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SF0063 • 2025

State lands-fencing-2.

AN ACT relating to state lands; allowing the fencing of state lands and maintenance of fencing as specified; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Budget Land
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Senator Crago
Last action
2025-02-24
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not include information about maintenance costs calculation or dispute resolution processes.

Fencing State Lands

This law allows private landowners to build fences along state lands they border and requires the Office of State Lands and Investments or current lessees to pay half the cost, with rules for implementation.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows private landowners whose property adjoins state lands on which they do not hold a lease to construct lawful partition fences.
  • Requires the Office of State Lands and Investments or the current lessee to pay for one-half (1/2) of the actual cost of constructing the lawful partition fence.
  • Requires the Board of Land Commissioners to promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Private landowners who own property next to state lands
  • The Office of State Lands and Investments
  • Current lessees of state lands

Terms To Know

Partition fence
A fence that separates private property from state-owned land.
Lessee
Someone who rents or leases state lands.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact process for resolving disputes over fence construction.
  • Details on how maintenance costs will be calculated are not provided in the official text.

Amendments

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

SF0063H3001

3rd reading • Representative Nicholas

Corrected, Corrected, Failed

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to the bill that appropriates one million dollars from the general fund for constructing fencing along state lands, with specific instructions on how this money can be used.

  • Adds an appropriation of $1,000,000 from the general fund for the construction of fencing along state lands.
  • Specifies that this funding cannot be transferred or spent for other purposes and will not lapse at the end of the fiscal period unless further legislative action is taken.
  • The amendment does not specify how much money was originally allocated, if any, before the new appropriation was added.
  • It's unclear what specific state lands this funding would cover or the exact details of the fencing construction process.
SF0063H3002

3rd reading • Representative Nicholas

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the term 'Landowners' to 'Private landowners' in certain sections of the bill.

  • Changes 'Landowners' to 'Private landowners' on page 1, line 13.
  • Changes 'landowner' to 'private landowner' on page 1, line 14.
  • Changes 'Landowners' to 'Private landowners' on page 2, line 4.
  • The amendment does not provide additional context or details about why these changes are being made beyond the specific wording adjustments.
SF0063H3003

3rd reading • Representative Nicholas

Corrected, Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment changes the date when a certain provision of the bill about fencing state lands will take effect.

  • Changes the effective date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2026.
SF0063H3004

3rd reading • Representative Nicholas

Failed

Plain English: The amendment limits the cost that the Office of State Lands and Investments can be charged for constructing a lawful partition fence on state land to $3.00 per foot without prior approval.

  • Adds a new requirement that the Office of State Lands and Investments cannot be billed more than $3.00 per foot for building a legal fence around state lands unless they give their permission first.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if the cost exceeds $3.00 per foot without prior approval, leaving some details unclear.
SF0063H3005

3rd reading • Representative Nicholas

Failed

Plain English: The amendment requires private landowners to notify the Office of State Lands and Investments before constructing a lawful partition fence on state lands.

  • Private landowners must give notice to the Office of State Lands and Investments before building a lawful partition fence.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if a private landowner fails to provide this required notice.
SF0063HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Johnson

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to the bill that provides $10,192,000 from the general fund for fencing construction and maintenance on state lands.

  • Adds an appropriation of $10,192,000 from the general fund to the office of state lands and investments for constructing and maintaining fences along state lands.
  • Specifies that this funding is available only between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
  • The amendment does not specify how the fencing will be constructed or maintained beyond providing funds for it.
SF0063S2001

2nd reading • Senator Steinmetz

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment allows the lessee of state lands to fence and maintain fencing on those lands if they are currently leased.

  • Adds language allowing a lessee to fence and maintain fences on state lands when the land is under lease.
  • The exact details of how this will be implemented or regulated are not provided in the amendment text.
SF0063SS001

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

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the term 'office of state lands and investments' to 'board of land commissioners' in the bill.

  • Replaces 'office of state lands and investments' with 'board of land commissioners'.
  • The amendment does not provide additional details about why this change is being made or what specific responsibilities are assigned to the board of land commissioners.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-24 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 29

  2. 2025-02-24 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0018

  3. 2025-02-20 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0018

  4. 2025-02-20 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0018

  5. 2025-02-20 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0018

  6. 2025-02-20 Senate

    S Concur:Passed 30-0-0-0-1

  7. 2025-02-20 Senate

    S Received for Concurrence

  8. 2025-02-20 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 50-8-4-0-0

  9. 2025-02-19 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2025-02-18 House

    H COW:Passed

  11. 2025-02-11 House

    H Placed on General File

  12. 2025-02-11 House

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

  13. 2025-02-10 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture

  14. 2025-01-27 House

    H Received for Introduction

  15. 2025-01-24 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-1-0-0

  16. 2025-01-23 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2025-01-22 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  18. 2025-01-21 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  19. 2025-01-21 Senate

    S05 - Agriculture:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  20. 2025-01-17 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S05 - Agriculture

  21. 2025-01-02 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  22. 2024-12-27 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0388

Bill No.:

SF0063

Effective:

7/1/2025

LSO No.:

25LSO-0388

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0018

Chapter No.:

29

Prime Sponsor:

Crago

Catch Title:

State lands-fencing-2.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Allowing the fencing of state lands and maintenance of fencing.

Summary/Major Elements:

This bill authorizes private landowners whose land adjoins state land and who are not leasing the state land to construct lawful partition fences.

The bill requires the Office of State Lands and Investments or the current lessee to pay for half of the cost of the construction and maintenance of the partition fence.

The bill also requires the Office of State Lands and Investments to promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

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-0388

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0063

ENROLLED ACT NO. 18,

SENATE

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

AN ACT relating to state lands; allowing the fencing of state lands and maintenance of fencing as specified; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 11
‑
28
‑
106 by creating a new subsection (c) is amended to read:

11
‑
28
‑
106.

Construction and maintenance of partition fences; fencing of state lands.

(c)

Private landowners whose property adjoins state lands on which the private landowner does not hold a lease may construct a lawful partition fence along state lands and the office of state lands and investments or, if the state lands are currently leased, the lessee of the state lands shall pay for one
‑
half (1/2) of the actual cost of the construction of the lawful partition fence. Private landowners and the office of state lands and investments, or the lessee at all times that the state lands are leased, shall contribute to the cost of maintenance of the lawful partition fence in proportion to their respective interests in the fence.

Section 2.

The board of land commissioners shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 3.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2025.

(b)

Sections 2 and 3 of this act are 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 Senate.

Chief Clerk

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