Adopted Committee of the Whole by HARSHMAN
Wyoming2006Enacted
SJ0004
Wyoming Constitution Amendment for Higher Education Trust Funds
Last scannedOct 19, 2026, 2:19 AM
In one sentence
This amendment adds a new section to the Wyoming Constitution to create permanent trust funds for higher education scholarships and quality improvements.
What it does
- Creates a new Section 20 in Article 15 of the Wyoming Constitution.
- Allows the legislature to place money into endowment funds for higher education scholarships and improving the quality of higher education.
- Requires the principal amount of these funds to remain inviolate, meaning it cannot be spent.
- Requires earnings from the funds to be used for the specified higher education purposes.
- Allows the legislature to regulate how earnings are spent and to use earnings to protect funds from inflation and even out fluctuations in earnings.
- Permits the funds to be invested in the same manner as other permanent funds of the state.
Who it affects
- The Wyoming Legislature, which is authorized to manage the funds and regulate their use.
- Higher education institutions and students who may receive scholarships or benefit from improved education quality.
- Voters in Wyoming, who must approve the amendment at the next general election.
Limits and unknowns
- The amendment only takes effect if approved by a majority of voters at the next general election.
- The specific rules for how earnings are spent are not defined in this text; the legislature will create those laws later.
- The text does not specify the exact amount of money currently in the existing accounts or how much new money will be added.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Inviolate
- A legal term meaning the principal money in the fund cannot be spent or removed.
- Endowment fund
- A pool of money set aside for a specific purpose, where the original amount is kept safe and only the growth (earnings) is used.
- Hathaway scholarship
- A specific scholarship program in Wyoming that is included in the purposes of this new constitutional provision.
Official record
Sources
Read the official summary
SJ0004 Bill Summary Bill No.: SJ0004 Drafter: DKG LSO No.: 06LSO-0056 Effective Date: Enrolled Act No.: SEJR0002 Chapter No.: Prime Sponsor: Joint Education Interim Committee Catch Title: Higher education endowment funds. Subject: The establishment of higher education endowment trust fund. Summary/Major Elements: The legislature has established education endowment accounts, including the Hathaway scholarship account and the higher education endowment account. Although designated by statute as "permanent"; subsequent legislation could remove those funds. This joint resolution authorizes the creation of permanent endowment funds for higher education purposes and under the Constitution, the corpus of those funds would be inviolate. The earnings from the funds must be used for the higher educational purposes specified and the legislature is authorized to regulate how the earnings are used. The current Hathaway student scholarship account and the higher education endowment account previously created by statute, as well as subsequently created accounts as designated by the legislature would be subject to the new constitutional provision.
Public statements
Why lawmakers voted
Last checked Aug 8, 7:45 PM
We are still checking public recordings for this bill.
Wyoming roll calls
Recorded votes
5 roll calls
S Did Concur 26-4-0-0-02006-03-09 · Senate26 yes 4 no
- Yes
- 26
- No
- 4
- Absent
- 0
- Excused
- 0
- Conflict
- 0
Yes 26
Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bill Mr. VaseyS11Bruce Burns Jr.S21Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01Curtis MeierS03Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05Kathryn L SessionsS07Kenneth J DecariaS15Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06
H Passed 3rd Reading 58-0-2-0-02006-03-08 · House58 yes 0 no
- Yes
- 58
- No
- 0
- Absent
- 0
- Excused
- 2
- Conflict
- 0
Yes 58
Alan C JonesH25Ann RobinsonH58Becket HinckleyH41Bill ThompsonH60Bruce BarnardH49Colin SimpsonH24David R EdwardsH06David R MillerH55Debbie HammonsH27Deborah AldenH03Del McOmieH54Douglas OsbornH40Doug SamuelsonH07Edward BuchananH04Elaine HarveyH26Erin E Mrs. MercerH53EsquibelFrank PhilpH34George BagbyH15Gerald GayH36Jack D Landon Jr.H30James C HagemanH05Jane WarrenH13Jeff WasserburgerH32Jerry IekelH29Jim SlaterH46John HastertH39Kathleen DavisonH20Keith M GingeryH23Kermit C BrownH14Kevin A WhiteH45Kurt BucholzH47Larry MeuliH08Layton D MorganH12Lorraine K QuarbergH28Mark SemlekH01Marty A MartinH48Mary GilmoreH59Mick PowersH18Monte OlsenH22Owen PetersenH19Pat ChildersH50Pete JorgensenH16Peter S IllowayH42Randall B LuthiH21Robert A BrechtelH38Rodney "Pete" AndersonH10Rosie M BergerH51Ross DiercksH02Roy CoheeH35Stephen D WattH17Steve HarshmanR · H37Tom Lubnau IIH31Tom WalshH56Wayne ReeseH11W. Patrick P GogglesH33Zwonitzer, DK.Zwonitzer, DL.
Excused 2
H04 Recommended Amend and Do Pass 9-0-0-0-02006-03-03 · House9 yes 0 no
S Passed 3rd Reading 27-3-0-0-02006-02-28 · Senate27 yes 3 no
- Yes
- 27
- No
- 3
- Absent
- 0
- Excused
- 0
- Conflict
- 0
Yes 27
Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bill Mr. VaseyS11Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01Curtis MeierS03E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05Kathryn L SessionsS07Kenneth J DecariaS15Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06
S04 Recommended Do Pass 5-0-0-0-02006-02-20 · Senate5 yes 0 no
- Yes
- 5
- No
- 0
- Absent
- 0
- Excused
- 0
- Conflict
- 0
Official activity
Bill history
- Governor Signed SEJR No. 0002Governor
- H Speaker Signed SEJR No. 0002House
- S President Signed SEJR No. 0002Senate
- Assigned Number SEJR0002LSO
- S Did ConcurSenate
- H Passed 3rd ReadingHouse
- H Passed 2nd ReadingHouse
- H Passed CoWHouse
- Amendment AdoptedHouse
- Amendment AdoptedHouse
- H Amendments AdoptedHouse
- H Placed on General FileHouse
- H04 Recommended Amend and Do PassHouse
- H Introduced and Referred to H04House
- H Received for IntroductionHouse
- S Passed 3rd ReadingSenate
- S Passed 2nd ReadingSenate
- S Passed CoWSenate
- S Placed on General FileSenate
- S04 Recommended Do PassSenate
Changes
Amendments
2 stored
Adopted Standing Committee by H04