The Wyoming Legislature adjourned their 2024 legislative session on March 8. In even-numbered years, the Wyoming legislature meets for only 20 days as a budget session. The legislature is only allowed to consider legislation that passes an introductory vote, a vote that takes place upon filing a bill. In total, 366 pieces of legislation were introduced, 126 of which passed both chambers.
Here’s what you may have missed:
The Budget
The only constitutional requirement the Wyoming Legislature must meet during the even-numbered year session is passing a budget, which seemed in flux throughout session due to disagreements between Republican senators. After last-minute deliberations, the legislature passed an approximately $11 billion budget for the 2025-26 fiscal biennium. One area of debate between the legislature and the governor’s office was funding for the Energy Matching Funds Program. The program provides matching funds for private or federal funding for research, demonstration, pilot projects or commercial deployment projects related to Wyoming’s energy needs. After a senate amendment withdrew this funding from the Governor Mark Gordon (R)’s proposal, $100,000,000 in funding was ultimately appropriated in the final budget.
The budget also featured provisions highlighting mental health, an issue Governor Gordon mentioned several times at the beginning of session. In January the governor released a roadmap to improved mental health care which included expanding access and affordability of care, particularly when it comes to suicide prevention. The governor has also held town halls across the state in recent months discussing mental health policies with constituents. After deliberations, the funding provided in the final budget for K-12 mental health services came to $10,000,000, with additional funding going towards the state’s 988 suicide hotline.
Healthcare Reform
While the budget was the main priority during the 2024 session, Wyoming’s legislature found time to address other areas of policy, including healthcare reforms. The legislature nearly unanimously passed a measure to regulate prior authorizations from insurance companies with support from organizations such as the Wyoming Hospital Association. Among other provisions, the bill requires insurance providers to issue an authorization within 72 hours for urgent health care services or five business days for nonurgent health care services. While timelines for authorization vary from state to state, many other legislatures are considering similar legislation this year, including Missouri, Mississippi, Indiana, and Oklahoma, whose bill passed the first chamber on March 13. The Wyoming bill was signed by Governor Gordon on March 4 and takes effect on January 1, 2026, although the Department of Insurance may begin promulgating rules for implementation immediately. Another measure, SF 100, outlines requirements for prompt payment of insurance claims. This measure is pending governor approval. If signed, the Department of Insurance would be authorized to begin rulemaking immediately.
Interim meetings will commence in at the end of April and the beginning of May. In Wyoming, as with many states, interim meetings are the breeding ground for future legislation. Later during the interim, committees will begin filing legislation that may be introduced in 2025. The next legislative session is scheduled to convene on January 14, 2025. For any questions on any legislative actions taken by the Wyoming Legislature in 2024 and to keep up to date with actions taken by interim committees, please reach out to Costa Costidis.