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Senate recedes from nonconcurrence on bill targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs
Summary
The Wyoming Senate on Feb. 28, 2025, voted to recede from nonconcurrence on Senate File 103, accepting a joint conference committee report that makes definitional and implementation changes and adds a subsection funding five new medical students.
The Wyoming Senate on Feb. 28, 2025, voted to recede from nonconcurrence and adopt the joint conference committee report on Senate File 103, a measure described on the floor as terminating and defunding certain diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in state government.
Senator Steinmetz moved adoption of the conference report. She told colleagues the conference changes made several clarifications to the bill, tightened definitions, removed private parties from the bill's scope so it applies only to government entities, and delayed the bill’s effective date to July 1, 2025, to allow implementation steps. She said a prominent change in the conference report was the addition of a new subsection that would provide $550,000 for the University of Wyoming School of Medicine to fund five new students under a modified agreement; she described that adjustment as intended so new students would attend institutions "that comport with the new policy of the state of Wyoming." Senator Steinmetz also said the bill would not affect existing contracts but would apply to new students going forward: "the bill doesn't affect any current contracts, but these are new students going forward, so then it would apply to them."
Senator Dockstader and other supporters urged colleagues to adopt the conference report, citing the work done over months to reach agreement. Senator Crago asked whether the provision would affect students who currently participate in the WWAMI program in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho; Steinmetz replied that the change would not alter existing contracts for about 20 students annually who participate in WWAMI, but would apply to the five new students covered by the conference language going forward.
On the roll call the Senate recessed from nonconcurrence on Senate File 103; the floor statement recorded the result as the Senate receding from nonconcurrence (vote recorded on the floor). The presiding officer announced acceptance of the conference committee report following the recorded vote.
The conference-report adoption will return the matter to the usual enrollment and transmittal steps; the bill’s changes and the $550,000 subsection are now part of the Senate-adopted conference report.
