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HB0150 • 2022

Manslaughter amendments.

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; amending manslaughter statutes to prohibit assisted suicide and failure to care for an infant born alive; specifying exceptions; and providing for an effective date.

Healthcare
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representative Romero-Martinez
Last action
2022-02-18
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2022

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about exceptions or punishments, only the new rules regarding assisted suicide and failure to care for an infant born alive.

Amendments to Manslaughter Laws

The bill changes manslaughter laws by adding new ways someone can be charged with manslaughter, including assisting in suicide and failing to care for an infant born alive.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds rules that make it illegal to help another person commit suicide, except when health care decisions are made according to existing laws.
  • Makes it against the law if someone does not take medically appropriate steps to preserve the life of a newborn infant who is born alive and needs medical attention.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who might help another person commit suicide or fail to provide necessary care for an infant born alive could face charges under these new rules.

Terms To Know

Manslaughter
The unlawful killing of a human being without malice, expressed or implied.
Suicide
Ending one's own life intentionally.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill did not pass and was never considered for introduction in the legislature.
  • The effective date of July 1, 2022, will not be reached since the bill did not advance.

Bill History

  1. 2022-02-18 House

    H Did not Consider for Introduction

  2. 2022-02-16 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2022-02-16 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
22LSO-0131
2022
STATE OF WYOMING
22LSO-0131
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0150

Manslaughter amendments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Romero-Martinez and Baker and Senator(s) Hutchings

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; amending manslaughter statutes to prohibit assisted suicide and failure to care for an infant born alive; specifying exceptions; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 6
‑
2
‑
105(a)(intro), (i), by creating new paragraphs (iii) and (iv) and (b) is amended to read:

6
‑
2
‑
105.

Manslaughter; penalty.

(a)

A person is guilty of manslaughter if he unlawfully kills any human being without malice, expressed or implied,
either
in any one (1) of the following ways
:

(i)

Voluntarily, upon a sudden heat of passion;
or

(iii)

Voluntarily, by aiding or abetting a human being to die by suicide, except when death results from the withholding or withdrawal of health care in accordance with the Wyoming Health Care Decisions Act;

(iv)

Voluntarily, by failing to administer commonly accepted means of care and take medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of a human infant born alive pursuant to W.S. 35
‑
6
‑
104 or subject to W.S. 35-6-103 by terminating the viability of the infant, except that this paragraph shall not apply to any woman upon whom an abortion was performed.

(b)

Except as provided in W.S. 6
‑
2
‑
109
and 35
‑
6
‑
110
, manslaughter is a felony punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary for not more than twenty (20) years.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2022
.

(END)

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HB0150