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SF0074

Crimes against critical infrastructure

Last scannedOct 18, 2026, 2:19 AM

In one sentence

This bill proposed creating new state crimes for damaging or trespassing on critical infrastructure facilities, such as pipelines and power plants, and setting specific penalties for individuals and organizations.

What it does

  • Creates a misdemeanor crime for intentionally impeding a critical infrastructure facility if the damage is less than $1,000.
  • Creates a felony crime for damaging critical infrastructure if the damage is $1,000 or more.
  • Allows organizations to be fined up to $100,000 for aiding, abetting, soliciting, compensating, conspiring, commanding, or procuring a person to commit these crimes.
  • Creates a misdemeanor crime for entering or remaining on a critical infrastructure facility knowing the person is not authorized to do so.
  • Defines which facilities count as critical infrastructure, including pipelines, power plants, water treatment facilities, and data centers.
  • States that the law does not apply to protected free speech or lawful regulatory activities.

Who it affects

  • Individuals who damage or trespass on critical infrastructure facilities.
  • Organizations that aid or encourage such actions.
  • Owners or legal occupants of the land where these facilities are located.
  • Operators of facilities like pipelines, refineries, and power plants.

Limits and unknowns

  • The governor vetoed this bill, and the legislature did not override the veto, so it did not become law.
  • The bill text does not specify how law enforcement will determine if an action was 'intentional' or 'knowing' in every case.
  • The definition of 'critical infrastructure facility' relies on specific physical barriers or signs being present.

Plain language

Terms to know

Critical infrastructure facility
A specific type of facility, such as a pipeline, power plant, or water treatment plant, that is fenced, marked, or designed to keep intruders out.
Impedes
To block or prevent legal access to or the operation of a facility in a way not allowed by law.
Organization
A group or entity that is not an individual person.

Official record

Sources

Source checked
Read the official summary

Bill Summary Bill No.: SF0074 Effective : 7/1/2018 LSO No.: 18LSO-0440 Enrolled Act No.: SEA No. 0065 Chapter No.: [Chapter Number_RO] Prime Sponsor: Christensen Catch Title: Crimes against critical infrastructure. Subject: Creating crimes for trespass onto and impeding critical infrastructure. Summary/Major Elements: This act creates crimes relating to critical infrastructure facilities. Critical infrastructure facilities include oil, gas, hazardous liquid or chemical pipeline and similar facilities that are fenced or designed to exclude intruders. Under this act, a person commits the crime of i mpeding critical infrastructure if he intentionally or knowingly damages, destroys, defaces or tampers with equipment at a critical infrastructure facility . If one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or more in damage results from the conduct, the crime is a felony punishable by ten (10) years imprisonment and up to a ten thousand dollar ($10,000.00) fine. Otherwise , the crime is a misdemeanor punishable by six (6) months imprisonment and up to a one thousand dollar ($1,000.00) fine . A n organization that aids, abets, solicits, compensates, commands or procures a person to commit the crime of impeding critical infrastructure is subject to a one hundred thousand dollar ($1 00,000.00) fine. This act specifies that an organization may be l iable civilly for its conduct whether or not a fine is imposed. Under this act, a person commits the misdemeanor of critical infrastructure trespass if he enters a critical infrastructure facility knowing he not authorized to do so. The act specifies that a person who owns or legally occupies the land where the facility is located is not liable under this act for lawful activity. The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill .

Public statements

Why lawmakers voted

Last checked Sep 19, 6:21 AM

Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

Blackburn argues that the bill should be moved forward immediately rather than delayed until next year, urging a vote to override the governor's veto.

Public statementFloor statement at 3:41:28 Watch the statement

Tim Salazar

R · H34

Voted No

Why they voted this way

Salazar opposes the measure because he believes the formula is flawed and will unfairly destroy small, vulnerable school districts that have already made significant cuts.

Public statementFloor statement at 3:51:11 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

Bovee requests a no vote due to concerns that the bill's language regarding workers' compensation coverage for special education staff is not feasible based on prior information.

Public statementFloor statement at 3:53:21 Watch the statement

Eric Barlow

R · H03

Voted No

Why they voted this way

Barlow supports the concurrence by viewing changes to assessment funding and enrollment counting as necessary efficiencies, despite acknowledging imperfections in the bill.

Public statementFloor statement at 3:57:18 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

Kinner encourages an aye vote, stating that the bill responsibly addresses small school district concerns through a cap on reductions which was well-received by local boards.

Public statementFloor statement at 3:58:26 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

Lindholm urges a no vote if the data confirms that small schools are being cut beyond the intended protection limit, as this would violate the bill's intent to hold them harmless.

Public statementFloor statement at 4:02:18 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because it provides broad protections for landowners and individuals legally occupying the land where critical infrastructure facilities are located.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:48:00 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the bill if the amendment passes because they believe it would remove their right to exercise rights under a collectively bargained agreement as a union member.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:52:02 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker states they are a co-sponsor of the bill and explains that they supported it to protect the rights of union members to engage in picketing under collectively bargained agreements.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:52:02 Watch the statement

Mike Gierau

D · H16

Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker states they are a co-sponsor of the bill and explains that they will vote against the entire bill if the current amendment passes, as they believe it would negatively impact union rights under collectively bargained agreements.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:52:02 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the amendment removing 'picketing' because he fears it would infringe upon his rights as a union member to exercise collectively bargained strike and picket rights.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:52:12 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe removing the reference to picketing would inadvertently eliminate other protections, leading to a loss of broader rights.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:54:19 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the amendment because she believes one of the existing provisions is too broad and could allow a landowner to damage infrastructure on their own property without consequence.

Public statementFloor statement at 1:59:03 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe the current language is too broad and could allow for actions like driving a backhoe into a pipeline, whereas they prefer a more specific definition of tampering.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:00:19 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the amendment because he believes defining infrastructure by size thresholds would leave small towns vulnerable to damage from tampering with their water or electricity supplies.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:07:06 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The speaker supports the amendment because it broadly defines tampering to include actions like turning valves and addresses pollution concerns regarding tanks and lines.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:12:35 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they are concerned it may limit the definition of tampering to only chemical changes or pollution, excluding other actions like diverting resources.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:14:17 Watch the statement

Jared Olsen

R · H11

Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The speaker urges a no vote because the amendment risks capturing innocent actors by defining tampering too narrowly and may fail to cover critical acts like diverting gas.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:14:35 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The speaker supports the amendment because it clarifies that picketing is only protected if it constitutes free speech, preventing individuals from using protests as a shield for criminal acts like breaking valves.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:18:45 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The speaker urges a no vote because the amendment creates an unfunded mandate without sufficient analysis of fiscal impact or whether the relevant department has adequate staff and infrastructure to handle it.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:24:39 Watch the statement

Eric Barlow

R · H03

Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because they believe there is a need for the government to address the issue and that the language mirrors federal components.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:29:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The speaker states they will likely vote no because landowner protections were removed from the legislation and are not adequately addressed in its current form.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:39:41 Watch the statement

Bob Nicholas

R · H08

Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because law enforcement officials are pushing for it as an extra insurance measure to prevent threats from outside areas.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:43:56 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because law enforcement officials are pushing for it as an extra insurance to prevent threats from other areas.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:44:16 Watch the statement

Bo Biteman

R · H51

Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because it provides necessary protection for critical infrastructure in the state that is isolated, while asserting that the bill does not infringe on First Amendment rights or adequately protect landowners.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:46:00 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because it provides necessary protection for critical infrastructure in the state that is isolated, and they believe the amendments have adequately protected landowners' rights.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:46:00 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because it provides necessary protection for isolated critical infrastructure in the state and addresses concerns raised by law enforcement.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:46:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because it provides necessary protection for isolated critical infrastructure in the state, while asserting that the bill adequately protects landowners and does not infringe on First Amendment rights.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:46:00 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the amendment and supports the bill because they witnessed the consequences of similar incidents in North Dakota and believe the bill is necessary to prevent such disruptions.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:48:00 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker cites the events in North Dakota as a disturbing precedent and believes the bill is necessary to address similar threats to critical infrastructure.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:48:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker, a co-sponsor, supports the bill citing concerns about events in North Dakota and urges voting against the amendment to pass the bill.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:48:00 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker states they must vote against the amendment because they saw what happened in North Dakota, which disturbs them, and they encourage voting yes on the bill.

Public statementFloor statement at 2:48:22 Watch the statement

Eric Barlow

R · H03

Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker expresses uncertainty about how the legislation would be implemented due to missing provisions like tampering, leading them not to support it in its current form.

Public statementFloor statement at 3:21:15 Watch the statement
Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker argues that provisions penalizing organizations for aiding or encouraging trespass are too vague and could unfairly fine groups like community clubs up to one million dollars for simple acts of humanitarian aid.

Public statementFloor statement at 14:06 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill because current laws do not hold organizations responsible for encouraging individuals to commit crimes, and this legislation corrects that injustice.

Public statementFloor statement at 17:42 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the broad language of the bill by arguing it could mistakenly target humanitarian organizations that provide basic necessities like water to people in need.

Public statementFloor statement at 19:31 Watch the statement

Cale Case

R · S25

Voted No

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker opposes the bill because it is broadly overreaching and could result in humanitarian entities being fined millions of dollars for providing aid like water bottles to individuals committing crimes.

Public statementFloor statement at 20:34 Watch the statement
Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker supports the bill to address national issues of people targeting critical infrastructure like power lines and pipelines, noting that organizations are now sponsoring these acts. They argue existing statutes are not specific enough for such crimes which could impact hundreds of thousands of people.

Public statementFloor statement at 38:39 Watch the statement

Wyoming roll calls

Recorded votes

8 roll calls

H:Did Not Override Veto 20-33-6-0-12018-03-15 · House20 yes 33 no
S:Veto Override 20-5-5-0-02018-03-15 · Senate20 yes 5 no
S Concur:Passed 21-9-0-0-02018-03-10 · Senate21 yes 9 no
H 3rd Reading:Passed 36-23-0-0-12018-03-09 · House36 yes 23 no
H09 - Minerals:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 6-2-0-0-12018-03-06 · House6 yes 2 no
S 3rd Reading:Passed 25-5-0-0-02018-02-27 · Senate25 yes 5 no
S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-02018-02-19 · Senate5 yes 0 no
S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary 25-3-1-1-02018-02-14 · Senate25 yes 3 no

Official activity

Bill history

  1. H:Did Not Override Veto 20-33-6-0-1House
  2. S:Veto Override 20-5-5-0-0Senate
  3. Governor Vetoed SEA No. 0065Governor
  4. Veto Message Received
  5. H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0065House
  6. S President Signed SEA No. 0065Senate
  7. Assigned Number SEA No. 0065LSO
  8. S Concur:Passed 21-9-0-0-0Senate
  9. S Received for ConcurrenceSenate
  10. H 3rd Reading:Passed 36-23-0-0-1House
  11. H 2nd Reading:PassedHouse
  12. H COW:PassedHouse
  13. H Placed on General FileHouse
  14. H09 - Minerals:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 6-2-0-0-1House
  15. H Introduced and Referred to H09 - MineralsHouse
  16. H Received for IntroductionHouse
  17. S 3rd Reading:Passed 25-5-0-0-0Senate
  18. S 2nd Reading:PassedSenate
  19. S COW:PassedSenate
  20. S Placed on General FileSenate

Changes

Amendments

32 stored

SF0074H2001

Divided 2nd reading by Lindholm

SF0074H2001.01

Corrected, Adopted 2nd reading by Lindholm

SF0074H2001.02

Corrected, Failed 2nd reading by Lindholm

SF0074H2002

Corrected, Failed 2nd reading by Zwonitzer

SF0074H2003

Failed 2nd reading by Clausen

SF0074H2004

Adopted 2nd reading by Stith

SF0074H2005

Withdrawn 2nd reading by Winters

SF0074H2006

Adopted 2nd reading by Winters

SF0074H2007

Adopted 2nd reading by Lindholm

SF0074H2008

Failed 2nd reading by Barlow

SF0074H2009

Adopted 2nd reading by Barlow

SF0074H2010

Failed 2nd reading by Barlow

SF0074H3001

Divided 3rd reading by Lindholm

SF0074H3001.01

Corrected, Adopted 3rd reading by Lindholm

SF0074H3001.02

Corrected, Failed 3rd reading by Lindholm

SF0074H3002

Adopted 3rd reading by Lindholm

SF0074H3003

Adopted 3rd reading by Olsen

SF0074H3004

Divided 3rd reading by Crank

SF0074H3004.01

Corrected, Adopted 3rd reading by Crank

SF0074H3004.02

Corrected, Failed 3rd reading by Crank

SF0074H3005

Adopted 3rd reading by Stith

SF0074H3006

Failed 3rd reading by Barlow

SF0074H3007

Withdrawn 3rd reading by Barlow

SF0074HW001

Divided Committee of the Whole by Zwonitzer

SF0074HW001.01

Corrected, Adopted Committee of the Whole by Zwonitzer

SF0074HW001.02

Corrected, Failed Committee of the Whole by Zwonitzer

SF0074HW002

Adopted Committee of the Whole by Zwonitzer

SF0074HW003

Withdrawn Committee of the Whole by Allen

SF0074HS001

Adopted Standing Committee by HMinerals

SF0074S2001

Adopted 2nd reading by Christensen

SF0074S3001

Failed 3rd reading by Rothfuss

SF0074SS001

Corrected, Adopted Standing Committee by SJudiciary