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SF0077 • 2025

Compelled speech is not free speech.

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; prohibiting the state and its political subdivisions from requiring the use of preferred pronouns; authorizing a civil remedy; and providing for an effective date.

Labor
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The summary does not provide information on the exact penalties or remedies for violations.

Law Against Forced Use of Preferred Pronouns

This law stops government offices and local groups from making employees use someone's preferred pronouns as a job requirement or to get benefits.

What This Bill Does

  • It says the state and its political subdivisions cannot force employees to use another employee's preferred pronouns in their work as a condition of employment, receiving grants, loans, permits, contracts, licenses, or other benefits.
  • Employees can't be punished if they don't use another person’s preferred pronouns at work under threat of adverse action by the state or political subdivisions.
  • People who feel hurt by this rule breaking can go to court for help.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Government offices and local groups
  • Employees of government offices and local groups

Terms To Know

Preferred pronouns
Words like 'he', 'she', or 'they' that a person prefers others to use when talking about them.
Political subdivisions
Local government groups, such as cities and counties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies from July 1, 2025 onwards.
  • It does not cover situations before the effective date of July 1, 2025.

Amendments

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

SF0077H2001

2nd reading • Representative Yin

Failed

Plain English: The amendment adds provisions for publishing and maintaining executive orders on the secretary of state's website, defines what an executive order is, and updates existing laws to include these new requirements.

  • Adds a process for publishing and maintaining executive orders on the secretary of state’s official website.
  • Defines 'executive order' as a proclamation or order executed by the governor under constitutional or statutory authority.
  • Requires previously issued executive orders to be published on the secretary of state's website.
  • The amendment text is complex and includes legal terminology that may require further explanation for clarity.
SF0077HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Filer

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment removes specific lines from the bill text and changes a label in the remaining text.

  • Removes lines 9 through 11 on page 2 of the bill.
  • Changes '(iii)' to '(ii)' on line 13 of page 2.
  • The exact content removed in lines 9 through 11 is not provided, so it's unclear what specific text was deleted.
SF0077HS001

Standing Committee • House Judiciary Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds an exception to the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act for claims related to pronoun usage requirements.

  • Adds a new clause after 'pronouns;' on page 1, line 3, stating 'providing an exception to the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act;'.
  • Inserts 'appropriate relief, including' before 'injunctive' on page 2, line 23.
  • Amends W.S. 1-39-104(a) by adding a new section that grants immunity from tort liability for governmental entities and their public employees when acting within the scope of duties, except as provided in specific Wyoming statutes.
  • The exact nature and extent of the exception to the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act are not fully explained by the amendment text.
  • It is unclear how this amendment will be applied or enforced in practice.
SF0077JC001

Conference Committee

S Adopted, H Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes specific changes made by the House to a bill that aims to prohibit state and local governments from requiring the use of preferred pronouns.

  • Removes certain amendments added by the House that were related to the original bill's provisions.
  • The exact nature of the House amendments being deleted is not specified in the provided text, making it unclear what specific changes are being removed.
SF0077SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Judiciary Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes certain provisions related to exceptions, legal claims, and specific remedies in the bill.

  • Removes an exception clause for Wyoming from the bill text.
  • Eliminates a reference to the Governmental Claims Act.
  • Changes 'recover' to 'seek' when referring to relief.
  • Deletes detailed provisions about appropriate relief and renumbers subsequent sections accordingly.
  • The amendment's text does not explain what these removed provisions originally meant or how their removal affects the bill's overall intent.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-27 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 62

  2. 2025-02-27 Wyoming Legislature

    Became Law without Signature

  3. 2025-02-24 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0023

  4. 2025-02-24 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0023

  5. 2025-02-24 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0023

  6. 2025-02-19 House

    H Appointed JCC01 Members

  7. 2025-02-19 Senate

    S Appointed JCC01 Members

  8. 2025-02-19 Senate

    S Concur:Failed 14-17-0-0-0

  9. 2025-02-19 Senate

    S Received for Concurrence

  10. 2025-02-19 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 54-7-1-0-0

  11. 2025-02-18 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  12. 2025-02-14 House

    H COW:Passed

  13. 2025-02-12 House

    H Placed on General File

  14. 2025-02-12 House

    H01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0

  15. 2025-02-10 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H01 - Judiciary

  16. 2025-02-06 House

    H Received for Introduction

  17. 2025-02-06 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 27-3-1-0-0

  18. 2025-02-05 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  19. 2025-02-04 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  20. 2025-01-29 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  21. 2025-01-29 Senate

    S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  22. 2025-01-16 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary

  23. 2025-01-06 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  24. 2024-12-31 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0031

Bill No.:

SF0077

Effective:

7/1/2025

LSO No.:

25LSO-0031

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0023

Chapter No.:

62

Prime Sponsor:

Hutchings

Catch Title:

Compelled speech is not free speech.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Prohibiting the state and its political subdivisions from requiring the use of preferred pronouns.

Summary/Major Elements:

This bill prohibits the state and its political subdivisions from compelling or requiring an employee to refer to another employee using that employee's preferred pronouns as a condition of employment, as a condition of receiving a grant or other funding or under threat of adverse action by the state or a political subdivision.

The bill authorizes a civil action for persons aggrieved by a violation of this act.

The bill specifies that this act applies to conduct occurring on or after July 1, 2025.

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-0031

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0077

ENROLLED ACT NO. 23,

SENATE

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

AN ACT relating to the administration of government; prohibiting the state and its political subdivisions from requiring the use of preferred pronouns; authorizing a civil remedy; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 9
‑
14
‑
601 is created to read:

ARTICLE 6
COMPELLED OR PROHIBITED SPEECH

9
‑
14
‑
601.

Compelled speech; civil action.

(a)

The state and its political subdivisions shall not compel or require an employee to refer to another employee using that employee's preferred pronouns:

(i)

As a condition of continuing or commencing employment or contracting with the state or a political subdivision;

(ii)

As a condition of receiving a grant, loan, permit, contract, license or other benefit afforded by the state or a political subdivision; or

(iii)

Under threat of adverse action by the state or a political subdivision, including but not limited to an adverse employment action, exclusion, sanction or punishment.

(b)

Any person aggrieved by a violation of subsection (a) of this section may file a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction against the state or any political subdivision, and its employees acting in their official capacities, responsible for the violation to seek injunctive or declaratory relief.

Section 2.

This act applies to conduct occurring on or after July 1, 2025 to which liability under this act applies.

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 Senate.

Chief Clerk

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