Committee advances bill restricting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state entities

The House Labor, Health & Social Services Committee advanced Senate File 103, a bill sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Sherry Steinmetz, that would broadly limit diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and restrict the use of governmental funds for related activities.

The bill, discussed in a lengthy committee hearing, would prohibit state governmental entities and public education institutions from using appropriated funds to establish or maintain DEI offices or to require DEI statements or trainings as a condition of employment or academic requirements, with enumerated exemptions for compliance with state or federal law and for federally recognized tribes. Senator Sherry Steinmetz said the intent was to prevent DEI coursework or programs from being mandatory: “it is my intent that that cannot be a mandatory course,” she told the committee.

Supporters told the committee the bill restores a merit-based approach and prevents government-funded programs from prioritizing group identity. Patricia McCoy, speaking for Moms for Liberty Wyoming, called the bill “a strong practical step towards fairness, merit, and fiscal…