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HB0073 • 2025

Recreation safety-rock climbing.

AN ACT relating to recreation safety; adding rock climbing as a recreation activity for purposes of the Recreation Safety Act and for liability of the land owner whose land is used for recreation purposes; and providing for an effective date.

Agriculture Education Housing Technology
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Representative Larsen, L
Last action
2025-02-24
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the law affects insurance policies or safety regulations for rock climbing areas.

Recreation Safety Act - Rock Climbing

This law adds rock climbing to the list of activities covered by Wyoming's Recreation Safety Act and clarifies landowner liability for recreational use.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds rock climbing as a sport or recreational opportunity under the Recreation Safety Act.
  • Includes rock climbing in the definition of 'recreational purpose' to determine landowner liability when their property is used for recreation.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who participate in rock climbing
  • Landowners whose property may be used for rock climbing

Terms To Know

Sport or Recreational Opportunity
Activities like baseball, softball, football, soccer, swimming, hunting, fishing, and now rock climbing.
Recreational Purpose
Reasons for using land that include activities such as hiking, camping, horseback riding, and now rock climbing.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what risks are involved in rock climbing.
  • It is unclear how this will affect insurance policies or safety regulations for rock climbing areas.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-24 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 8

  2. 2025-02-24 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0010

  3. 2025-02-19 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0010

  4. 2025-02-18 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0010

  5. 2025-02-18 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0010

  6. 2025-02-18 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0

  7. 2025-02-14 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2025-02-13 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  9. 2025-02-13 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  10. 2025-02-13 Senate

    S06 - Travel:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  11. 2025-02-11 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S06 - Travel

  12. 2025-01-21 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  13. 2025-01-21 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 60-0-2-0-0

  14. 2025-01-20 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2025-01-17 House

    H COW:Passed

  16. 2025-01-16 House

    H Placed on General File

  17. 2025-01-16 House

    H06 - Travel:Recommend Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0

  18. 2025-01-14 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H06 - Travel

  19. 2025-01-02 House

    H Received for Introduction

  20. 2024-12-23 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0296

Bill No.:

HB0073

Effective:

7/1/2025

LSO No.:

25LSO-0296

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0010

Chapter No.:

8

Prime Sponsor:

Larsen, L

Catch Title:

Recreation safety-rock climbing.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Recreation safety-rock climbing.

Summary/Major Elements:

This bill adds rock climbing to the definition of "sport or recreational opportunity" for purposes of the Recreation Safety Act. The Recreation Safety Act provides that any person who takes part in any sport or recreational opportunity assumes the inherent risks in that sport or recreational opportunity.

The bill also adds rock climbing to the definition of "recreational purpose" for purposes of determining the liability of the land owner whose land is used for recreation purposes. Current statute provides that, subject to certain exceptions, an owner of land owes no duty of care to keep the premises safe for entry or use by others for recreational purposes.

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

Read the full stored bill text
25LSO-0296

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0073

ENROLLED ACT NO. 10,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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

AN ACT relating to recreation safety; adding rock climbing as a recreation activity for purposes of the Recreation Safety Act and for liability of the land owner whose land is used for recreation purposes; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 1
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1
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122(a)(iii) and 34
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19
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101(a)(iii) are amended to read:

1
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1
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122.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(iii)

"Sport or recreational opportunity" means commonly understood sporting activities including baseball, softball, football, soccer, basketball, swimming, hockey, wrestling, cheerleading, rodeo, dude ranching, nordic or alpine skiing and other alpine sports, snowboarding, mountain climbing,
rock climbing,
outdoor education programs, river floating, hunting, fishing, backcountry trips, horseback riding and any other equine activity, snowmobiling and similar recreational opportunities and includes the use of private lands for vehicle parking and land access related to the sport or recreational opportunity.

"Sport or recreational opportunity" does not include skiing in a ski area as defined by the Ski Safety Act;

34
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19
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101.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(iii)

"Recreational purpose" includes, but is not limited to, any one (1) or more of the following: hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, camping, picnicking, hiking, pleasure driving, nature study, water skiing, winter sports, bicycling, mountain biking, horseback riding and other equine activities as defined in W.S. 1
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1
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122(a)(iv),
rock climbing,
noncommercial aviation activities and viewing or enjoying historical, archaeological, scenic or scientific sites;

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(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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