Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act
In one sentence
Plain language
Official record
Bill Summary - 25LSO-0240 Bill No.: HB0199 Effective: Immediately LSO No.: 25LSO-0240 Enrolled Act No.: HEA No. 0052 Chapter No.: 107 Prime Sponsor: Andrew Catch Title: Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act. Has Report: No Subject: Amendments to the education savings accounts act. Summary/Major Elements: This bill amends the Education Savings Account Act enacted by the Legislature during the 2024 Budget Session as follows: Changes the title of the scholarship to the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship. Appropriates thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00) from the general fund for the award of scholarships. Increases the annual scholarship award from six thousand dollars ($6,000.00) to seven thousand dollars ($7,000.00) for all students. Eliminates income requirements required for K-12 students. Modifies the income requirements required for the award of scholarships for prekindergarten students from one hundred fifty percent (150%) to two hundred fifty percent (250%) of federal poverty levels, using the student's household income compared to the most recent federal poverty guidelines for the student's household size and income. Eliminates the requirement that eighty percent (80%) of scholarships be awarded to K-12 students, with the remaining twenty percent (20%) available to prekindergarten students. Authorizes the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to retain five percent (5%) annually from the funds deposited in education savings accounts to pay for the costs of administering the program. Comments: Amends the education savings account act enacted by the Legislature in 2024. 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
Last checked Aug 5, 8:21 AM
R · H30
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker argues that voting against this bill would harm school choice efforts, urging supporters of the concept to vote in favor despite objections from those who dislike competition with public schools.
R · H32
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker states they are comfortable with the bill because it limits pre-kindergarten to a means-tested program at 250% of the federal poverty level, which was their original intent.
R · H17
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill as amended because they believe the conference committee's agreement is reasonable, despite having opposed it when it first came out of the house.
R · H60
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker states they will vote against concurrence because they are opposed to the preschool portion of the legislation.
R · H06
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the bill by arguing that it saves money compared to current per-child costs, noting that funds go directly to schools rather than being handed to parents.
R · S22
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker initially opposed the bill due to the removal of a sunset provision but decided to support it after hearing the debate, believing it would benefit people outside their district.
R · S02
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it restores preschool programs that serve as feeder systems for private schools, thereby strengthening reading comprehension and expanding school choice options.
S06
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports removing means testing because it discriminates against families who do not qualify based on income, and believes competition improves educational outcomes.
R · S26
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports removing funding caps to ensure that those who choose alternative education methods receive adequate resources, arguing against skimping on funds for families.
R · S13
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports keeping means testing to ensure accountability and help identify students who may be falling through the cracks in home or online school settings.
R · S30
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports removing means testing because education should be a universally available fundamental service without discrimination based on ability to pay.
R · S11
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes claims that universal funding subsidizes the wealthy, arguing instead that providing $7,000 per student reduces overall state costs compared to the full cost of public education.
D · S09
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes removing means testing because providing funds without income restrictions violates constitutional prohibitions against using public money to support private schools.
R · S14
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports removing means testing to avoid penalizing hardworking parents who pay taxes and to prevent the government from intruding on family privacy regarding income levels.
R · S15
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes removing means testing because opening the program universally risks constitutional challenges, as wealthy individuals who do not need funds may take advantage of it.
R · S31
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports voting for the bill to ensure equitable access to scholarships and funding for all students' education.
R · H22
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because he believes educational opportunities should be equally available to all citizens regardless of parental income, citing a constitutional provision encouraging means and agencies for education.
R · H21
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because he believes there is significant public input calling for a restructuring of the bill and that lawmakers should vote based on constituent preferences rather than an outside narrative.
R · H36
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because he prefers a pragmatic, graduated approach with income caps rather than opening funding widely without limits, believing this makes the bill more defensible against legal challenges.
R · H32
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the bill because it allows legislators to financially benefit if their own children or grandchildren qualify for the scholarship, creating a conflict of interest.
D · H14
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports Amendment Five because failing to pass it would disappoint families who applied based on the promise made last year.
R · H56
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports Amendment Five because it fulfills the commitment made to families who are already taking advantage of the program.
R · H02
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports Amendment Six because it aligns with recent discussions regarding accountability in the bill.
R · H07
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports Amendment Six because he believes taxpayers funding education should require a test to ensure children are receiving an adequate education.
R · H37
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports Amendment Six because public dollars used for education require transparency and accountability to ensure the program is working.
R · H57
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports Amendment Seven because she believes assessments should only cover reading, writing, and mathematics rather than all listed subject areas.
R · H46
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes Amendment Seven because he believes tracking progress in all agreed-upon subject areas is necessary and the proposed changes confuse the situation.
D · H14
Why they voted this way
The speaker states the amendment returns the power of making funding adjustments from the superintendent back to the legislative body.
R · H46
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports keeping the original language because lowering the scholarship amount would exclude many people who cannot supplement their own funds.
R · H02
Why they voted this way
The speaker supports the amendment because constituents demand transparency and assurance that taxpayer money is being spent wisely through assessments.
R · H57
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe true accountability requires tracking whether taxpayer money actually educates children, citing a lack of data on outcomes without assessments.
R · H29
Why they voted this way
The speaker opposes the amendment by arguing that parents, not the state, hold school systems accountable through their choice to leave or stay.
R · H38
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports removing assessments because they force private education to teach to a test based on public education standards, which the speaker argues are already failing.
If a lawmaker is not listed, we couldn't find a published reason.
Wyoming roll calls
15 roll calls
Official activity
Changes
26 stored
The amendment removes specific language about the maximum scholarship award amount and eligibility requirements from the bill.
The amendment changes the maximum scholarship award from a fixed amount to a percentage of the previous year's state funding per student.
The amendment to HB0199 removes certain requirements and language related to certification and registration of education service providers in the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act.
The amendment to HB0199 makes minor changes to the text of the bill, altering some punctuation and labels in specific sections.
The amendment renumbers sections of the bill to correct a sequence error.
The amendment changes the text of HB0199 by removing certain sections, altering section numbering, and changing appropriation amounts.
The amendment changes how much money students can get for their education savings accounts based on their family's income.
The amendment changes the start date for certain provisions of the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act to January 1, 2027.
The amendment adds language to the bill that requires scholarship recipients to be assessed based on their academic progress in addition to meeting other criteria.
The amendment to HB0199 removes certain sections of the bill related to education savings accounts and adds a new section that repeals specific parts of existing law.
The amendment makes technical changes to the bill's language, including altering specific references and removing certain provisions.
The amendment adds requirements for students receiving scholarships under the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act to show progress in reading, writing, and math every year.
The amendment to HB0199HW001 removes certain references and requirements related to certification, registration, and specific sections of the education savings accounts program.
The amendment to HB0199HW002 makes minor changes to the text of the bill, including adjusting some numbering and punctuation.
The amendment modifies the language of HB0199 to adjust certain definitions and eligibility requirements for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship program, including changes related to pre-kindergarten education and student determination criteria.
The amendment reduces the amount of money allocated for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Program from $30 million to $28 million.
The amendment adds a new way to calculate scholarship awards based on property tax payments made by parents.
The amendment changes how much money is put into education savings accounts for students based on their eligibility and household income.
The amendment reduces the maximum scholarship award amount from fifty million dollars to thirty million dollars.
The amendment removes specific sections of existing laws related to education savings accounts and makes minor textual changes to other parts of the bill.
The amendment removes a previous set of changes made by the Schuler committee to HB0199, which is about education savings accounts.
The amendment removes a previous set of changes made by another legislator to certain sections of the bill.
The amendment modifies how much money can go into a student's education savings account based on their family's income compared to federal poverty levels.
The amendment modifies scholarship awards for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act by changing how much money is given based on household income and sets a fixed amount of $7,000 per student starting in 2026-2027.
The amendment changes the name of the bill from 'Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act' to 'Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act' throughout the document.
The amendment changes the names of sections in the bill and removes some existing text to reorganize it.