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HB0020

Wyoming HB0020: Rules for Federal Wildlife Agreements

Last scannedOct 18, 2026, 2:19 AM

In one sentence

This bill would require the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to get legislative review and report on agreements made with federal agencies regarding species listed under the Endangered Species Act or federal sensitive species lists.

What it does

  • Requires new or extended agreements with federal agencies to include a clause stating they can be approved or cancelled by the legislature.
  • Mandates that these agreements be sent to the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee for review and recommendation.
  • Requires the Game and Fish Department to submit a report to the committee every three years listing all existing agreements and their status and operation.
  • Limits these rules to agreements involving species that have received a species status code under the Endangered Species Act or are listed as sensitive species on any federal agency species list.
  • States that if this law conflicts with other state laws, this law takes control.

Who it affects

  • The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission and Department.
  • The Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee.
  • Federal agencies that sign memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements with Wyoming regarding specific wildlife species.

Limits and unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was postponed indefinitely in February 2018, so these rules were not enacted.
  • The bill only applies to agreements involving species with specific federal status codes, not all wildlife agreements.
  • The bill text does not specify the exact penalties for failing to submit the required reports.

Plain language

Terms to know

Memoranda of understanding
Written agreements between parties that outline their mutual understanding and intentions, often used for cooperation.
Cooperative agreements
Formal agreements where two or more parties work together to achieve a shared goal, such as wildlife management.
Endangered Species Act
A federal law that protects threatened and endangered species and their habitats.

Official record

Sources

Source checked
Official bill pageIntroduced textOfficial digestCurrent bill text

Public statements

Why lawmakers voted

Last checked Sep 12, 10:59 AM

Bob Nicholas

R · H08

Voted No

Why they voted this way

The speaker argues that the bill improperly shifts executive branch duties to the legislature, stating that it is the executive's job to execute law and that the legislature has too much control if the bill passes.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:54:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The speaker argues that the bill improperly shifts executive branch duties to the legislature, stating that it is the executive's job to execute law and that the legislature has too much control if the bill passes.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:54:00 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The speaker argues that the bill improperly shifts executive branch duties to the legislature, stating that it is the executive's job to execute law and that the legislature has too much control over the process.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:54:00 Watch the statement

Landon Brown

R · H09

Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker argues that the bill improperly shifts executive branch duties to the legislature and that the state already has excessive control over the process.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:54:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The speaker argues that the bill improperly shifts executive branch duties to the legislature and grants the legislature too much control over a process that should be handled by the executive branch.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:54:00 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The speaker supports the bill to ensure transparency and oversight because MOUs are not subject to public review and involve delegated authority from the legislature to the Game and Fish Commission.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:56:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The speaker supports the bill to ensure transparency and oversight because Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) are not subject to public review and allow the federal government to change species lists without state agreement.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:56:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The speaker explains that the bill is needed to provide oversight and transparency because Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) are not subject to public review and allow the federal government to change species lists without state agreement.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:56:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill to ensure transparency and oversight because Memoranda of Understanding are not subject to public review and allow the federal government to change species lists without state agreement.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:56:00 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the bill because it grants unique powers to one commission that are not given to any other state agencies or commissions.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:59:55 Watch the statement

Landon Brown

R · H09

Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the bill because they believe it constitutes legislative micromanagement of the executive branch, which should handle these agreements independently.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:08:12 Watch the statement

If a lawmaker is not listed, we couldn't find a published reason.

Wyoming roll calls

Recorded votes

3 roll calls

H COW:Failed 17-42-1-0-02018-02-22 · House17 yes 42 no
Yes
17
No
42
Absent
0
Excused
1
Conflict
0

Yes 17

Bo BitemanR · H51Charles J GrayH57Cheri SteinmetzR · H05Clark D StithH48Clifford M JenningsH30David R MillerH55Garry C PiiparinenH49James R AllenH33John C EklundH10Lars O LoneH12LAURSEN DANMartha D HalversonH22Nathan A WintersH28Robert A ClausenH06Roy H EdwardsH53Scott M ClemH31Tyler E LindholmH01

No 42

Albert P Sommers Jr.H20Andrew W SchwartzH23Bob NicholasR · H08Carl R LoucksH59Catherine R ConnollyH13Charles F PelkeyH45Dan FurphyH14Danny EyreH19Dan R KirkbrideH04Dan ZwonitzerH43David E NorthrupH50Debbie BoveeH36Donald E Burkhart JrH15Eric BarlowR · H03Evan J SimpsonH21Hans HuntH02James W ByrdH44Jamie L FlitnerH26Jared OlsenR · H11Jerry A ObermuellerH56Jerry D PaxtonH47JoAnn R DaytonH17John L FreemanH60Joseph E MacGuireH35Landon BrownR · H09LARSEN LLOYDMark S KinnerH29Michael D GreearH27Michael K MaddenH40Mike GierauD · H16Patrick SweeneyH58Scott CourtH24Stanley L BlakeH39Steve HarshmanR · H37Susan S WilsonH07Theodore J BlackburnH42Thomas D CrankH18Thomas J WaltersH38Timothy P HallinanH32William D HendersonH41William H Mr. HaleyH46William H PownallH52

Excused 1

Tim SalazarR · H34
H06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 6-3-0-0-02018-02-20 · House6 yes 3 no
Yes
6
No
3
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 6

Cheri SteinmetzR · H05James R AllenH33Jamie L FlitnerH26Joseph E MacGuireH35Martha D HalversonH22Scott M ClemH31

No 3

John L FreemanH60Mike GierauD · H16William H Mr. HaleyH46
H Introduced and Referred to H06 - Travel 42-18-0-0-02018-02-13 · House42 yes 18 no
Yes
42
No
18
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 42

Albert P Sommers Jr.H20Bo BitemanR · H51Carl R LoucksH59Charles J GrayH57Cheri SteinmetzR · H05Clark D StithH48Clifford M JenningsH30Danny EyreH19Dan R KirkbrideH04David E NorthrupH50David R MillerH55Donald E Burkhart JrH15Eric BarlowR · H03Evan J SimpsonH21Garry C PiiparinenH49Hans HuntH02James R AllenH33Jamie L FlitnerH26Jared OlsenR · H11Jerry A ObermuellerH56John C EklundH10Joseph E MacGuireH35LARSEN LLOYDLars O LoneH12LAURSEN DANMark S KinnerH29Martha D HalversonH22Michael D GreearH27Michael K MaddenH40Nathan A WintersH28Robert A ClausenH06Roy H EdwardsH53Scott CourtH24Scott M ClemH31Steve HarshmanR · H37Susan S WilsonH07Theodore J BlackburnH42Timothy P HallinanH32Tim SalazarR · H34Tyler E LindholmH01William D HendersonH41William H PownallH52

No 18

Andrew W SchwartzH23Bob NicholasR · H08Catherine R ConnollyH13Charles F PelkeyH45Dan FurphyH14Dan ZwonitzerH43Debbie BoveeH36James W ByrdH44Jerry D PaxtonH47JoAnn R DaytonH17John L FreemanH60Landon BrownR · H09Mike GierauD · H16Patrick SweeneyH58Stanley L BlakeH39Thomas D CrankH18Thomas J WaltersH38William H Mr. HaleyH46

Official activity

Bill history

  1. H postponed indefinitelyHouse
  2. H COW:Failed 17-42-1-0-0House
  3. H Placed on General FileHouse
  4. H06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 6-3-0-0-0House
  5. H Introduced and Referred to H06 - Travel 42-18-0-0-0House
  6. H Received for IntroductionHouse
  7. Bill Number AssignedLSO

Changes

Amendments

2 stored

HB0020HW001

Adopted Committee of the Whole by Sommers

HB0020HS001

Adopted Standing Committee by HTravel