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Committee approves bill to require registration of frequent paid third‑party filers; appropriation raised for system changes
Summary
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to advance Senate File 55, which would require third‑party filers who submit 10 or more compensated filings to register with the Secretary of State’s office and supply notarized identity documentation. The committee amendment increases the appropriation for system integration to $150,000.
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to advance Senate File 55, a bill the Secretary of State’s office said aims to curb fraud by verifying that third‑party filers who submit multiple, paid filings are natural persons.
Joe Rubino of the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office told the committee the draft requires third‑party filers who receive compensation and file 10 or more documents with the office to register, provide a notarized sworn application attesting they are natural persons and submit contact information and a driver’s license. "This bill draft would require third party filers who receive compensation from business entities to file documents on their behalf and who filed 10 or more documents with our office to register with our office and provide both a notarized sworn application attesting that the 3rd party filer is a natural person as well as provide additional documentation including the 3rd party filer's home address, phone number, email address, and driver's license," Rubino said.
Rubino and Colin Crossman, director of the business division, explained the Secretary of State’s technology system would need to be updated to notify filers approaching the threshold, mirroring existing rules for commercial registered agents. The corporations committee amended the appropriation on the bill from $100,000 to $150,000 to cover system integration costs.
Committee members voiced support for the concept with one senator calling it "good work." The committee recorded a roll‑call vote on Senate File 55: the clerk reported five ayes and the bill passed out of committee.
The committee record identifies the $150,000 appropriation for the integration described; additional operational costs or downstream enforcement mechanisms were not detailed in committee testimony.
