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HB0097 • 2025

Property conveyances near critical infrastructure.

AN ACT relating to homeland security; amending duties of county clerks, the division of criminal investigation and the director of the office of homeland security for identification of conveyances near critical infrastructure; repealing requirements to provide a list of designated critical infrastructure zones to the county clerks; amending and creating definitions; and providing for an effective date.

Budget Crime Housing Land Technology
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Appropriations
Last action
2025-02-27
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details on the consequences of non-compliance by county clerks.

Property Transfers Near Important Infrastructure

This law changes how county clerks report property transfers to state security officials and removes the need for a list of critical infrastructure zones.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the requirement for the Office of Homeland Security to provide county clerks with a list of designated critical infrastructure zones.
  • Requires county clerks to report all recorded conveyances within their counties, not just those near critical infrastructure zones, to state security officials and the Division of Criminal Investigation.
  • Expands the definition of 'real property' to include more types of recorded written instruments that county clerks must report.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County clerks who will now report all conveyances within their counties.
  • State security officials and the Division of Criminal Investigation who will receive reports from county clerks.

Terms To Know

Critical Infrastructure Zones
Areas designated as important for national or state security, such as power plants or communication centers.
Conveyance
A legal term that includes any written document transferring ownership of property.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if a county clerk fails to report a conveyance.
  • It is unclear how the new reporting requirements will affect the workload and resources needed by state security officials.

Amendments

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

HB0097HS001

Standing Committee • House Appropriations Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the wording in several places of HB0097 to specify that conveyances near critical infrastructure are 'located up to' a certain distance instead of being 'within' or 'of' that distance.

  • Changes 'within' and 'of' to 'located up to' from and to distances related to conveyances near critical infrastructure.
  • Removes the phrase 'not more than' and replaces it with 'up to'.
  • The amendment does not provide specific details about what these changes mean in practice or how they will affect existing requirements.
HB0097S2001

2nd reading • Senator Nethercott

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes a section of Wyoming Statutes to allow the Office of Homeland Security to receive and share criminal identification, intelligence, and history information available to law enforcement agencies for specific purposes.

  • Adds new subsection (e) to W.S. 19-13-105, allowing the Office of Homeland Security to receive and share certain types of criminal information with law enforcement.
  • The amendment does not specify what specific purposes are allowed under W.S. 19-13-103 for sharing this information.
  • It is unclear how the new subsection interacts with existing privacy and data protection laws.
HB0097SW001

Committee of the Whole • Senator Driskill

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment adds new sections to cooperate with other law enforcement agencies and allows the office of homeland security to receive criminal information.

  • Adds a new section (9-1-616) requiring the division to work with Wyoming's Office of Homeland Security and various law enforcement bodies for efficient crime investigation and apprehension.
  • Inserts a new subsection (e) in W.S. 19-13-105, allowing the office of homeland security to receive criminal identification, intelligence, and history information from law enforcement agencies.
  • The exact scope and limitations on how the Office of Homeland Security can use the received criminal information are not detailed in this amendment text.
HB0097SW002

Committee of the Whole • Senator Nethercott

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes previous changes and adds language allowing for sharing of information related to property conveyances near critical infrastructure.

  • Removes the Driskill committee of the whole amendments from specific lines in the bill.
  • Adds 'and share' after 'may receive' on page 4, line 18.
  • The exact nature and extent of information sharing is not detailed in this amendment.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-27 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 52

  2. 2025-02-27 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0032

  3. 2025-02-25 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0032

  4. 2025-02-25 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0032

  5. 2025-02-25 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0032

  6. 2025-02-24 House

    H Concur:Passed 58-0-4-0-0

  7. 2025-02-24 House

    H Received for Concurrence

  8. 2025-02-24 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 29-1-1-0-0

  9. 2025-02-21 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2025-02-20 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  11. 2025-02-13 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  12. 2025-02-13 Senate

    S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  13. 2025-02-10 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S02 - Appropriations

  14. 2025-02-05 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  15. 2025-02-05 House

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

  16. 2025-02-04 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2025-02-03 House

    H COW:Passed

  18. 2025-01-29 House

    H Placed on General File

  19. 2025-01-29 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0

  20. 2025-01-27 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations

  21. 2025-01-02 House

    H Received for Introduction

  22. 2024-12-31 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0161

Bill No.:

HB0097

Effective:

7/1/2025

LSO No.:

25LSO-0161

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0032

Chapter No.:

52

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Appropriations Committee

Catch Title:

Property conveyances near critical infrastructure.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Requirements for conveyances near critical infrastructure zones.

Summary/Major Elements:

Under existing law enacted in the 2024 budget session (2024 House Bill 97), the Director of the Office of Homeland Security must provide each county clerk a current list of zones designated as critical infrastructure zones. The county clerks are then required to report any conveyances that involve property within five (5) miles of a zone to the Director and the Division of Criminal Investigation within fifteen (15) days after the conveyance.

Under this act, county clerks are no longer provided a list of critical infrastructure zones. Instead, the county clerks are required to report all recorded conveyances within the county to the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and the Division of Criminal Investigation within fifteen (15) days after the conveyance is recorded. The Director of the Office of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the Division of Criminal Investigation are charged to identify any conveyance located up to five (5) miles from a critical infrastructure zone from the reported conveyances.

The act revises and conforms definitions of "conveyance" and creates a definition of "real property" that broadens the type of recorded written instruments reported by county clerks.

The act also authorizes the Office of Homeland Security to receive and share criminal identification, intelligence, and criminal history available to law enforcement agencies to carry out the duties of the Office.
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-0161

ORIGINAL House

ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0097

ENROLLED ACT NO. 32,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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

AN ACT relating to homeland security; amending duties of county clerks, the division of criminal investigation and the director of the office of homeland security for identification of conveyances near critical infrastructure; repealing requirements to provide a list of designated critical infrastructure zones to the county clerks; amending and creating definitions; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 9
‑
1
‑
618(b)(vi), 18
‑
3
‑
402(a)(xxvi), 19
‑
13
‑
104(d)(vi), 19
‑
13
‑
105 by creating a new subsection (e), 19
‑
13
‑
501(a)(i), (iv)(A) and by creating a new paragraph (vi) and 19
‑
13
‑
502(c) and (d) are amended to read:

9
‑
1
‑
618.

Agents to be safeguarded as peace officers; general assistance to state, county or local authorities; investigative duties.

(b)

The division shall investigate:

(vi)

Conveyances,
leases and leasehold interests
as defined by 19
‑
13
‑
501(a)(i),
within or near designated critical infrastructure zones
.

as reported by county clerks in accordance with W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
501 and 19
‑
13
‑
502.
The division may investigate whether
the
any
conveyance
, lease and leasehold interest

reported by county clerks in accordance with W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
501 and 19
‑
13
‑
502
may result in a threat to national or state security or whether the conveyance
, lease and leasehold interest
involves a designated country or person as defined by W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
501(a)(iv). The attorney general or, with the attorney general's approval, the division may subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance and require the production of records and other evidence to determine:

(A)

Whether a conveyance
, lease and leasehold interest within

located up to
five (5) miles
of
from
a designated critical infrastructure zone threatens national or state security;

(B)

Whether a conveyance
, lease and leasehold interest
involves a designated country or person as defined by W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
501(a)(iv);

(C)

The actual identity of a party to a conveyance
, lease and leasehold interest within

located up to
five (5) miles
of
from
a designated critical infrastructure zone.

18
‑
3
‑
402.

Duties generally.

(a)

The county clerk shall:

(xxvi)

Report all conveyances
,

within five (5) miles of a designated critical infrastructure zone
as defined by W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
501(a)(i),
to the director of the office of homeland security and the division of criminal investigation in accordance with W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
501 and 19
‑
13
‑
502.

19
‑
13
‑
104.

Powers of governor generally; director, office of homeland security.

(d)

The position of the director, office of homeland security is created in the governor's office and shall be appointed by the governor. He shall be responsible to the governor and may be removed by the governor as provided in W.S. 9
‑
1
‑
202. The director shall:

(vi)

Consult the governor and assist the attorney general and division of criminal investigation on the designation of critical infrastructure zones and the investigation
and identification
of conveyances,
leases and leasehold interests within
as defined by W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
501(a)(i), located up to
five (5) miles
of
from
critical infrastructure zones
as disclosed by the recordings reported by county clerks
in accordance with W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
501 and 19
‑
13
‑
502.

19
‑
13
‑
105.

Homeland security program.

(e)

The office of homeland security may receive and share criminal identification, intelligence and criminal history information available to law enforcement agencies for the purposes provided by W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
103.

19
‑
13
‑
501.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this article:

(i)

"Conveyance" means
as defined by W.S. 34
‑
1
‑
102 and includes conveyances of
every instrument in writing by which any interest in
real property
, surface interests, mineral interests and pore space interests

is created, alienated, mortgaged, leased or assigned, or by which the title to any real property may be affected in law or in equity. "Conveyance" shall not include wills
;

(iv)

"Designated country or person" means:

(A)

A foreign government or foreign nongovernment person determined to be a foreign adversary by the United States secretary of commerce and specified in
15 C.F.R. 7.4(a)
15 C.F.R. 791.4(a)
; or

(vi)

"Real property" means all interests in land and appurtenances, including structures, affixed thereto, and any intangible characteristic that contributes to the fair market value thereof. "Real property" includes surface interests, mineral interests and pore space interests.

19
‑
13
‑
502.

Critical infrastructure zones; reporting of conveyances; investigations; notification; rulemaking.

(c)

Within fifteen (15) days after
the
a
conveyance is
executed and completed
recorded
, the county clerk shall report
each
the
conveyance
that involves any property located within a critical infrastructure zone or that is located not more than five (5) miles from a critical infrastructure zone
to the director and to the division of criminal investigation.

(d)

Upon receiving a report from a county clerk under subsection (c) of this section, the director and the division of criminal investigation shall
determine whether a conveyance is within a critical infrastructure zone or located up to five (5) miles from a critical infrastructure zone and
, upon reasonable suspicion, investigate the conveyance to determine if the conveyance involves a designated country or person or if the conveyance poses a threat to national or state security or to critical infrastructure.

Section 2.

W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
502(b) is repealed.

Section 3
.

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

1