Appropriations committee advances Wyoming Telecommunications Act revisions; appropriation to help revenue department handle prepaid service

The Wyoming Senate Appropriations Committee voted to move forward with Senate File 51, a revision to the Wyoming Telecommunications Act intended to update a 1995 law and adjust how prepaid telephone service is treated for revenue collection.

Chris Petrie, deputy chairman of the Public Service Commission, testified to the committee that the bill's appropriation is primarily for the Department of Revenue to implement the new collection arrangement. "Our understanding is that this is necessary for the Department of Revenue to efficiently handle the money that would be collected from prepaid telephone service, which is not currently assessed," Petrie said.

Petrie told the committee the Public Service Commission’s statutory duties would not change materially under the bill, and that the commission's role under the measure would be limited. Committee members asked no substantive questions for committee consideration, with one senator saying he had minor bill questions that he expected to address on the floor.

The committee recorded a roll call vote on Senate File 51: Senators Driscoll, Garou, Larson, Smith and Chairman Salazar registered ayes and the committee reported the bill out by a 5‑0 recorded vote.

No specific dollar amount for the appropriation was discussed in committee testimony; witnesses described the appropriation as tied to systems and administrative changes at the Department of Revenue and said the measure is a modernization of the 1995 statute.