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House passes "What Is a Woman" measure after rejecting multiple floor amendments
Summary
House Bill 32 (the "What Is a Woman" bill) passed the Wyoming House on Jan. 20 after the chamber rejected several proposed third‑reading amendments; final recorded passage was 50‑9 (3 excused).
On third reading, House Bill 32 — titled in the clerk’s readout as the “What is a woman” act — was the subject of several floor amendments and debate before final passage.
Representative Chastick brought third‑reading amendment 1, which would have deleted language directing courts about the level of constitutional scrutiny applicable to the bill; Chastick said courts, not the Legislature, determine levels of constitutional scrutiny. Representative Brown and others opposed amendment 1 on similar grounds, and the amendment failed on a voice vote.
Representative Singh offered third‑reading amendment 3 to reintroduce chromosomal (XX/XY) language into the bill. Singh argued the amendment aligned the bill with biological markers determined at conception and said chromosome testing could be administered with a noninvasive sample. Representative Lean and other members opposed amendment 3, and the amendment failed.
Representative Yen then moved amendment 4 to clarify that statutory definitions apply to “natural persons” rather than legal or corporate entities. That amendment also failed on a voice vote. Representative Sherwood moved a procedural amendment to delete the enacting clause (amendment 2) as a pause mechanism and then withdrew it after brief remarks and examples of potential cross‑statutory consequences.
Representative Sherwood had outlined examples of potential unintended consequences across state law if definitions in HB32 were adopted as written — for example, impacts on National Guard pay language, employment discrimination law interaction, and party precinct committee rules that specify committee “man” and “woman.” Debate on those points occurred while amendment 2 was pending but the amendment was ultimately withdrawn.
After the amendment sequence, the House voted to pass House Bill 32. The chief clerk recorded the final vote as 50 ayes, 9 nays, and 3 excused. Several members urged caution about cross‑statutory effects and suggested further review of how the bill’s definitions would interact with existing state law.
Actions: Amendment 1 (Rep. Chastick) — failed; Amendment 3 (Rep. Singh) — failed; Amendment 4 (Rep. Yen) — failed; Amendment 2 (Rep. Sherwood) — withdrawn; final passage: House Bill 32 passed the House, 50‑9 (3 excused).
