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HB0057 • 2025

Fireworks on the 4th of July.

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; prohibiting counties and municipalities from prohibiting or regulating the use or possession of fireworks on July 4; allowing the use and possession of fireworks on July 4 in state parks, campgrounds and similar areas; and providing for an effective date.

Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representative Harshman
Last action
2025-02-03
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so it does not have an effective date as stated in the candidate explanation.

Fireworks on July 4th

This act stops counties and cities from making rules about fireworks on July 4th and allows people to use them in state parks during the day.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits counties and municipalities from prohibiting or regulating the use or possession of fireworks between noon and midnight on July 4th, unless there is an open fire ban.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Counties and cities that make rules about fireworks
  • People who want to use or have fireworks on July 4th
  • State parks, campgrounds, and similar areas

Terms To Know

Fireworks
Items like sparklers, rockets, and other devices that make loud noises and bright lights when lit.
Open fire ban
A rule that stops people from starting fires outdoors because of dry weather or high risk of wildfires.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass, so it does not have an effective date.
  • It only applies to July 4th and does not change other days when fireworks are allowed or banned.
  • State parks still need special permits for public displays of fireworks.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-03 House

    H Did not Consider for Introduction

  2. 2025-01-02 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2024-12-18 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
25LSO-0186
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0186
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0057

Fireworks on the 4th of July.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Harshman, Allemand, Davis, Haroldson, Larsen, L, Nicholas, Singh and Strock and Senator(s) Driskill

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; prohibiting counties and municipalities from prohibiting or regulating the use or possession of fireworks on July 4; allowing the use and possession of fireworks on July 4 in state parks, campgrounds and similar areas; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 35
‑
10
‑
205, 35
‑
10
‑
208(a)(intro), (c) and by creating a new subsection (d) and 36
‑
8
‑
104(a)(i), (ii) and by creating a new paragraph (iii) are amended to read:

35
‑
10
‑
205.

Further regulations by municipalities.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, t
his act shall not be construed to prohibit the imposition by municipal ordinance of further regulations or prohibitions upon the sale, use and possession of fireworks within the corporate limits of any city or town, including those items defined under 15 U.S.C. 1261, but no
such
city or town shall permit or authorize the sale, use or possession of any fireworks in violation of this act.

(b)

No municipal ordinance shall prohibit or otherwise regulate the use or possession of fireworks between noon and midnight on July 4 of each year if the use or possession would otherwise be permissible under this act unless the prohibition or regulation is part of an open fire ban.

35
‑
10
‑
208.

County regulation of fireworks.

(a)

For the purpose of this section
,
"fireworks" means only those items which may be sold or offered for sale under 15 U.S.C. 1261, 21 U.S.C. 371 and 16 C.F.R., Commercial Practices, part 1507. A board of county commissioners may, subject to
subsection
subsections
(b)
and (d)
of this section:

(c)

Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, a
ny resolution adopted by a county prohibiting the sale or use of fireworks which was in effect on February 1, 1990, is deemed to be valid unless amended or repealed by the board of county commissioners pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(d)

No resolution adopted by a county shall prohibit or otherwise regulate the use or possession of fireworks between noon and midnight on July 4 of each year if the use or possession would otherwise be permissible under this act unless the prohibition or regulation is part of an open fire ban.

36
‑
8
‑
104.

Use of firearms, fireworks, explosives and weapons prohibited; exceptions.

(a)

The use of firearms, fireworks, explosives and weapons of all kinds is prohibited in all state parks, campgrounds, recreational grounds, historic landmarks or historic sites providing, however, that:

(i)

Firearms and weapons that otherwise comply with state law may be used at such times and in such places as the Wyoming game and fish commission may designate;
and

(ii)

A supervised public fireworks display may be held in a state park that is not subject to an open fire ban if the fireworks operator has obtained both a special use permit from the superintendent of the park, pursuant to department rules and regulations, and a permit for the display pursuant to W.S. 35
‑
10
‑
203
;
.

and

(iii)

The use or possession of fireworks not otherwise prohibited under W.S. 35
‑
10
‑
201 through 35
‑
10
‑
208 shall be allowed without restriction in all state parks, campgrounds, recreational grounds, historic landmarks and historic sites between noon and midnight on July 4 of each year except in areas subject to an open fire ban.

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)

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HB0057