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HB0103 • 2020

Chancery court amendments.

AN ACT relating to chancery courts; amending provisions related to the chancery court of the state of Wyoming; clarifying disposition of fees; clarifying the jurisdiction of the chancery court as specified; making technical corrections; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Representative Greear
Last action
2020-03-10
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
3/10/2020

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how much money will be in the chancery court account, nor does it specify what happens to existing cases before this change.

Changes to Chancery Court Rules

This law clarifies how fees are handled by the chancery court and expands its jurisdiction over certain types of cases.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that all money collected by the chancery court goes into a special account for its use, including salaries and expenses.
  • Adds trademark, trade name, and service mark disputes to the types of cases the chancery court can handle.
  • Gives the chancery court more power to hear related cases that are not listed specifically but are connected to its main duties.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Wyoming Chancery Court
  • People who work for or use the services of the chancery court

Terms To Know

Chancery Court
A special type of court that deals with certain kinds of cases, like business disputes and cases where someone asks for a judge to make a decision about something.
Jurisdiction
The types of cases or areas over which a court has the authority to hear and decide.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is unclear if there are any limits on when the chancery court can use its new power over related cases.
  • The law does not explain what happens to existing cases that were started before this change.

Bill History

  1. 2020-03-10 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 54

  2. 2020-03-10 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0026

  3. 2020-03-06 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0026

  4. 2020-03-06 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0026

  5. 2020-03-05 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0026

  6. 2020-03-05 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-0-0-0

  7. 2020-03-04 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2020-03-03 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  9. 2020-03-02 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  10. 2020-03-02 Senate

    S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  11. 2020-02-27 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary

  12. 2020-02-27 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  13. 2020-02-26 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 56-3-1-0-0

  14. 2020-02-25 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2020-02-24 House

    H COW:Passed

  16. 2020-02-18 House

    H Placed on General File

  17. 2020-02-18 House

    H09 - Minerals:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  18. 2020-02-13 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals 57-2-1-0-0

  19. 2020-02-07 House

    H Received for Introduction

  20. 2020-02-04 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 20LSO-0510
Bill No.:

HB0103

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

20LSO-0510

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0026

Chapter No.:

54

Prime Sponsor:

Greear

Catch Title:

Chancery court amendments.

Subject:

Wyoming Chancery Court.

Summary/Major Elements:

In 2019, the Legislature passed a bill that created the Wyoming Chancery Court.

The act clarifies various provisions related to temporary assignments to the chancery court, the chancery court's account and the chancery court's jurisdiction.

The act provides that actions regarding trademarks, trade names and service marks fall within the chancery court's jurisdiction.

The act also authorizes the chancery court to exercise supplemental ancillary jurisdiction over other causes of action ancillary to those causes of action within the chancery court's jurisdiction.

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-0510

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0103

ENROLLED ACT NO. 26,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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

AN ACT relating to chancery courts; amending provisions related to the chancery court of the state of Wyoming; clarifying disposition of fees; clarifying the jurisdiction of the chancery court as specified; making technical corrections; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 5
‑
13
‑
102(a), 5
‑
13
‑
109(a)(ii) and (iii) and 5
‑
13
‑
115(b)(vii), (xiii), (xiv), by creating a new paragraph (xvi), (c) and (d) are amended to read:

5
‑
13
‑
102.

Chancery court fund account created; purposes.

(a)

There is created an account entitled "the chancery court account
.
"
.
The
chancery court
account shall receive all filing fees received by the chancery court. Any interest accruing to the account shall be retained in the account and may be expended for the purposes provided in this section. No funds shall be expended from the account until the legislature appropriates the funds. Funds within the account shall be used for the purpose of funding operation of the chancery courts, including judicial salaries, staff salaries, supplies, operating costs and other expenses of the chancery court.

5
‑
13
‑
109.

Temporary assignment to fill vacancies; appointments to fill vacancies in office.

(a)

Prior to the appointment of a chancery court judge under subsection (b) of this section or in the event a chancery court judge appointed under W.S. 5
‑
13
‑
107 dies,
becomes unable or unwilling to perform the duties of his office, the supreme court may temporarily assign the duties of chancery court judge to be performed by a person who meets the qualifications set forth in W.S. 5
‑
13
‑
108. Any assignment shall be made to:

(ii)

A retired district court
justice
judge
; or

(iii)

A member of a panel of up to five (5) active district court judges selected by the supreme court to serve as
a
chancery court judge on
an
ad hoc basis.

5
‑
13
‑
115.

Purpose and jurisdiction.

(b)

The chancery court shall have jurisdiction to hear and decide actions for equitable or declaratory relief and for actions where the prayer for money recovery is an amount exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), exclusive of claims for punitive or exemplary damages, prejudgment or post judgment interest, costs and attorney fees provided the cause of action arises from at least one (1) of the following:

(vii)

Shareholder derivative actions. The monetary threshold
set forth
in
this
subsection
(b) of this section
shall not apply to
action
actions
brought under this paragraph;

(xiii)

Dissolution of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, joint ventures, banks and trust companies. The monetary threshold
of
set forth in this
subsection
(b) of this section
shall not apply to
action
actions
brought under this paragraph;

(xiv)

Transactions governed by the Wyoming Uniform Trust Code;
or

(xvi)

A dispute concerning a trademark, trade name or service mark. The monetary threshold set forth in this subsection shall not apply to actions brought under this paragraph.

(c)

The chancery court
shall have no
may exercise
supplemental ancillary jurisdiction over any cause of action not listed in subsection (b) of this section
at the discretion of the chancery court
.

(d)

All chancery court judges throughout the state shall have concurrent jurisdiction with all district court judges throughout the state only as to the causes of action enumerated in subsection (b) of this section
and to the causes of action for which the chancery court exercises supplemental ancillary jurisdiction under subsection (c) of this section
.

Section 2
.

This act is effective
immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(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

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