2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-05221HB0260
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0260
Criminal accountability grant program.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Washut and Harshman and
Senator(s) Driskill and Nethercott
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to administration of the government;
2 establishing a program to provide grants to cities and
3 towns to offset the costs of specified criminal activity;
4 requiring rulemaking; requiring reports; providing an
5 appropriation; and providing for effective dates.
6
7
8
9. W.S. 9-1-641 is created to read:
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11
12
13 (a) There is created the criminal accountability
14 grant program. The grant program shall be administered by
15 the attorney general, who shall establish the application 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05222HB0260
1 process and any other requirements of the grant program not
2 otherwise provided by this section. Grants under this
3 section shall be awarded to qualifying cities and towns to
4 offset a portion of the costs associated with criminal
5 activity and shall be awarded in accordance with the
6 following factors:
7
8 (i) Any increase in actual costs incurred due to
9 an increase in the number of offenders incarcerated in the
10 city or town when comparing fiscal year 2022 to the most
11 recent fiscal year. Increased costs due to an increase in
12 jail fees assessed by the local sheriff shall not be a
13 factor under this paragraph;
14
15 (ii) The number of violent crimes reported in
16 the city or town to the Wyoming division of criminal
17 investigation in the most recent fiscal year using a
18 national incident-based reporting system. Any city or town
19 not using a national incident-based reporting system shall
20 be ineligible to receive a grant under this section;
21 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05223HB02601 (iii) The number of fentanyl cases filed for
2 prosecution and fentanyl seizures within the city or town
3 in the most recent fiscal year;
4
5 (iv) The number of crimes filed for prosecution
6 against a nonresident in the most recent fiscal year in the
7 city or town. For purposes of this paragraph, "nonresident"
8 means a person who has not maintained a permanent residence
9 in the city or town within the previous year.
10
11 (b) The attorney general shall develop an application
12 process, including required documentation and application
13 deadlines, for cities or towns to apply for grants under
14 this section. Any city or town may apply for a grant under
15 this section pursuant to the application process
16 established by the attorney general.
17
18 (c) The size of the grant awarded to a city or town
19 shall be based on the amount of criminal activity
20 established in the factors outlined in subsection (a) of
21 this section and the demonstrated need of the city or town.
22 Grants awarded under this section shall be expended only to
23 offset the actual costs to the city or town of criminal 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05224HB0260
1 activity associated with any of the factors established in
2 subsection (a) of this section. Upon receipt of a grant
3 application the attorney general shall review the
4 application and shall rank the application, with not more
5 than ten (10) cities or towns receiving a grant in any
6 given fiscal year. No city or town shall receive more than
7 one (1) grant in a fiscal year.
8
9 (d) Not later than October 1, 2026, and each year
10 thereafter, the attorney general shall submit reports to
11 the joint judiciary interim committee and the governor
12 including information on the following, to the extent that
13 the information is available:
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15 (i) The number of applications that the attorney
16 general received from cities or towns for grant funding
17 under this section;
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19 (ii) The number and a description of the grants
20 that the attorney general awarded to cities or towns under
21 this section;
22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05225HB02601 (iii) How each city or town that received a
2 grant under this section used or plans to use the grant to
3 offset costs.
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5 (e) Cities or towns that received grants under this
6 section shall cooperate with the attorney general by
7 providing any information requested by the attorney general
8 to complete the reports required under subsection (e) of
9 this section not later than thirty (30) days after
10 receiving the request.
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12
13
14 (a) There is appropriated five million dollars
15 ($5,000,000.00) from the general fund to the attorney
16 general for purposes of this act for the period beginning
17 July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026. This appropriation
18 shall only be used to award grants to cities or towns
19 pursuant to this act. This appropriation shall not be
20 transferred or expended for any other purpose and any
21 unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this
22 appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30,
23 2026. 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-05226HB0260
1
2 (b) It is the intent of the legislature that the
3 funding to implement the criminal accountability grant
4 program in subsection (a) of this section be doubled and
5 included in the attorney general's standard budget request
6 submitted under W.S. 9-2-1013.
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8The attorney general shall promulgate all
9 rules necessary to implement this act.
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11.
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13 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
14 section, this act is effective July 1, 2025.
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16 (b) Sections 3 and 4 of this act are effective
17 immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a
18 bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of
19 the Wyoming Constitution.
20
21 (END)