SF0069 • 2023

Electronic records retention.

AN ACT relating to courts; providing for the digitizing and retention of court records as specified; striking obsolete language; and providing for an effective date.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Senator Nethercott
Last action: 2023-02-21
Official status: enrolled
Effective date: 7/1/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The term 'microfilming' was removed as it does not appear in the official bill text and is not relevant to the current legislation.

Electronic Records Retention for Courts

This law allows Wyoming courts to digitize court records and dispose of original paper documents as directed by the Supreme Court.

What This Bill Does

Allows Wyoming courts to scan and digitize court papers.
Permits courts to get rid of original paper copies after scanning them.
Requires that digital copies be kept in a case management system.

Who It Names or Affects

Wyoming courts
People who use Wyoming court records

Terms To Know

Case management system: An electronic database used by courts to store and manage case information.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify how long digital records must be kept.
It is unclear what happens if there are technical issues with the digitized copies.

Bill History

2023-02-21 LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 55
2023-02-21 Governor
Governor Signed SEA No. 0033
2023-02-16 House
H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0033
2023-02-16 Senate
S President Signed SEA No. 0033
2023-02-16 LSO
Assigned Number SEA No. 0033
2023-02-16 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 62-0-0-0-0
2023-02-15 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2023-02-14 House
H COW:Passed
2023-02-13 House
H Placed on General File
2023-02-13 House
H01 - Judiciary:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0
2023-02-10 House
H Introduced and Referred to H01 - Judiciary
2023-01-18 House
H Received for Introduction
2023-01-18 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-1-0-0
2023-01-17 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2023-01-16 Senate
S COW:Passed
2023-01-16 Senate
S Placed on General File
2023-01-16 Senate
S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2023-01-11 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary
2023-01-04 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2022-12-29 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 23LSO-0418
Bill No.:

SF0069

Effective:

7/1/2023

LSO No.:

23LSO-0418

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0033

Chapter No.:

55

Prime Sponsor:

Nethercott

Catch Title:

Electronic records retention.

Subject:

Court records.

Summary/Major Elements:

This bill amends existing statute to allow Wyoming courts to scan and digitize court records, maintain the digitized copies in a case management system and dispose of the original documents in accordance with rules or orders provided by the Wyoming Supreme Court.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

23LSO-0418

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0069

ENROLLED ACT NO. 33,

SENATE

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2023 General Session

AN ACT relating to courts; providing for the digitizing and retention of court records as specified; striking obsolete language; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 5
‑
7
‑
103 is amended to read:

5
‑
7
‑
103.

Filing, preserving and use of papers; electronic record retention permitted.

The clerk shall file together and carefully preserve in his office, all papers delivered to him for that purpose in every action or proceeding. He shall not permit the papers to be taken from his office except to be used at a session of the court or upon legal process, and he shall be liable upon his official bond to the party suffering injury on account of any violation of this section. This section shall not apply to matters in probate. Upon the order of the judge of the district, the clerk may transmit by express or registered mail to an attorney of the state appearing in the action or proceeding, who resides in a different county or away from the county seat, such original files as are not represented by copies in the clerk's office, and the clerk shall take the attorney's receipt for each paper in each case. Nothing in this section shall limit or prohibit the clerk from
microfilming
scanning or digitizing
papers
,

in his office,
disposing of the originals in accordance with
W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
411
any rule or order issued by the supreme court
and retaining the
official microfilm
digitized or imaged records in a case management system
in lieu of
retaining
the original papers
pursuant to W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
413
in a physical file
.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2023
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk