Wyoming Senate introduces dozens of bills and refers them to standing committees

The Senate clerk read a series of newly introduced Senate Files and announced committee referrals for each during the organizational session.

Bills read into the record covered a wide range of subjects and were assigned to relevant standing committees. Among the measures introduced were Senate File 50 (Insurance Holding Company Regulations amendments) and Senate File 51 (Wyoming Telecommunications Act revisions), both referred to the Corporations Committee; Senate File 13 (Reading Assessment and Intervention Amendments) and Senate File 14 (Wyoming Imagination Library Program) referred to the Education Committee; Senate File 15 (Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, regulation of pits) and Senate File 16 (industrial siting, tribal notification) referred to the Minerals Committee; and Senate File 23 (handicapped placards, health-care provider approval) referred to the Labor Committee. Numerous other bills on taxation, revenue, public funds, digital ledger systems and other matters were also introduced and assigned to committees.

The reading clerk repeatedly announced each bill's title and sponsoring committee, then named the committee number to which it was assigned. These referrals establish which committees will hold hearings, take testimony, and determine whether to advance bills to the Senate floor.

Committee chairs announced the times of some committee meetings to consider bills assigned to them: for example, the Labor, Health and Social Services Committee said it will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, to hear Senate File 23. The Corporations Committee scheduled an 8 a.m. meeting to take up Senate Files 50 and 52. Other committees announced meeting times and rooms and indicated whether hearings will be available online.

Introduction and referral are the first step in the committee-stage process; further action will depend on committee agendas and public testimony.