HB0057 • 2022

Citizen actions to compel financial reporting compliance.

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; authorizing citizen mandamus actions to compel compliance with statutory requirements for governmental entities to file reports with the department of audit; providing for attorney fees; and providing for an effective date.

Taxes

Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor: Mgt Audit
Last action: 2022-02-18
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2022

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide additional details beyond what is already included in the summary and bill text.

Citizen Actions for Financial Reporting

The bill allows citizens to sue government entities if they do not file required financial reports with the department of audit and provides for attorney fees if the citizen wins.

What This Bill Does

Allows residents or taxpayers to sue non-compliant local governments or special districts that fail to submit mandatory financial reports.
Requires the government entity to pay reasonable attorney fees and costs if the citizen wins the lawsuit.

Who It Names or Affects

Residents who live in non-compliant local governments or special districts.
Taxpayers who have paid taxes or fees to a non-compliant special district within the last year.
Local government entities that do not file required financial reports with the department of audit.

Terms To Know

mandamus action: A legal order from a court telling an official or organization to perform their duties as required by law.
statutory requirements: Rules and laws that are written into statutes, which are formal documents containing the laws of a state or country.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass in its session.
It only applies to specific local government entities listed in certain Wyoming statutes.
The effective date mentioned (July 1, 2022) is no longer relevant since the bill did not pass.

Bill History

2022-02-18 House
H Did not Consider for Introduction
2022-02-11 House
H Received for Introduction
2022-02-02 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

22LSO-0078
2022
STATE OF WYOMING
22LSO-0078
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0057

Citizen actions to compel financial reporting compliance.

Sponsored by: Management Audit Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; authorizing citizen mandamus actions to compel compliance with statutory requirements for governmental entities to file reports with the department of audit; providing for attorney fees; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 9
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1
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510 by creating new subsections (d) and (e) is amended to read:

9
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1
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510.

Instructions to public officers; failure of public officer to obey.

(d)

Should any county, city, town or special district or other entity described in W.S. 16
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4
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125(c) or specified
in W.S. 16
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12
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202(a) fail to comply with the mandatory reporting requirement contained in W.S. 9
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1
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507(a)(vii), the following persons may institute a mandamus action pursuant to W.S. 1
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30
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101 et seq. against the county, city, town, special district or other entity to compel compliance with W.S. 9
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1
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507(a)(vii):

(i)

A resident of the noncompliant county, city or town; or

(ii)

A person residing within the boundaries of the noncompliant special district or other entity who has within the previous year paid taxes or fees used by the noncompliant special district or other entity to support its operations or projects.

(e)

If judgment in a mandamus action instituted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section is given in favor of the person instituting the mandamus action, the person instituting the mandamus action shall be awarded reasonable attorney fees in addition to costs.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2022
.

(END)

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HB0057