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HJ0004 • 2024

Right of health care access-constitutional amendment.

A JOINT RESOLUTION proposing to amend the Wyoming Constitution to eliminate the legislature's express authority to determine reasonable and necessary restrictions on a person's right to make health care decisions and to direct payment for health care.

Healthcare
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representative Chestek
Last action
2024-02-14
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included a claim about expanding individual rights, which is not directly supported by the official source material. The bill text focuses on eliminating legislative authority to set restrictions rather than explicitly stating an expansion of individual rights.

Health Care Rights Amendment

This bill proposes changing the Wyoming Constitution to eliminate the legislature's authority to set restrictions on a person's right to make health care decisions and direct payment for healthcare.

What This Bill Does

  • Proposes an amendment to the Wyoming Constitution.
  • Eliminates the legislature's power to determine reasonable and necessary restrictions on a person’s right to make health care decisions.
  • Removes the ability of the state to restrict how people pay for their healthcare.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who live in Wyoming and need to make health care decisions.
  • The Wyoming legislature, which would lose authority over certain health care restrictions.

Terms To Know

Constitution
A set of rules that form the basis for how a country or state is run and what rights people have.
Legislature
The group of elected officials who make laws for a state.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is unclear if this amendment will be approved by the voters.
  • This bill did not pass in its current session and needs further action to become law.

Bill History

  1. 2024-02-14 House

    H Failed Introduction 7-54-1-0-0

  2. 2024-02-07 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2024-02-05 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
24LSO-0457
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0457
Numbered
2.0

House Joint Resolution NO. HJ0004

Right of health care access-constitutional amendment.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Chestek, Provenza, Sherwood, Storer and Yin and Senator(s) Gierau and Rothfuss

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION proposing to amend the Wyoming Constitution to eliminate the legislature's express authority to determine reasonable and necessary restrictions on a person's right to make health care decisions and to direct payment for health care.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING,
two-thirds of all the members of the two houses, voting separately, concurring therein:

Section 1.

The following amendment to the Wyoming Constitution is proposed for submission to the electors of the State of Wyoming at the next general election for approval or rejection to become valid as a part of the Constitution if ratified by a majority of the electors at the election. The amendment is to repeal Article 1, Section 38(c) of the Wyoming Constitution.

Section 2.

That the Secretary of State shall endorse the following statement on the proposed amendment:

The Wyoming Constitution currently provides that each competent adult has the right to make his or her own health care decisions, a right that the state must act to preserve from undue governmental infringement. The adoption of this amendment would expand the existing individual right of health care access and decision-making by eliminating the legislature's express authority to determine reasonable and necessary restrictions on a person's right to make health care decisions and to direct payment for health care.

(END)

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HJ0004