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HB0056 • 2020

Good neighbor authority revolving account.

AN ACT relating to state lands; creating the Wyoming state forestry good neighbor authority revolving account; providing for administration of the account; authorizing additional employees; and providing for an effective date.

Labor
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Representative Lindholm
Last action
2020-03-13
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2020

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about how the account will be funded or managed, leaving some aspects open-ended.

Good Neighbor Authority Revolving Account

This law creates a special account to fund forestry projects on federal and state lands, managed by the Wyoming State Forestry Division.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the 'Wyoming State Forestry Good Neighbor Authority Revolving Account' for funding forestry projects.
  • Requires that funds in this account be used only for approved forestry projects, including those on federal lands.
  • Gives the state forester authority to manage the account and enter into contracts with other agencies for these projects.
  • Allows the state forester to hire additional employees if needed using federal funds deposited in the account.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Wyoming State Forestry Division
  • Federal land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service

Terms To Know

Good Neighbor Authority
An agreement between the state forestry division, the Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Forest Service to allow the state to perform forestry services on federal lands.
Revolving Account
A fund that continuously receives and spends money for specific purposes without needing new funding each time.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify the initial amount of funds in the account or their sources.
  • It is unclear how additional employees hired under this act will be funded if federal funds are unavailable.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0056HS001

Standing Committee • House Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment to HB0056HS001 adds provisions allowing the Wyoming state forestry good neighbor authority revolving account to accept county funds as well as partner funds and grants it the ability to collaborate with counties on forest management projects.

  • Adds 'county funds' and 'partner funds' after 'federal funds' in the bill text.
  • Changes a reference from '36-1-503(b)(iii)' to '36-1-503(a)(iii)'.
  • Inserts new language allowing the authority to partner with counties on forest management projects and use account funds for these collaborations.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about how county partnerships will be structured or funded beyond mentioning their possibility.

Bill History

  1. 2020-03-13 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 93

  2. 2020-03-13 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0072

  3. 2020-03-12 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0072

  4. 2020-03-12 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0072

  5. 2020-03-11 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0072

  6. 2020-03-11 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 25-3-2-0-0

  7. 2020-03-10 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2020-03-09 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  9. 2020-03-06 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  10. 2020-03-06 Senate

    S05 - Agriculture:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  11. 2020-03-02 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S05 - Agriculture

  12. 2020-02-27 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  13. 2020-02-26 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 59-0-1-0-0

  14. 2020-02-25 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2020-02-24 House

    H COW:Passed

  16. 2020-02-21 House

    H Placed on General File

  17. 2020-02-21 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0

  18. 2020-02-20 House

    :Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations

  19. 2020-02-20 House

    H05 - Agriculture:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0

  20. 2020-02-12 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture 59-0-1-0-0

  21. 2020-02-07 House

    H Received for Introduction

  22. 2020-01-17 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 20LSO-0171
Bill No.:

HB0056

Effective:

7/1/2020 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

20LSO-0171

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0072

Chapter No.:

93

Prime Sponsor:

Lindholm

Catch Title:

Good neighbor authority revolving account.

Subject:

Good neighbor authority revolving account.

Summary/Major Elements:

The act creates the good neighbor authority revolving account to be administered by the State Forester.

The act requires the account to be expended only on "good neighbor authority" projects or other cooperative forest management projects and authorizes the State Forester to enter into contracts for those projects.

The act defines "good neighbor authority" as an agreement between the State Forestry Division, the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service to allow the state to perform forestry services on Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands.

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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
20LSO-0171

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0056

ENROLLED ACT NO. 72,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2020 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to state lands; creating the Wyoming state forestry good neighbor authority revolving account; providing for administration of the account; authorizing additional employees; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 36
‑
1
‑
501 through 36
‑
1
‑
503 is created to read:

ARTICLE 5
WYOMING STATE FORESTRY GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY REVOLVING ACCOUNT

36
‑
1
‑
501.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this article:

(i)

"Division" means the Wyoming state forestry division of the office of state lands and investments;

(ii)

"Good neighbor authority" means an agreement between the division, the bureau of land management and the United States forest service to allow the state to perform forestry services on bureau of land management and forest service lands as specified in the agreement;

(iii)

"Wyoming state forestry good neighbor authority revolving account" or "account" means the account created by W.S. 36
‑
1
‑
502.

36
‑
1
‑
502.

Wyoming state forestry good neighbor authority revolving account; creation; investment of funds; authorized expenditures.

(a)

There is created the Wyoming state forestry good neighbor authority revolving account. The account shall include all legislative appropriations, federal funds, county funds, partner funds, funds generated from good neighbor authority projects or other federally funded cooperative forest management projects and all income from investments of monies in the account. If a contract is entered into pursuant to W.S. 36
‑
1
‑
503(a)(iii), funds in the account may be expanded on good neighbor authority projects prior to receipt of federal fund reimbursements. Funds deposited into the account are continuously appropriated to the state forester to be expended only as provided in this section. Unless otherwise specifically provided, appropriations to the account shall not lapse or revert at the end of any fiscal period.

(b)

Upon written approval of the state forester, expenditures shall be made out of the account for good neighbor authority projects or other cooperative forest management projects.

36
‑
1
‑
503.

Powers and duties of state forester.

(a)

The state forester shall:

(i)

Administer the account;

(ii)

Ensure that all funds generated from good neighbor authority projects or other federally funded cooperative forest management projects are deposited in the account;

(iii)

Enter into contracts on behalf of the division for good neighbor authority projects or other
federally funded cooperative forest management projects funded through the account;

(iv)

Adopt rules governing the administration of the account and to carry out the purposes of this article;

(v)

Have the authority to partner with one (1) or more counties on good neighbor authority projects or other cooperative forest management projects and disburse funds from the account for these purposes.

(b)

The state forester may hire additional employees as necessary to conduct good neighbor authority projects or other federally funded cooperative forest management projects funded through the account. Employees hired under this subsection shall be funded using federal funds deposited in the account. The state forester shall not fill more than one (1) full
‑
time employee position and four (4) at
‑
will employee contract positions under this subsection.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2020
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1