HB0095 • 2023

Working animal protection act.

AN ACT relating to counties, cities and towns; prohibiting counties, cities and towns from enacting and enforcing policies on the use of animals as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Agriculture Education Land

Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor: Representative Rodriguez-Williams
Last action: 2023-02-08
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims about the bill's passage and effects that are inaccurate since the bill did not pass.

Working Animal Protection Act

The Working Animal Protection Act prevents cities and towns from making laws that restrict the use of working animals in business or other activities.

What This Bill Does

It stops cities and towns from creating rules that ban or overly limit the use of working animals for work or businesses.
It does not prevent cities from making zoning rules about where working animals can be used.
It allows cities to continue making public health and safety rules, even if those rules affect working animals.

Who It Names or Affects

Cities and towns in Wyoming
People who use working animals for business or other activities

Terms To Know

Working animal: A non-human animal used primarily to perform a specific duty or function in commerce or an enterprise, such as human service, hunting, agriculture, transportation, education, competition, tourism, entertainment, or exhibition. It does not include animals raised for food or fiber.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass and was rejected on February 8, 2023.
It applies to cities and towns in Wyoming but does not affect farm animals raised for food or fiber.

Amendments

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

HB0095H2001

2nd reading • Representative Sherwood

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a new clause that prevents counties, cities, and towns from making rules about puppy mills and animal hoarders.

Adds language to the bill prohibiting local governments from creating ordinances or policies related to puppy mills and animal hoarders.

The amendment only specifies adding this clause in two specific places within the bill, but does not provide context on how these changes will affect existing protections for working animals or other aspects of the bill.

HB0095H3001

3rd reading • Representative Zwonitzer, Dn

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment removes a specific line from the bill that originally aimed to restrict local policies on animal use.

Removes line 6 from page 1 of the original bill.

It is unclear what exact content was in line 6 and how its removal affects the overall intent of the bill.

HB0095HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Rodriguez-Williams

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds specific references to additional state laws regarding the use of animals in public spaces.

Adds new language after '23-3-109' to include references to sections 35-13-201 through 35-13-206.

The exact content and implications of the added legal references are not explained in the amendment text, so their specific effects are unclear without reviewing those statutes.

HB0095HS001

Standing Committee • House Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds exceptions to the bill that allow local governments to create policies protecting the health and safety of working animals.

Adds an exception allowing municipalities to enact ordinances for the protection of working animal health and safety.
Removes language that would have prohibited certain types of municipal policies related to working animals.

The exact scope of what constitutes 'reasonable' or 'health and safety' protections is not defined in the amendment text.

Bill History

2023-02-08 House
H 3rd Reading:Failed 30-32-0-0-0
2023-02-07 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2023-02-06 House
H COW:Passed
2023-01-31 House
H Placed on General File
2023-01-31 House
H05 - Agriculture:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0
2023-01-13 House
H Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture
2023-01-10 House
H Received for Introduction
2023-01-09 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

23LSO-0503
2023
STATE OF WYOMING
23LSO-0503
Introduced
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0095

Working animal protection act.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Rodriguez-Williams, Neiman and Penn and Senator(s) French and Laursen, D

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to counties, cities and towns; prohibiting counties, cities and towns from enacting and enforcing policies on the use of animals as specified; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 15
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1
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133 and 18
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2
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117 are created to read:

15
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1
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133.

Working animal protections.

(a)

No city or town shall enact an ordinance or policy that terminates, bans or unduly restricts a person from using a working animal in lawful commerce or an animal enterprise.

(b)

This section supersedes any municipal ordinance or policy that conflicts with this section, but shall not supersede:

(i)

Any municipal zoning ordinance enacted under this title;

(ii)

Any municipal ordinance or policy relating to public health or public safety.

(c)

This section shall not be interpreted to amend any other Wyoming law that relates to animal care, public health or public safety, including the provisions of W.S. 23
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3
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109.

(d)

As used in this section, "working animal" means a nonhuman animal used primarily for the purpose of performing a specific duty or function in commerce or an animal enterprise including human service, legal hunting, agriculture, ranching, husbandry, transportation, education, competition, tourism, entertainment or exhibition. The term shall not include rabbits, llamas, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry or any other animal that is used primarily for the production of food or fiber.

18
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2
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117.

Working animal protections.

(a)

No county shall enact any resolution, ordinance or policy that terminates, bans or unduly restricts a person from using a working animal in lawful commerce or an animal enterprise.

(b)

This section supersedes any resolution, ordinance or policy that conflicts with this section, but shall not supersede:

(i)

Any county zoning resolution enacted under this title;

(ii)

Any policy relating to public health or public safety.

(c)

This section shall not be interpreted to amend any other Wyoming law that relates to animal care, public health or public safety, including the provisions of W.S. 23
‑
3
‑
109.

(d)

As used in this section, "working animal" means a nonhuman animal used primarily for the purpose of performing a specific duty or function in commerce or an animal enterprise including human service, legal hunting, agriculture, ranching, husbandry, transportation, education, competition, tourism, entertainment or exhibition. The term shall not include rabbits, llamas, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry or any other animal that is used primarily for the production of food or fiber.

Section 2.

This act is effective July 1, 2023
.

(END)

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HB0095