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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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SF0127 • 2020

Public funds-lobbying.

AN ACT relating to taxation and revenue; prohibiting use of tax revenue for lobbying; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.

Elections Labor Taxes
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Senator Biteman
Last action
2020-02-14
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2020

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide a detailed summary or digest, so some details were inferred directly from the bill text.

No Tax Money for Lobbying

The bill prohibits the use of tax revenue collected under title 39 to fund lobbying activities and requires separate accounts for such funds.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits the expenditure of tax revenue from taxes imposed under title 39 on lobbying or financing lobbying activities.
  • Requires state and local governmental entities receiving or distributing tax revenues from title 39 to finance any lobbying through separate and independent accounts.
  • Defines 'lobby' or 'lobbying' as attempting to influence legislation or campaigning for or against candidates, initiatives, referenda, or ballot propositions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State and local governmental entities
  • Public officials and employees

Terms To Know

lobbying
Attempting to influence legislation or campaigning for or against candidates, initiatives, referenda, or ballot propositions.
tax revenue
Money collected from taxes that the government uses for various purposes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was never introduced.
  • It only applies to tax money collected on or after July 1, 2020, which is no longer relevant as it did not become law.

Bill History

  1. 2020-02-14 Senate

    S Did Not Consider for Introduction Vote

  2. 2020-02-12 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  3. 2020-02-11 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
20LSO-0060
2020
STATE OF WYOMING
20LSO-0060
Introduced
2.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0127

Public funds-lobbying.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Biteman, Bebout, Driskill, Hicks and Kinskey and Representative(s) Greear, Laursen, Piiparinen and Salazar

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to taxation and revenue; prohibiting use of tax revenue for lobbying; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 39
‑
11
‑
201 is created to read:

ARTICLE 2
LIMITATIONS ON EXPENDITURE OF TAX REVENUES

39
‑
11
‑
201.

Taxpayer funds for lobbying.

(a)

In no event shall any revenue collected from a tax imposed under this title be expended to lobby or finance lobbying activities. A state or local governmental entity receiving or distributing revenue collected from a tax imposed under this title shall finance any lobbying activities through accounts that are separate and independent from the account that receives any revenues collected from a tax imposed under this title.

(b)

As used in this article, "lobby" or "lobbying" means to attempt to influence legislation or to campaign to support or oppose a candidate, initiative or referendum or ballot proposition. "Lobby" or "lobbying" does not include:

(i)

Testifying before a governmental committee;

(ii)

Providing data, education or information on the potential effects of proposed legislation, initiatives, referenda or ballot propositions;

(iii)

Activity by a public official or public employee that is conducted in furtherance of the official's
or employee's job duties or that informs the public regarding proposed measures that may significantly impact the official's or employee's government operations or programs.

Section 2.

W.S. 9
‑
13
‑
105(b)(intro) and (ii) is amended to read:

9
‑
13
‑
105.

Misuse of office.

(b)

A public official, public member
,

or
public employee
or person who receives revenue from a tax imposed under title 39 of the Wyoming statutes
shall not use public funds, time, personnel, facilities or equipment for political or campaign activity unless the use is:

(ii)

Properly incidental to another activity required or authorized by law and the public official, public employee
,

or
public member
or other person who receives revenue from a tax imposed under title 39 of the Wyoming statutes
allocates and reimburses the governmental entity for any additional costs incurred for that portion of the activity not required or authorized by law.

Section 3.

This act applies to revenue collected on or after July 1, 2020 from a tax imposed under title 39.

Section 4
.

This act is effective July 1, 2020
.

(END)

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SF0127