The Wyoming House amended and passed Senate File 132, an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) appropriations bill, after floor amendments that removed a provision giving the bill priority over the budget, reaffirmed broader gubernatorial flexibility for unspent funds, and inserted a targeted appropriation for a municipal water tank.

Representative Larson JT moved third‑reading amendment No. 1 to delete a second‑reading amendment and give the governor expanded flexibility to use the funds; the amendment was adopted. Representative Swanitzer moved third‑reading amendment No. 2 to remove a section that would have made this bill take precedence over the general budget compromise; the amendment carried on the floor. Representative Nicholas then offered third‑reading amendment No. 3, adding an appropriation of $2,000,000 in ARPA funds to the town of Wheatland for a water tank project if the project qualifies and meets expenditure deadlines; members debated whether allocating specific community projects from the floor would bypass competitive application processes followed earlier in the session.

Opponents of the Wheatland appropriation warned that inserting local projects on the floor could open the door for numerous late allocations and circumvent established vetting processes for ARPA funds. Supporters argued the town demonstrated urgent need and that unobligated ARPA balances could be used to complete ready projects. Representative Larson JT described the reallocation pool and estimated there were approximately $54 million in funds that could be reallocated plus additional sums that might revert to the governor’s authority before a specified date.

After floor debate and division/voice procedures for amendments, the House adopted the amendments and passed Senate File 132 on third reading; the clerk recorded the passage in favor of the bill in the final roll call recorded on the floor.

Key floor actions and votes recorded on the session audio/transcript:

- Third‑reading amendment No. 1 to Senate File 132 (give the governor flexibility; delete second‑reading amendment) — outcome: adopted.

- Third‑reading amendment No. 2 to Senate File 132 (delete section asserting bill priority over budget compromise) — outcome: adopted.

- Third‑reading amendment No. 3 to Senate File 132 (appropriates $2,000,000 ARPA to Wheatland water tank if eligible) — outcome: adopted after debate; opponents raised process and precedent concerns.

- Final passage of Senate File 132 on third reading — outcome: passed the House (floor record shows the bill received an affirmative vote sufficient for passage; clerk announced passage after recorded vote sequence on the floor).

Speakers included Representative Larson JT (mover of amendment No. 1), Representative Swanitzer (mover of amendment No. 2), Representative Nicholas (mover of amendment No. 3), Representative Walters, Representative Otman, Representative Larson Lloyd and others. Debate focused on the balance between centralized allocation procedures for ARPA funds and targeted, ready‑to‑build local projects that may meet tight expenditure deadlines.

Why it matters: The changes preserve gubernatorial flexibility over unspent ARPA funds, remove language that might have created a conflict with the enacted budget compromise, and add a targeted community project — decisions that shape how ARPA balances are reprogrammed before federal deadlines.