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HB0056 • 2022

Examination of books of certain districts and entities.

AN ACT relating to the department of audit examination of books of special districts and certain specified entities; clarifying audit and reporting requirements for special districts and other specified entities; clarifying the dissolution process for non-compliance; clarifying recreation boards of trustees; and providing for an effective date.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Mgt Audit
Last action
2022-03-15
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2022

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the penalties for non-compliance beyond requiring county commissioners to seek dissolution of a district or entity if it fails to submit required reports.

Department of Audit Reporting Requirements for Special Districts and Entities

This law clarifies reporting requirements for special districts and certain entities, including recreation boards of trustees.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that special districts and other specified entities must file financial reports with the Department of Audit.
  • Specifies that recreation districts are considered recreation boards of trustees as defined by law.
  • Requires county commissioners to seek dissolution of a district or entity if it fails to submit required reports.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Special districts
  • Entities specified in W.S. 16-12-202(a)
  • Recreation boards of trustees

Terms To Know

special district
A local government entity created to manage specific services or facilities.
recreation board of trustees
An appointed group responsible for managing recreation areas and activities in a community.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify all the types of entities that must comply with reporting requirements.
  • It is unclear how many special districts or entities will be affected by these changes.

Amendments

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

HB0056H2001

2nd reading • Representative Zwonitzer

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill by adding 'other entities' before certain mentions of 'specified', making it clear that more types of organizations are included in the audit and reporting requirements.

  • Adds 'other entities' before 'specified' on pages 2, 3, and 4 to include additional groups under the audit and reporting requirements.
  • The exact nature of these 'other entities' is not defined in the amendment text, so it's unclear which specific organizations are being referred to.
HB0056HS001

Standing Committee • House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivis

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment modifies the bill to include special districts and other entities that receive funding from a municipality in the audit requirements.

  • Adds 'special districts and other entities' after certain mentions of 'entities'.
  • Inserts language specifying that these entities must receive funding from a municipality.
  • The amendment does not specify what changes are being reinserted or deleted on Page 2, line 9.
HB0056SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivi

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the definition of municipalities that certain districts and entities receive funding from to include a specific legal definition.

  • Removes the phrase 'that receive funding from a municipality' on pages 4, lines 6-7 and 16-17.
  • Adds the phrase 'as defined by W.S. 16-4-102(a)(xiv)' to clarify what is meant by 'municipality'.
  • The amendment does not explain what W.S. 16-4-102(a)(xiv) means, so readers would need to look that up separately.

Bill History

  1. 2022-03-15 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 76

  2. 2022-03-15 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0037

  3. 2022-03-09 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0037

  4. 2022-03-09 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0037

  5. 2022-03-08 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0037

  6. 2022-03-08 House

    H Concur:Passed 57-1-2-0-0

  7. 2022-03-07 House

    H Received for Concurrence

  8. 2022-03-07 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 28-0-2-0-0

  9. 2022-03-04 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2022-03-03 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  11. 2022-03-03 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  12. 2022-03-03 Senate

    S07 - Corporations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  13. 2022-03-02 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations

  14. 2022-03-02 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  15. 2022-03-01 House

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

  16. 2022-02-28 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2022-02-25 House

    H 2nd Reading:Laid Back

  18. 2022-02-24 House

    H COW:Passed

  19. 2022-02-22 House

    H Placed on General File

  20. 2022-02-22 House

    H07 - Corporations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0

  21. 2022-02-15 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H07 - Corporations 60-0-0-0-0

  22. 2022-02-11 House

    H Received for Introduction

  23. 2022-02-02 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 22LSO-0075
Bill No.:

HB0056

Effective:

7/1/2022 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

22LSO-0075

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0037

Chapter No.:

76

Prime Sponsor:

Management Audit Committee

Catch Title:

Examination of books of certain districts and entities.

Subject:

Mandatory reports to be filed with the Department of Audit.

Summary/Major Elements:

Clarifies which public entities are subject to the financial reporting requirements of W.S. 9
‑
1
‑
507 by specifying that the reporting requirement is applicable to the districts and other entities listed in W.S. 16-12-202(a).

Clarifies in W.S. 16-12-202(a) that recreation districts are recreation boards of trustees as created pursuant to W.S. 18-9-201.

Clarifies that county commissioners must seek to dissolve a special district or other public entity who fails to file required reports in accordance with the process described by W.S. 22
‑
29
‑
401 et seq.
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
22LSO-0075

ORIGINAL House

ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0056

ENROLLED ACT NO. 37,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2022 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to the department of audit examination of books of special districts and certain specified entities; clarifying audit and reporting requirements for special districts and other specified entities; clarifying the dissolution process for non-compliance; clarifying recreation boards of trustees; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 9
‑
1
‑
507(a)(iii)(intro), (v)(intro), (vii) and (j)(ii), 16
‑
12
‑
202(a)(xii) and 35
‑
28
‑
101(a)(vi) are amended to read:

9
‑
1
‑
507.

Examination of books of state institutions, agencies and certain districts and entities; independent audit authorized; guidelines.

(a)

The director of the state department of audit shall:

(iii)

Require state institutions, state agencies, the entities described in W.S. 16
‑
4
‑
125(c)
, special districts and other entities specified in W.S. 16
‑
12
‑
202(a)
and incorporated cities and towns with a population of less than four thousand (4,000) inhabitants to file with the department such reports of the books and accounts of the institution, agency, district or entity as the director deems necessary. The director shall promulgate rules under which special districts
and entities
described in W.S. 16
‑
4
‑
125(c)
or other entities specified in W.S. 16
‑
12
‑
202(a)
shall prepare and file an annual report of their books and records with the department of audit. These rules shall apply to special districts which are subject to administration by the courts as provided in subsection (e)
of this section. These rules shall provide for different levels of oversight, at the expense of the district, depending upon the higher of the total revenues received or expenditures made by the district during the fiscal year under review subject to the following limitations:

(v)

Perform an audit or specified procedures of any books and records of any state institution, state agency, incorporated city or town with a population of less than four thousand (4,000) inhabitants or any
special

district or entity described in W.S. 16
‑
4
‑
125(c)
or other entities specified in W.S. 16
‑
12
‑
202(a)
whenever the director feels the audit or procedures are necessary. In lieu of performing such audit or procedures, the director may accept an audit or specified procedures performed by a certified public accountant. Specified procedures shall include procedures conducted under one (1) of the following standards:

(vii)

Require
each county, city and town, special district and joint powers board
counties, cities, towns and special districts and entities described in W.S. 16
‑
4
‑
125(c) or other entities specified in W.S. 16
‑
12
‑
202(a)
in this state to report to the department revenues received and expenditures made each fiscal year.

The reports shall be made not later than September 30 for the prior fiscal year.

The format of the reports required by this paragraph shall be established by the department of audit by rule. Not later than December 31 of each year, the department shall provide a copy of the report on special districts
and entities described in W.S. 16
‑
4
‑
125(c) that receive funding from a municipality as defined by W.S. 16
‑
4
‑
102(a)(xiv) or other entities specified in W.S. 16
‑
12
‑
202(a)
under this paragraph to the board of county
commissioners for each special district
and other entity
located in that county;

(j)

The director of the department of audit shall certify:

(ii)

To the board of county commissioners and to the special district
or entity described in W.S. 16
‑
4
‑
125(c) that receives funding from a municipality as defined by W.S. 16-4-102(a)(xiv) or other entities specified in W.S. 16
‑
12
‑
202(a)
by October 5 of each year any special district
or other entity
in the county, no matter how formed,
which has
that
failed to comply with paragraph (a)(vii) of this section.

If, by November 30 of that same year, the district
or other entity
has failed to comply with paragraph (a)(vii) of this section, the director of the department of audit shall file notice with the county commissioners, the county treasurer and the county clerk.

The county commissioners shall place a public notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county indicating the special district
or other entity
is in danger of being dissolved due to failure to comply with the legal reporting requirements.

The county commissioners shall assess the special district
or other entity
the cost of the public notice.

The county treasurer shall withhold any further distribution of money to the district until the department certifies to the county treasurer that the district
or other entity
has complied with all reporting requirements.

If the special district
or other entity
fails to file the required report on or before December 30 of that same year, the county commissioners shall seek to dissolve the special district
or other entity
in accordance with
the process described by
W.S. 22
‑
29
‑
401 et seq
.
This paragraph shall apply in addition to any other provision
for dissolution in the principal act for a special district
or other entity
.

16
‑
12
‑
202.

Applicability to special districts and other specified entities; general provisions.

(a)

This chapter applies to the following entities unless otherwise specified:

(xii)

Recreation
districts
boards of trustees appointed pursuant to W.S. 18
‑
9
‑
201
;

35
‑
28
‑
101.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(vi)

"Person" means municipalities, recreation
districts
boards of trustees
, counties, state agencies, individuals, corporations, partnerships, enterprises or associations;

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2022
.

(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