Senate committee approves specialty license plate to fund Wyoming Search and Rescue Council

The Senate Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Committee approved House Bill 226 to create a specialty license plate to raise funds for the Wyoming Search and Rescue Council, passing the bill as amended.

Representative Campbell said the plate is strictly a fundraiser — not a vanity plate — and that proceeds will support search‑and‑rescue operations statewide. ‘‘The search and rescue is active in all 23 counties,’’ he said, and the largest recurring costs for volunteer teams are fuel and helicopters.

Taylor Rossetti, deputy director at the Wyoming Department of Transportation, described how the fee language was changed in the engrossed bill: the initial and later annual fees were adjusted to mirror the existing wildlife conservation plate. Rossetti said fees on page two were modified from $100 to $150, $25 to $50, and $100 to $150 to match the wildlife plate model. Per the bill, funds generated by plate sales would be deposited in an account administered by the Office of Homeland Security for search‑and‑rescue purposes rather than to WYDOT.

Clint Becker, Converse County sheriff and a member of the governor’s Search and Rescue Council, explained how the council allocates reimbursements: the council (a governor‑appointed body) reviews requests and reimburses counties or volunteer teams for eligible expenses such as damaged equipment, fuel or extraordinary items like helicopter costs. Becker cited state statute assigning responsibility for search and rescue to county sheriffs.

George Nykin, deputy director at the Office of Homeland Security, provided operational numbers showing a rise in out‑of‑state rescues: he reported that in 2022 Wyoming had 266 in‑state rescues and 253 out‑of‑state rescues; in 2023, 311 in‑state and 273 out‑of‑state; in 2024, 225 in‑state and 278 out‑of‑state; and in 2025 to date, 15 in‑state and 35 out‑of‑state rescues.

Public witnesses and council members described funding trends. Becker and Nykin said donation income to the search and rescue fund fell from roughly $368,000 in 2020 to approximately $250,000 in 2024 — a drop the council cited as a reason for seeking a recurring revenue stream. Rossetti noted a comparable plate (wildlife conservation) has produced about $2 million since 2018.

Committee members proposed two conforming amendments: allow county treasurers to sell the plate at the counter and make the plate available for multipurpose vehicles. Senator Brennan moved the amendment and the committee approved it. The bill passed on a 5–0 roll‑call vote after the amendment; the committee minutes record that Senator Kolb (and others) will present the measure on the floor.

What’s next: HB226 as amended was reported do pass to the full Senate; proceeds would be managed by the Office of Homeland Security and distributed by the governor‑appointed Search and Rescue Council under existing guidelines.