duties are granted
354	354	3 immunity from liability for any tort except as provided by
355	355	4 W.S. 1-39-105 through 1-39-112, 1-39-122
356	356	5. Any immunity in actions based on a
357	357	6 contract entered into by a governmental entity is waived
358	358	7 except to the extent provided by the contract if the
359	359	8 contract was within the powers granted to the entity and
360	360	9 was properly executed and except as provided in W.S.
361	361	10 1-39-120(b). The claims procedures of W.S. 1-39-113 apply
362	362	11 to contractual claims against governmental entities.
363	363	12
364	364	13. This act is effective July 1, 2025
365	365	14
366	366	15 (END)