Wyoming 2025 Regular Session

Wyoming Senate Bill SF0148 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		2025
2	2		STATE OF WYOMING
3		-	25LSO-0607
4		-	ENGROSSED
5		-	1SF0148
	3	+	25LSO-06071SF0148
6	4		SENATE FILE NO. SF0148
7	5		Fire suppression and restoration funding.
8	6		Sponsored by: Senator(s) Crago, Anderson, Barlow, Boner and
9	7		Driskill and Representative(s) Byron,
10	8		Clouston, Connolly, Davis, Eklund, Larsen, L
11	9		and Williams
12	10		A BILL
13	11		for
14	12		1 AN ACT relating to wildfires; providing appropriations;
15		-	2 authorizing grants and expenditures; specifying duties of
16		-	3 the executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural
17		-	4 resource trust account board; providing for the transfer of
18		-	5 funds; authorizing borrowing; repealing prior borrowing
19		-	6 authorization; and providing for effective dates.
20		-	7
21		-	8
22		-	9
23		-	10 [WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION, RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION
24		-	11 FUNDING]
25		-	12
26		-	13.
27		-	14 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
28		-	ENGROSSED
29		-	2SF01481 (a) There is appropriated from the general fund for
30		-	2 the purpose of restoring funds expended by the state of
31		-	3 Wyoming to suppress wildfires that occurred in calendar
32		-	4 year 2024 the following amounts for the following programs
33		-	5 or purposes:
34		-	6
35		-	7 (i) One million dollars ($1,000,000.00) for the
36		-	8 special contingency division of the office of the governor,
37		-	9 unit 0601;
38		-	10
39		-	11 (ii) One million two hundred sixty-three
40		-	12 thousand nine hundred sixty-six dollars ($1,263,966.00) for
41		-	13 the disaster contingency unit within the homeland security
42		-	14 division of the office of the governor, unit 1106;
43		-	15
44		-	16 (iii) Thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00) to
45		-	17 the emergency fire suppression account within the office of
46		-	18 state lands and investments.
47		-	19
48		-	20 (b) There is appropriated from the general fund up to
49		-	21 twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00), or as much thereof
50		-	22 as is necessary, to be deposited by the state auditor in
51		-	23 the legislative stabilization reserve account for repayment 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
52		-	ENGROSSED
53		-	3SF0148
54		-	1 of funds borrowed on or before June 30, 2025 from the
55		-	2 legislative stabilization reserve account under 2024
56		-	3 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 301(b).
57		-	4
58		-	5 (c) There is appropriated from the general fund the
59		-	6 amounts specified in this subsection to the Wyoming
60		-	7 wildlife and natural resource trust income account for
61		-	8 mitigation and restoration projects needed as a result of
62		-	9 the wildfires that occurred within the state of Wyoming in
63		-	10 calendar year 2024. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-15-103(b),
64		-	11 amounts appropriated in this subsection shall not be
65		-	12 subject to the grant process or other requirements
66		-	13 specified in the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource
67		-	14 Funding Act. The following amounts shall be expended for
68		-	15 grants and expenditures approved by the executive director
69		-	16 of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account
70		-	17 board:
71		-	18
72		-	19 (i) One hundred million dollars
73		-	20 ($100,000,000.00) for purposes of restoring grass and
74		-	21 vegetation destroyed by wildfires on private and state
75		-	22 lands, preventing the establishment of nonnative invasive
76		-	23 terrestrial vegetation on private and state lands affected 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
77		-	ENGROSSED
78		-	4SF0148
79		-	1 by wildfires, replacing and restoring habitats destroyed by
80		-	2 wildfires on private and state lands and restoring lost
81		-	3 public infrastructure;
82		-	4
83		-	5 (ii) Ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) for
84		-	6 projects to restore watershed health and infrastructure for
85		-	7 municipal, community and county water supplies.
86		-	8
87		-	9 (d) The executive director of the Wyoming wildlife
88		-	10 and natural resource trust account board shall:
89		-	11
90		-	12 (i) Establish a process to accept and review
91		-	13 applications for grants and expenditures from funds
92		-	14 appropriated in subsection (c) of this section;
93		-	15
94		-	16 (ii) Develop grant and expenditure eligibility
95		-	17 criteria for receipt of funds appropriated in subsection
96		-	18 (c) of this section.
97		-	19
98		-	20 (e) Any proposed grant or expenditure of funds
99		-	21 appropriated in subsection (c) in this section shall be
100		-	22 subject to the following requirements:
101		-	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
102		-	ENGROSSED
103		-	5SF01481 (i) The proposed grant or expenditure shall be
104		-	2 reviewed by the attorney general, who shall determine
105		-	3 whether the grant or expenditure provides a substantial
106		-	4 public benefit and constitutes a lawful use of funds; and
107		-	5
108		-	6 (ii) The executive director of the Wyoming
109		-	7 wildlife and natural resource trust account board may
110		-	8 impose conditions on his approval of any grant or
111		-	9 expenditure, including a requirement for consideration from
112		-	10 the recipient or beneficiary thereof.
113		-	11
114		-	12 (f) The executive director of the Wyoming wildlife
115		-	13 and natural resource trust account board shall, not later
116		-	14 than October 1, 2025 and each October 1 thereafter until
117		-	15 the funds appropriated in subsection (c) of this section
118		-	16 are fully expended, report to the joint travel, recreation,
119		-	17 wildlife and cultural resources interim committee and the
120		-	18 joint appropriations committee on the expenditure,
121		-	19 encumbrances, obligations, recipients, purposes and
122		-	20 justifications for all grants and expenditures from funds
123		-	21 appropriated in subsection (c) of this section.
124		-	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
125		-	ENGROSSED
126		-	6SF01481 (g) Funds appropriated in this section shall not be
127		-	2 transferred or expended for any other purpose.
128		-	3 Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008, 9-2-1012(e) and 9-4-207, any
129		-	4 unexpended, unobligated funds appropriated in this section
130		-	5 shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2027.
131		-	6
132		-	7 [TRANSFERS – WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION, RESTORATION AND
133		-	8 REHABILITATION]
134		-	9
135		-	10The state auditor shall transfer one
136		-	11 hundred sixty-two million two hundred seventy-six thousand
137		-	12 four hundred sixty-six dollars ($162,276,466.00) from the
138		-	13 legislative stabilization reserve account to the general
139		-	14 fund for purposes of this act.
140		-	15
141		-	16 [BORROWING AUTHORITY – WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION]
142		-	17
143		-	18For the period beginning July 1, 2025 and
144		-	19 ending June 30, 2026, the governor is authorized to borrow
145		-	20 from the legislative stabilization reserve account up to
146		-	21 forty million dollars ($40,000,000.00) as necessary to meet
147		-	22 funding requirements to fight wildfires in the event the
148		-	23 reserves in the office of state lands and investments' 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
149		-	ENGROSSED
150		-	7SF0148
151		-	1 forestry division have been exhausted. The governor shall
152		-	2 report to the joint appropriations committee, the president
153		-	3 of the senate and the speaker of the house of
154		-	4 representatives immediately upon exercise of this
155		-	5 authority.
156		-	6
157		-	7 [APPLICABILITY]
	13	+	2 authorizing grants and expenditures; creating a steering
	14	+	3 committee; specifying duties of the executive director of
	15	+	4 the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account
	16	+	5 board; providing for the transfer of funds; authorizing
	17	+	6 borrowing; repealing prior borrowing authorization; and
	18	+	7 providing for effective dates.
158	19		8
159	20		9
160	21		10
161		-	11 ~~(a) The appropriations in section 1(a) of this act~~
162		-	12 ~~shall be reduced in accordance with the following:~~
	22	+	11 [WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION, RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION
	23	+	12 FUNDING]
163	24		13
164		-	14 (i) The appropriation in section 1(a)(i) of this
165		-	15 act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one
166		-	16 dollar ($1.00) appropriated in the 2025 general session for
167		-	17 the special contingency division of the office of the
168		-	18 governor, unit 0601, for the purposes specified in section
169		-	19 1(a) of this act;
	25	+	14. 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-06072SF01481
	26	+	2 (a) There is appropriated from the general fund for
	27	+	3 the purpose of restoring funds expended by the state of
	28	+	4 Wyoming to suppress wildfires that occurred in calendar
	29	+	5 year 2024 the following amounts for the following programs
	30	+	6 or purposes:
	31	+	7
	32	+	8 (i) One million dollars ($1,000,000.00) for the
	33	+	9 special contingency division of the office of the governor,
	34	+	10 unit 0601;
	35	+	11
	36	+	12 (ii) One million two hundred sixty-three
	37	+	13 thousand nine hundred sixty-six dollars ($1,263,966.00) for
	38	+	14 the disaster contingency unit within the homeland security
	39	+	15 division of the office of the governor, unit 1106;
	40	+	16
	41	+	17 (iii) Thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00) to
	42	+	18 the emergency fire suppression account within the office of
	43	+	19 state lands and investments.
170	44		20
171		-	21 (ii) The appropriation in section 1(a)(ii) of
172		-	22 this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every
173		-	23 one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in the 2025 general session 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
174		-	ENGROSSED
175		-	8SF0148
176		-	1 for the disaster contingency unit within the homeland
177		-	2 security division of the office of the governor, unit 1106,
178		-	3 for the purposes specified in section 1(a) of this act;
	45	+	21 (b) There is appropriated from the general fund up to
	46	+	22 twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00), or as much thereof
	47	+	23 as is necessary, to be deposited by the state auditor in 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-06073SF0148
	48	+	1 the legislative stabilization reserve account for repayment
	49	+	2 of funds borrowed on or before June 30, 2025 from the
	50	+	3 legislative stabilization reserve account under 2024
	51	+	4 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 301(b).
	52	+	5
	53	+	6 (c) There is appropriated from the general fund the
	54	+	7 amounts specified in this subsection to the Wyoming
	55	+	8 wildlife and natural resource trust income account for
	56	+	9 mitigation and restoration projects needed as a result of
	57	+	10 the wildfires that occurred within the state of Wyoming in
	58	+	11 calendar year 2024. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-15-103(b),
	59	+	12 amounts appropriated in this subsection and subsection (h)
	60	+	13 of this section shall not be subject to the grant process
	61	+	14 or other requirements specified in the Wyoming Wildlife and
	62	+	15 Natural Resource Funding Act. Following review and
	63	+	16 recommendation by the steering committee created in
	64	+	17 subsection (d) of this section, the following amounts shall
	65	+	18 be expended for grants and expenditures approved by the
	66	+	19 executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural
	67	+	20 resource trust account board:
	68	+	21
	69	+	22 (i) One hundred million dollars
	70	+	23 ($100,000,000.00) for purposes of restoring grass and 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-06074SF0148
	71	+	1 vegetation destroyed by wildfires on private and state
	72	+	2 lands, preventing the establishment of nonnative invasive
	73	+	3 terrestrial vegetation on private and state lands affected
	74	+	4 by wildfires, replacing and restoring habitats destroyed by
	75	+	5 wildfires on private and state lands and restoring lost
	76	+	6 public infrastructure;
	77	+	7
	78	+	8 (ii) Ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) for
	79	+	9 projects to repair or replace watershed habitat and
	80	+	10 facilities for municipal, community and county water
	81	+	11 supplies.
	82	+	12
	83	+	13 (d) There is created a steering committee to consist
	84	+	14 of the following members:
	85	+	15
	86	+	16 (i) Members of the legislature as follows:
	87	+	17
	88	+	18 (A) One (1) member of the Wyoming house of
	89	+	19 representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house;
	90	+	20
	91	+	21 (B) One (1) member of the Wyoming senate,
	92	+	22 appointed by the president of the senate.
	93	+	23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-06075SF01481 (ii) The executive director of the Wyoming
	94	+	2 wildlife and natural resource trust account board, who
	95	+	3 shall be the chairman of the steering committee;
179	96		4
180		-	5 (iii) The appropriation in section 1(a)(iii) of
181		-	6 this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every
182		-	7 one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in the 2025 general session
183		-	8 to the emergency fire suppression account within the office
184		-	9 of state lands and investments for the purposes specified
185		-	10 in section 1(a) of this act.
	97	+	5 (iii) Not to exceed six (6) members appointed by
	98	+	6 the governor representing or having expertise in, but not
	99	+	7 limited to, the following:
	100	+	8
	101	+	9 (A) The Wyoming office of the governor;
	102	+	10
	103	+	11 (B) The Wyoming game and fish department;
	104	+	12
	105	+	13 (C) The weed and pest division of the
	106	+	14 Wyoming department of agriculture;
	107	+	15
	108	+	16 (D) The agricultural extension services of
	109	+	17 the University of Wyoming;
	110	+	18
	111	+	19 (E) Wyoming county commissioners;
	112	+	20
	113	+	21 (F) The agricultural industry.
	114	+	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-06076SF01481 (e) The steering committee created in subsection (d)
	115	+	2 of this section shall:
	116	+	3
	117	+	4 (i) Establish a process to accept and review
	118	+	5 applications for grants and expenditures from funds
	119	+	6 appropriated in subsection (c) of this section;
	120	+	7
	121	+	8 (ii) Develop grant and expenditure eligibility
	122	+	9 criteria for receipt of funds appropriated in subsection
	123	+	10 (c) of this section; and
186	124		11
187		-	12 (b) ~~The appropriation in section 1(b) of this act~~
188		-	13 ~~shall be reduced by one dollar~~ (~~$1.00~~) ~~for every one dollar~~
189		-	14 ~~($1~~.~~00) appropriated in the 2025 general session to the~~
190		-	15 ~~legislative stabilization reserve account for the repayment~~
191		-	16 of funds ~~borrowed on or before June 30, 2025 from the~~
192		-	17 ~~account under 2024 Wyoming session laws,~~ ~~chapter 118,~~
193		-	18 ~~section 301(b).~~
	125	+	12 (iii) Make recommendations for grants and
	126	+	13 expenditures from funds appropriated in subsections (c) of
	127	+	14 this section.
	128	+	15
	129	+	16 (f) Any proposed grant or expenditure of funds
	130	+	17 appropriated in subsection (c) in this section shall be
	131	+	18 subject to the following requirements:
194	132		19
195		-	20 (c) The appropriations in section 1(c) of this act
196		-	21 shall be reduced in accordance with the following:
197		-	22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
198		-	ENGROSSED
199		-	9SF01481 (i) The appropriation in section 1(c)(i) of this
200		-	2 act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one
201		-	3 dollar ($1.00) appropriated or authorized for borrowing in
202		-	4 section 346 of 2025 Senate File 0001 or section 346 of 2025
203		-	5 House Bill 0001;
	133	+	20 (i) The proposed grant or expenditure shall be
	134	+	21 reviewed by the attorney general, who shall determine
	135	+	22 whether the grant or expenditure provides a substantial
	136	+	23 public benefit and constitutes a lawful use of funds; and 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-06077SF01481
	137	+	2 (ii) The executive director of the Wyoming
	138	+	3 wildlife and natural resource trust account board may
	139	+	4 impose conditions on his approval of any grant or
	140	+	5 expenditure, including a requirement for consideration from
	141	+	6 the recipient or beneficiary thereof.
	142	+	7
	143	+	8 (g) There is appropriated twelve thousand five
	144	+	9 hundred dollars ($12,500.00) from the general fund to the
	145	+	10 legislative service office for purposes of providing
	146	+	11 salary, mileage and per diem to the legislative members of
	147	+	12 the steering committee appointed under subsection (d) of
	148	+	13 this section. Payments shall be made in the manner and
	149	+	14 amount provided by W.S. 28-5-101 for conducting official
	150	+	15 business of the steering committee.
	151	+	16
	152	+	17 (h) From amounts appropriated under subsection (c) of
	153	+	18 this section, there shall be paid per diem and mileage to
	154	+	19 the non-legislative members and nonstate employee members
	155	+	20 of the steering committee appointed under subsection (d) of
	156	+	21 this section. Payments shall be made in the amount provided
	157	+	22 for members of the legislature by W.S. 28-5-101 for
	158	+	23 conducting the official business of the steering committee. 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-06078SF0148
	159	+	1 The members of the steering committee representing Wyoming
	160	+	2 state government shall be considered to be acting within
	161	+	3 the scope of regular employment when conducting the
	162	+	4 official business of the steering committee and shall
	163	+	5 receive their regular pay without additional compensation.
204	164		6
205		-	7 (ii) The appropriation in section 1(c)(ii) of
206		-	8 this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every
207		-	9 one dollar ($1.00) appropriated or authorized for borrowing
208		-	10 in the 2025 general session for the purposes specified in
209		-	11 section 1(c) and 1(c)(ii) of this act.
	165	+	7 (j) The steering committee shall terminate on
	166	+	8 December 31, 2026.
	167	+	9
	168	+	10 (k) The executive director of the Wyoming wildlife
	169	+	11 and natural resource trust account board shall, not later
	170	+	12 than October 1, 2025 and each October 1 thereafter until
	171	+	13 the funds appropriated in subsection (c) of this section
	172	+	14 are fully expended, report to the joint agriculture, state
	173	+	15 and public lands and water resources interim committee and
	174	+	16 the joint appropriations committee on the expenditure,
	175	+	17 encumbrances, obligations, recipients, purposes and
	176	+	18 justifications for all grants and expenditures from funds
	177	+	19 appropriated in subsection (c) of this section.
	178	+	20
	179	+	21 (m) Funds appropriated in this section shall not be
	180	+	22 transferred or expended for any other purpose.
	181	+	23 Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008, 9-2-1012(e) and 9-4-207, any 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-06079SF0148
	182	+	1 unexpended, unobligated funds appropriated in this section
	183	+	2 shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2027.
	184	+	3
	185	+	4 [TRANSFERS – WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION, RESTORATION AND
	186	+	5 REHABILITATION]
	187	+	6
	188	+	7The state auditor shall transfer one
	189	+	8 hundred sixty-two million two hundred seventy-six thousand
	190	+	9 four hundred sixty-six dollars ($162,276,466.00) from the
	191	+	10 legislative stabilization reserve account to the general
	192	+	11 fund for purposes of this act.
210	193		12
211		-	13 (d) Section 1(d) through (k) of this act shall not be
212		-	14 effective if either section 346 of 2025 Senate File 0001 or
213		-	15 section 346 of 2025 House Bill 0001 is enacted into law.
214		-	16
215		-	17 (e) The appropriation in section 2 of this act shall
216		-	18 be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar
217		-	19 ($1.00) that an appropriation specified in subsections (a)
218		-	20 through (c) of this section is reduced.
219		-	21
220		-	22 (f) The authority to borrow funds specified in
221		-	23 section 3 of this act shall be reduced by one dollar 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0607
222		-	ENGROSSED
223		-	10SF0148
224		-	1 ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) of borrowing authority
225		-	2 granted in 2025 Senate File 0001, 2025 House Bill 0001 or
226		-	3 2025 Senate File 0152 for the purposes specified in section
227		-	4 3 of this act.
	194	+	13 [BORROWING AUTHORITY – WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION]
	195	+	14
	196	+	15For the period beginning July 1, 2025 and
	197	+	16 ending June 30, 2026, the governor is authorized to borrow
	198	+	17 from the legislative stabilization reserve account up to
	199	+	18 thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00) as necessary to
	200	+	19 meet funding requirements to fight wildfires in the event
	201	+	20 the reserves in the office of state lands and investments'
	202	+	21 forestry division have been exhausted. The governor shall
	203	+	22 report to the joint appropriations committee, the president
	204	+	23 of the senate and the speaker of the house of 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-060710SF0148
	205	+	1 representatives immediately upon exercise of this
	206	+	2 authority.
	207	+	3
	208	+	4 [REPEAL]
228	209		5
229		-	6 ~~[REPEAL]~~
230		-	7
231		-	8~~. 2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118,~~
232		-	9 ~~section 301(b) is repealed.~~
	210	+	6. 2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118,
	211	+	7 section 301(b) is repealed.
	212	+	8
	213	+	9 [EFFECTIVE DATES]
233	214		10
234		-	11 ~~[EFFECTIVE DATES]~~
	215	+	11
235	216		12
236		-	13
237		-	14
238		-	15 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
239		-	16 section, this act is effective immediately upon completion
240		-	17 of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided
241		-	18 by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
242		-	19
243		-	20 (b) Sections 3 and 5 of this act are effective July
244		-	21 1, 2025.
245		-	22
246		-	23 (END)
	217	+	13 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
	218	+	14 section, this act is effective immediately upon completion
	219	+	15 of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided
	220	+	16 by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
	221	+	17
	222	+	18 (b) Sections 3 and 4 of this act are effective July
	223	+	19 1, 2025.
	224	+	20
	225	+	21 (END)