SF0110 • 2020

Evaluating the tax equivalency of federal land in Wyoming.

AN ACT relating to public lands; requiring a study to evaluate federal payments in lieu of taxes and to appraise the value of federally held lands in Wyoming; authorizing the use of consultants; requiring reports; defining terms; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

Agriculture Budget Taxes

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Senator Steinmetz
Last action: 2020-03-11
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2020

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims about who it affects that were not supported in the official source material.

Study on Federal Land Payments in Wyoming

This act requires the state of Wyoming to study federal land payments compared to property taxes and appraise the value of federal lands within the state.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Office of State Lands and Investments to conduct a study by November 1, 2021, on how federal land payments compare to property tax revenue that would be generated from federally owned or controlled lands in Wyoming.
Allows the office to hire professional consultants for the study.
Requires quarterly reports to the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee until November 1, 2021.
Appropriates $500,000 from two state accounts for consulting services related to the study.
Makes all information gathered during the study exclusive property of Wyoming.

Who It Names or Affects

The Office of State Lands and Investments in Wyoming
Federal land within Wyoming

Terms To Know

Payments in lieu of tax: Money given by the federal government to states or local governments instead of property taxes on federal lands.
Federal land: Land owned, held, or controlled by the U.S. government within Wyoming's borders.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass in its session and was postponed indefinitely.
It does not specify what actions will be taken based on the study results.
The bill only applies to federal lands within Wyoming’s state boundaries.

Amendments

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

SF0110S3001

3rd reading • Senator Gierau

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds the word 'exclusive' before 'property' in a specific section of the bill.

Adds the word 'exclusive' before 'property' in subsection (k) created by an earlier amendment.

The exact impact and meaning of adding 'exclusive' to this section is not clear without additional context about what subsection (k) entails.

SF0110SW001

Committee of the Whole • Senator Gierau

Corrected, Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section (k) to the bill, stating that all information collected or created as part of the studies required by the bill belongs to the state of Wyoming.

Adds a new section (k) to the bill which declares that all data and materials gathered or produced during the studies mandated by the act are owned by the state of Wyoming.

SF0110SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Appropriations Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how funds are appropriated and specifies new amounts to be used for consulting services related to evaluating federal land payments and appraisals in Wyoming.

Changes the phrase 'providing an appropriation;' to 'providing appropriations;' on page 1, line 5.
Deletes lines 4 through 23 on page 6 entirely.
Inserts new language on page 7 that appropriates $250,000 from two different accounts for consulting services related to the act's requirements.

The amendment does not provide details about what specific changes are made by deleting lines 4 through 23 on page 6.
It is unclear how the deleted text affects the overall bill without seeing its content.

Bill History

2020-03-11 House
H postponed indefinitely
2020-03-09 House
H09 - Minerals:Do Pass Failed 4-5-0-0-0
2020-03-04 House
H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals
2020-03-02 House
H Received for Introduction
2020-02-27 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 18-12-0-0-0
2020-02-26 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2020-02-25 Senate
S COW:Passed
2020-02-24 Senate
S Placed on General File
2020-02-24 Senate
S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2020-02-24 Senate
S COW:Rerefer to S02 - Appropriations
2020-02-24 Senate
S Placed on General File
2020-02-24 Senate
S03 - Revenue:Recommend Do Pass 3-1-1-0-0
2020-02-13 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S03 - Revenue 30-0-0-0-0
2020-02-11 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2020-02-11 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

20LSO-0500
2020
STATE OF WYOMING
20LSO-0500
ENGROSSED
3.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0110

Evaluating the tax equivalency of federal land in Wyoming.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Steinmetz, Agar, Biteman, Dockstader, Driskill and Hutchings and Representative(s) Jennings, Lindholm, Olsen, Piiparinen, Sommers and Tass

A BILL

for

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

Section 1
.

(a)

As used in this section:

(i)

"Federal land" means any land within the state of Wyoming that is owned, held or controlled by the United States government or any agency, department or subdivision thereof. "Federal land" shall not include:

(A)

Any federal military installation;

(B)

Any federal enclave created under article I, section 8, clause 17 of the United States Constitution;

(C)

Land within the limits of any Indian reservation as provided in 18 U.S.C. § 1151.

(ii)

"Payments in lieu of tax" means payments made by the United States government to the state of Wyoming or a county, municipality or school district in Wyoming. "Payments in lieu of tax" shall include:

(A)

Payments for entitlement land as provided in 31 U.S.C. §§ 6901 through 6907;

(B)

Impact aid payments as provided in 20 U.S.C. §§ 7701 through 7714.

(b)

Not later than November 1, 2021, the office of state lands and investments shall study the impact on the failure of the United States government to make payments in lieu of tax that are equivalent to the property tax revenue that the state of Wyoming would otherwise generate from lands under federal ownership or control within Wyoming. The office shall evaluate and appraise all federal lands in Wyoming in real time to determine the fair taxable value of all federal lands in Wyoming.

(c)

The office of state lands and investments shall work with professional consultant experts to complete the study required under this section. The office shall retain professional consulting experts for the purposes of this act.

(d)

As part of the study required under this section, the office of state lands and investments shall:

(i)

Hold at least one (1) public meeting to accept testimony from representatives of each United States senator and representative elected from Wyoming, any state agency, county, municipality, political subdivision and school district and any other interested party impacted by the United States government's failure to make payments in lieu of tax that are equivalent to the property tax revenue that federal lands would generate;

(ii)

Compile data necessary to conduct the real
‑
time appraisal required under subsection (b) of this section. The office of state lands and investments shall collect, provide and update information and data as requested by professional consultant experts working with the office. Other state agencies and counties shall prepare, collect, provide and update information and data as requested by the office of state lands and investments and professional consultant experts working with the office.

(e)

For the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending November 1, 2021, the office of state lands and investments shall report quarterly to the
joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee on the progress of the study required by this section. The first quarterly report shall be submitted not later than June 30, 2020. Each subsequent quarterly report shall be submitted to the committee not later than the final calendar day of each calendar quarter. The office shall submit a final report to the joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee not later than November 1, 2021 on the results of the study required by this section.

(f)

The joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee may coordinate with each United States senator or representative elected from Wyoming to secure payments in lieu of tax that are equivalent to the property tax revenue that the state would otherwise generate from lands under federal ownership or control within Wyoming.

(g)

The joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee may sponsor any legislation necessary to complete the study required by this section. The committee may sponsor any legislation in
response to the results of the study required by this section.

(h)

There is appropriated two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) from the federal natural resource policy account created under W.S. 9-4-218(a) to the office of state lands and investments for expenses associated with any consulting services procured by the office as provided by this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2022. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2022. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation not be included in the office's standard budget for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

(j)

There is appropriated two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) from the strategic investments and projects account created by W.S. 9-4-220(a) to the office of state lands and investments for expenses associated with any consulting services procured by the office as provided
by this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2022. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2022. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation not be included in the office's standard budget for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

(k)

All information gathered or produced pursuant to the studies provided for in this act shall be the exclusive property of the state of Wyoming.

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)

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SF0110