State land lease preference amendments.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or consequences for lessees who are in violation of their leases.

Changes to State Land Lease Renewal Rules

This law changes the rules for renewing state land leases, giving current lease holders who are not currently breaking any lease rules a better chance to keep their leases.

What This Bill Does

• Allows people with existing state land leases to have a preferred right to renew their leases if they are not violating the terms of those leases.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who have state land leases and want to renew them.
• State agencies responsible for managing and leasing state lands.

Terms To Know

Lessee

A person or organization that rents or leases property from another party, in this case, the state government.

Preferred right to renew

The advantage given to current lease holders who are not violating their lease terms, allowing them a better chance at renewing their lease over other applicants.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify what happens if a lessee is currently in violation of the lease terms.
• The effectiveness and impact on state land management are yet to be seen as this law was recently enacted.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0540

Bill No.:

HB0061

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

25LSO-0540

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0008

Chapter No.:

36

Prime Sponsor:

Banks

Catch Title:

State land lease preference amendments.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Renewal of state land leases.

Summary/Major Elements:

Existing law specifies that a lessee of state lands shall have a preferred right to renew a lease if the person has not violated the provisions of the lease.

This bill specifies that to have a preferred right to renew a lease of state lands, the existing lessee shall not currently be in violation of the provisions of the lease.

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

25LSO-0540

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0061

ENROLLED ACT NO. 8,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 General Session

AN ACT relating to state land leasing; authorizing a person who is not currently in violation of the terms of their state land lease to have a preferred right to renew their lease; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 36
‑
5
‑
105(c)(intro) is amended to read:

36
‑
5
‑
105.

Criteria for leasing; preferences; assignments, subleases or contracts; lands taken for war purposes; mineral lands excepted; agricultural lands.

(c)

An applicant who is the holder of an expiring lease, and has paid the rental when due, and
has
is
not
violated
currently in violation of
the provisions of the lease, and is qualified under the provisions of W.S. 36
‑
5
‑
101, shall have a preferred right to renew such lease by meeting the highest bid offered by another qualified applicant whose bid is not less than the minimum fair market value as determined by the board for the same or a similar use of land using the formula developed pursuant to W.S. 36
‑
5
‑
101(b) and not more than one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the maximum fair market value as determined by the board based on the previous year's values for the state, district or county, whichever is most localized and available, as determined by the national agricultural statistics service utilizing:

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)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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