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HB0143 • 2023

Health mandates-CDC and WHO jurisdiction in Wyoming.

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; prohibiting health mandates and requirements by specified federal and nongovernmental health organizations as specified; 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 Ward
Last action
2023-02-08
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and its exact enforcement mechanisms are unclear.

Health Mandates - CDC and WHO Jurisdiction

The bill aims to prevent the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) from making health requirements in Wyoming.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new law stating that the CDC and WHO have no jurisdiction in Wyoming, meaning their requirements, mandates, recommendations, instructions or guidance cannot be used to justify mask, vaccine, or medical testing requirements within the state.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People and businesses in Wyoming who might be affected by health requirements.
  • The CDC and WHO, as they are not allowed to make rules for Wyoming.

Terms To Know

Health mandates
Rules that require people to follow certain health practices like wearing masks or getting vaccinated.
Jurisdiction
The authority of a government body to make and enforce rules in a specific area.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is unclear how this bill would be enforced if it were passed.
  • The bill did not pass, so its effects are limited to what was proposed and debated.
  • There may be legal challenges about whether states can limit the power of federal health organizations.

Amendments

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

HB0143H2001

2nd reading • Representative Henderson

Failed

Plain English: The amendment changes HB0143 by adding conditions that federal health requirements must not negatively impact people or jurisdictions in Wyoming and requires state approval before such requirements can be imposed.

  • Adds language to ensure that any health mandates from the CDC or WHO do not negatively affect people or areas within Wyoming.
  • Inserts a requirement for the Wyoming Department of Health to review federal health requirements and recommend them to the governor, who must approve them before they can take effect in Wyoming.
  • Modifies the effective date of the bill's provisions to be immediate upon becoming law rather than on July 1, 2023.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if federal health requirements are deemed to negatively impact Wyoming residents or jurisdictions.
  • It is unclear how the state approval process will interact with existing federal laws and regulations.
HB0143H3001

3rd reading • Representative Stith

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the word 'used' to 'binding' in a specific part of HB0143.

  • Replaces the word 'used' with 'binding' at page 2, line 5 of the bill.
  • The exact impact and context of this change are not clear without additional information about how the original text used the term 'used'.
HB0143HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Clouston

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds specific language to the bill, limiting health mandates and requirements by certain federal organizations only to those related to COVID-19 and its variants.

  • Adds 'for COVID-19 and any variant thereof' after the word 'requirements' in the bill.
  • The amendment specifies that health mandates and requirements are limited to COVID-19 and its variants, but does not provide details on how this will be enforced or what other health issues might be affected.

Bill History

  1. 2023-02-08 House

    H 3rd Reading:Failed 29-32-1-0-0

  2. 2023-02-07 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  3. 2023-02-06 House

    H COW:Passed

  4. 2023-02-03 House

    H Placed on General File

  5. 2023-02-03 House

    H10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 5-4-0-0-0

  6. 2023-01-18 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor

  7. 2023-01-17 House

    H Received for Introduction

  8. 2023-01-16 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
23LSO-0621
2023
STATE OF WYOMING
23LSO-0621
Introduced
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0143

Health mandates-CDC and WHO jurisdiction in Wyoming.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Ward, Allemand, Haroldson, Jennings, Locke, Pendergraft, Slagle and Strock and Senator(s) Hutchings and Ide

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; prohibiting health mandates and requirements by specified federal and nongovernmental health organizations as specified; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 35
‑
4
‑
1001 is created to read:

ARTICLE 10
PROHIBITED HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS

35
‑
4
‑
1001.

Consideration and compliance with specified health organizations; limitations.

The United States centers for disease control and prevention and the World Health Organization shall have no jurisdiction in Wyoming and any requirements, mandates, recommendations, instructions or guidance provided by either organization shall not be used in this state to justify any mask, vaccine or medical testing requirements and shall have no force or effect in Wyoming.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2023
.

(END)

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HB0143