Public defender funding amendments.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about how the removal of federal funds will impact public defender budgets or the exact effective date beyond completion of legislative processes.

Changes to Public Defender Funding

This act removes federal funding from the calculation used to determine state and county shares for public defender budgets.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the requirement that federal funds be included when calculating the total budget for the public defender program.
• Does not include any authorized federal funds in the calculation of the state public defender budget.

Who It Names or Affects

• The state and county governments responsible for funding public defenders.

Terms To Know

Public Defender

A lawyer appointed by the court to represent people who cannot afford their own legal defense.

Federal Funding

Money given by the federal government to support various programs, including public defender services.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass and was not considered for further action.
• It is unclear how removing federal funding from calculations will affect overall budget allocations.

Current Bill Text

23LSO-0695
2023
STATE OF WYOMING
23LSO-0695
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0231

Public defender funding amendments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Crago and Senator(s) Nethercott

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the public defender; removing a requirement for federal funding to be included in calculating the state public defender budget for purposes of determining state and county shares; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 7
‑
6
‑
113(a) and by creating a new subsection (e) is amended to read:

7
‑
6
‑
113.

Funding.

(a)

The total state
and federal
funding of the public defender program shall be eighty
‑
five percent (85%) of the state public defender budget.

(e)

For purposes of this section, calculation of the state public defender budget shall not include any authorized federal funds to be expended by the state public defender.

Section 2
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

1
HB0231