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HB0063 • 2025

Working animal protection act.

AN ACT relating to counties, cities and towns; prohibiting counties, cities and towns from enacting and enforcing policies on the use of animals as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Agriculture Education Land
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representative Rodriguez-Williams
Last action
2025-02-28
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide additional details or clarifications beyond what is stated in the summary and text excerpts.

Working Animal Protection Act

The Working Animal Protection Act stops cities and towns from making rules that ban or heavily restrict the use of working animals in lawful commerce or animal enterprises.

What This Bill Does

  • Prevents cities and towns from creating laws or policies that terminate, ban, or unduly restrict the use of working animals in lawful commerce or animal enterprises.
  • Defines 'working animal' as a nonhuman animal used primarily for specific duties like agriculture, ranching, education, rodeo events, etc., but excludes animals raised mainly for food or fiber production.
  • Does not stop cities and towns from making zoning laws or rules about public health and safety.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Cities and towns
  • People who use working animals for lawful commerce or animal enterprises

Terms To Know

Working Animal
A nonhuman animal used primarily to perform a specific duty in commerce or an animal enterprise, such as agriculture, ranching, education, rodeo events, etc., but excludes animals raised mainly for food or fiber production.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
  • It does not apply to animals raised mainly for food or fiber production.
  • Cities and towns can still make zoning laws and rules about public health and safety.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0063H2001

2nd reading • Representative Pendergraft

Corrected, Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds language to protect animals used primarily for rodeos and related events from local policies that might otherwise restrict their use.

  • Adds a new clause after the word 'exhibition' on pages 3 and 4 of HB0063, specifying that counties, cities, and towns cannot make rules about animals used in rodeo events or training for such events.
  • The amendment only specifies protections for certain types of animal use related to rodeos. It does not provide details on how these protections will be enforced or what specific local policies are restricted.
HB0063H2002

2nd reading • Representative Sherwood

Failed

Plain English: The amendment adds a provision that prevents counties, cities, and towns from making rules about puppy mills and animal hoarders.

  • Adds language to the bill to prohibit local governments from creating ordinances or policies related to puppy mills and animal hoarders.
  • The amendment only specifies adding this new provision without detailing how existing laws might be affected, leaving some aspects unclear.
HB0063H2003

2nd reading • Representative Sherwood

Failed

Plain English: The amendment adds a new clause that prevents cities and towns from making rules about licensing for circuses and carnivals.

  • Adds a provision that stops municipalities from creating ordinances or policies related to the licensing of circuses and carnivals.
  • It is unclear how this amendment will affect existing circus and carnival regulations in different cities and towns.
HB0063H2004

2nd reading • Representative Washut

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill to add a new category of animals that are primarily used for rodeo events or competitive sports, which would be protected from local policies restricting their use.

  • Adds 'or that is used primarily for participating in rodeo events or competitive sports' after the word 'exhibition' on pages 3 and 4.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about how this new category of animals will be protected or what specific local policies it would prevent. It also doesn't clarify if there are any exceptions to these protections.
HB0063H3001

3rd reading • Representative Provenza

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment removes a specific line from the bill, which originally aimed to restrict local policies on animal use.

  • Removes line 6 from page 1 of the original bill.
  • It is unclear what exact content was in line 6 and how its removal affects the overall intent of the bill without additional context.
HB0063HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Geringer

Failed

Plain English: The amendment adds specific activities such as search and rescue, military operations, and law enforcement to the list of uses for animals that local governments cannot regulate.

  • Adds 'search and rescue operations' to the list of animal use activities protected from local government regulation.
  • Includes 'military operations' in the types of animal use exempt from local regulations.
  • Lists 'law enforcement' as another activity where local governments are prohibited from making rules about animal usage.
  • The amendment text does not specify how these new activities interact with existing laws or policies.
HB0063SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water

Filed

Plain English: The amendment removes specific text from the bill that relates to counties, cities, and towns' policies on animal use.

  • Removes a colon at line 6 of page 2.
  • Deletes lines 8 and 9 of page 2 entirely.
  • Removes '(ii)' at line 11 of page 2.
  • Removes a colon at line 19 of page 3.
  • Deletes lines 21 and 22 of page 3 entirely.
  • Removes '(ii)' at line 1 of page 4.
  • The exact impact of these deletions on the overall meaning and enforcement of the bill is unclear without seeing the original text that was removed.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-28 Senate

    S COW:S Did not consider for COW

  2. 2025-02-25 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  3. 2025-02-25 Senate

    S05 - Agriculture:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-1-0-0-0

  4. 2025-02-18 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S05 - Agriculture

  5. 2025-01-31 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  6. 2025-01-30 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 53-8-1-0-0

  7. 2025-01-29 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2025-01-28 House

    H COW:Passed

  9. 2025-01-23 House

    H Placed on General File

  10. 2025-01-23 House

    H05 - Agriculture:Recommend Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0

  11. 2025-01-20 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture

  12. 2025-01-02 House

    H Received for Introduction

  13. 2024-12-18 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
25LSO-0508
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0508
ENGROSSED
3.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0063

Working animal protection act.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Rodriguez-Williams, Allemand, Webber and Wharff

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to counties, cities and towns; prohibiting counties, cities and towns from enacting and enforcing policies on the use of animals as specified; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 15
‑
1
‑
133 and 18
‑
2
‑
117 are created to read:

15
‑
1
‑
133.

Working animal protections.

(a)

No city or town shall enact an ordinance or policy that terminates, bans or unduly restricts a person from using a working animal in lawful commerce or an animal enterprise.

(b)

This section supersedes any municipal ordinance or policy that conflicts with this section, but shall not supersede:

(i)

Any municipal zoning ordinance enacted under this title;

(ii)

Any municipal ordinance or policy relating to public health or public safety.

(c)

This section shall not be interpreted to amend any other Wyoming law that relates to animal care, public health or public safety, including the provisions of W.S. 23
‑
3
‑
109.

(d)

As used in this section, "working animal" means a nonhuman animal used primarily for the purpose of performing a specific duty or function in commerce or an animal enterprise including human service, legal hunting, agriculture, ranching, husbandry, transportation, education, competition, tourism, entertainment or exhibition or that is used primarily for rodeo events, training for rodeo events or participating in rodeo events, whether the event is performed in a rodeo, fair, jackpot, agricultural exhibition or other similar event. The term shall not include rabbits, llamas, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry or any other animal that is used primarily for the production of food or fiber.

18
‑
2
‑
117.

Working animal protections.

(a)

No county shall enact any resolution, ordinance or policy that terminates, bans or unduly restricts a person from using a working animal in lawful commerce or an animal enterprise.

(b)

This section supersedes any resolution, ordinance or policy that conflicts with this section, but shall not supersede:

(i)

Any county zoning resolution enacted under this title;

(ii)

Any policy relating to public health or public safety.

(c)

This section shall not be interpreted to amend any other Wyoming law that relates to animal care, public health or public safety, including the provisions of W.S. 23
‑
3
‑
109.

(d)

As used in this section, "working animal" means a nonhuman animal used primarily for the purpose of performing a specific duty or function in commerce or an animal enterprise including human service, legal hunting, agriculture, ranching, husbandry, transportation, education, competition, tourism, entertainment or exhibition or that is used primarily for rodeo events, training for rodeo events or participating in rodeo events, whether the event is performed in a rodeo, fair, jackpot, agricultural exhibition or other similar event. The term shall not include rabbits, llamas, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry or any other animal that is used primarily for the production of food or fiber.

Section 2.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

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HB0063