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HB0176 • 2024

Restoration of civil rights-amendments.

AN ACT relating to crimes and criminal procedure; amending requirements for the restoration of rights as specified; repealing a misdemeanor offense of possession of a firearm by a nonviolent felon; removing the loss of firearms rights by convicted felons under state law; and providing for an effective date.

Crime Elections Firearms
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representative Haroldson
Last action
2024-02-16
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not provide specific details on how the Department of Corrections will notify federal or state authorities about the restoration of firearm rights.

Restoration of Civil Rights Amendments

The bill changes the requirements for restoring civil rights to people who have been convicted of felonies and removes restrictions on firearm possession for felons.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends the rules about when someone's voting rights are restored after being convicted of a felony.
  • Removes the requirement that felons lose their right to possess firearms under state law.
  • Repeals a rule that made it illegal for certain nonviolent felons to own guns.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have been convicted of felonies in Wyoming
  • The Department of Corrections

Terms To Know

Felony
A serious crime that can result in a prison sentence.
Restoration of rights
Getting back the legal rights you lost because of a felony conviction, like voting or owning guns.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not considered for introduction.
  • It is unclear how many people will be affected by these changes since it did not become law.

Bill History

  1. 2024-02-16 House

    H Did not Consider for Introduction

  2. 2024-02-13 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2024-02-12 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
24LSO-0495
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0495
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0176

Restoration of civil rights-amendments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Haroldson, Allemand, Bear, Hornok, Jennings, Ottman, Pendergraft, Penn, Trujillo and Ward and Senator(s) Ide, Salazar and Steinmetz

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to crimes and criminal procedure; amending requirements for the restoration of rights as specified; repealing a misdemeanor offense of possession of a firearm by a nonviolent felon; removing the loss of firearms rights by convicted felons under state law; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 6
‑
8
‑
104(b)(v)(B), 6
‑
10
‑
106(a)(intro) and (iii) and 7
‑
13
‑
105(d), (f) and (g)(i) are amended to read:

6
‑
8
‑
104.

Wearing or carrying concealed weapons; penalties; exceptions; permits.

(b)

The attorney general is authorized to issue permits to carry a concealed firearm to persons qualified as provided by this subsection. The attorney general shall promulgate rules necessary to carry out this section no later than October 1, 1994. Applications for a permit to carry a concealed firearm shall be made available and distributed by the division of criminal investigation and local law enforcement agencies. The permit shall be valid throughout the state for a period of five (5) years from the date of issuance. The permittee shall carry the permit, together with valid identification at all times when the permittee is carrying a concealed firearm and shall display both the permit and proper identification upon request of any peace officer. The attorney general through the division shall issue a permit to any person who:

(v)

Has not been:

(B)

Convicted of a felony violation of the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act of 1971, W.S. 35
‑
7
‑
1001 through 35
‑
7
‑
1057 or similar laws of any other state or the United States relating to controlled substances and has not been pardoned
or has not had the rights lost under W.S. 6
‑
10
‑
106 restored pursuant to W.S. 7
‑
13
‑
105
; or

6
‑
10
‑
106.

Rights lost by conviction of felony; restoration.

(a)

A person convicted of a felony is incompetent to be an elector or juror or to hold any office of honor, trust or profit within this state
or to use or knowingly possess any firearm,
unless:

(iii)

His rights are restored pursuant to W.S. 7
‑
13
‑
105(a)
, (b)
or (f); or

7
‑
13
‑
105.

Certificate of restoration of rights; procedure for restoration in general; procedure for restoration of voting rights for nonviolent felonies; filing requirements.

(d)

The department of correction's determination that a person is ineligible for a certificate of restoration of voting rights is a final action of the agency subject to judicial review. The clerk of the district court and the division of criminal investigation shall cooperate with the department of corrections in providing information necessary for determining a person's eligibility to receive a certificate of restoration of voting rights. The department of corrections shall notify the secretary of state when any person's voting rights have been restored. If the person was convicted in Wyoming, the department of corrections shall submit the certificate of restoration of voting rights to the clerk of the district court in which the person was convicted and the clerk shall file the certificate in the criminal case in which the conviction was entered.
A conviction for a new felony upon the issuance of any certificate under this section shall render the certificate void.

(f)

All other rights a person has lost pursuant to W.S. 6
‑
10
‑
106 shall be restored five (5) years after the person has completed their sentence, including applicable periods of probation or parole. A person shall only be eligible for restoration of their rights under this subsection if the person has not been convicted of any other felony other than convictions arising out of the same occurrence or related course of events for which restoration of rights is to be certified. The date on which all rights are restored under this subsection shall be noted on a certificate issued by the department which shall be the same certificate issued under subsections (b) and (c) of this section if the certificate is issued on or after July 1, 2023, or a separate certificate issued upon receipt of a written request on a form prescribed by the department for a person eligible for restoration of rights under this subsection prior to July 1, 2023.
The department of correction's determination that a person is ineligible for a certificate of restoration of rights is a final agency action subject to judicial review.
A conviction for a new felony upon the issuance of any certificate under this section shall render the certificate void.

(g)

When a certificate of restoration of rights is issued pursuant to subsections (a) or (f) of this section, the department of corrections shall:

(i)

Notify the
federal bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms
Wyoming division of criminal investigation
when any person's right to use or possess any firearm have been restored pursuant to subsections (a) or (f) of this section;

Section 2.

W.S. 6
‑
8
‑
102(c) is repealed.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2024
.

(END)

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HB0176