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SF0102 • 2025

Surviving parents of gold star veterans-exemptions.

AN ACT relating to taxation and revenue; providing tax exemptions for surviving parents of veterans as specified; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Taxes
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Senator Landen
Last action
2025-03-05
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Tax Exemptions for Surviving Parents of Gold Star Veterans

This law changes property tax rules to allow surviving parents of gold star veterans to get tax exemptions if there is no surviving spouse.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the list of people who can receive a property tax exemption to include surviving parents of gold star veterans when there is no surviving spouse.
  • Requires that both the veteran and their parents were Wyoming residents at the time of the veteran's death for the exemption to apply.
  • Allows divorced parents living separately to each qualify for the exemption if they meet residency requirements.
  • Directs the Department of Revenue to create rules to help implement this new tax exemption.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Surviving parents of gold star veterans who do not have a surviving spouse.
  • The Department of Revenue, which must make rules for implementing the law.

Terms To Know

Gold Star Veteran
A veteran who died while serving in the military during wartime or other designated periods.
Property Tax Exemption
An exemption from paying property taxes on certain types of property.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to surviving parents if there is no surviving spouse.
  • It does not specify how much tax relief the exemption will provide.
  • Details about implementation are left up to future rules by the Department of Revenue.

Amendments

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

SF0102SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Transportation, Highways and Military Affai

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the eligibility criteria for a tax exemption, allowing surviving parents of veterans to qualify if there is no surviving spouse.

  • Removes the requirement that only a surviving spouse can claim the tax exemption under certain conditions.
  • Adds language so that surviving parents may apply for the tax exemption if there is no surviving spouse.
  • The exact details of how surviving parents will apply for and receive this exemption are not specified in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-05 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 116

  2. 2025-03-05 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0068

  3. 2025-03-03 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0068

  4. 2025-03-03 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0068

  5. 2025-03-03 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0068

  6. 2025-03-03 House

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

  7. 2025-02-28 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2025-02-27 House

    H COW:Passed

  9. 2025-02-20 House

    H Placed on General File

  10. 2025-02-20 House

    H08 - Transportation:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  11. 2025-02-13 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H08 - Transportation

  12. 2025-01-29 House

    H Received for Introduction

  13. 2025-01-28 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 29-0-2-0-0

  14. 2025-01-27 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2025-01-24 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  16. 2025-01-23 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  17. 2025-01-23 Senate

    S08 - Transportation:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  18. 2025-01-16 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S08 - Transportation

  19. 2025-01-10 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  20. 2025-01-09 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0534

Bill No.:

SF0102

Effective:

7/1/2025

LSO No.:

25LSO-0534

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0068

Chapter No.:

116

Prime Sponsor:

Landen

Catch Title:

Surviving parents of gold star veterans-exemptions.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Benefits for surviving parents of gold star veterans.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act amends a property tax exemption available to the surviving spouses of gold star veterans to include the surviving parents of the gold star veteran.

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-0534

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0102

ENROLLED ACT NO. 68,

SENATE

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

AN ACT relating to taxation and revenue; providing tax exemptions for surviving parents of veterans as specified; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 39
‑
13
‑
105(a)(v), (c)(ii), (v), (h)(intro), (i) and (ii) is amended to read:

39
‑
13
‑
105.

Exemptions.

(a)

The following persons who are bona fide Wyoming residents for at least three (3) years at the time of claiming the exemption are entitled to receive the tax exemption provided by W.S. 39
‑
11
‑
105(a)(xxiv):

(v)

A surviving spouse, during widowhood or widower hood, of any person qualifying under this subsection or who died while serving honorably during the war, conflict or period described in this section
or the surviving parents if there is no surviving spouse
.
Surviving parents who are divorced and living separately may both qualify separately for the exemption.
The tax exemption shall be applied to property the title to which is held by the surviving spouse
or surviving parents
or to property which is the subject of a trust created by or for the benefit of the surviving spouse
or surviving parents
;

(c)

Except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, in order to receive the exemption provided by this section the claimant shall file a sworn claim on or before the fourth Monday in May with the county assessor of the county in which the property against which the exemption is sought is located indicating:

(ii)

That during the lifetime of the claimant
,

or
the claimant's spouse
or the claimant's parents
, the claimant
,

or
the claimant's spouse
is
or the claimant's parents are
listed as an owner of the property, that the property is the subject of a trust created by or for the benefit of the claimant
,

or
the claimant's spouse
or the claimant's parents
, or the claimant
,

or
the claimant's spouse
is
or the claimant's parents are
listed as a purchaser on a valid and effective contract for deed for the property and evidence of the contract for deed has been recorded with the county clerk;

(v)

That the exemption shall be claimed by the veteran or qualifying surviving spouse
or qualifying surviving parents
in not more than one (1) county in this state
unless the surviving parents are divorced and living in different counties
.

(h)

A surviving spouse, during widowhood or widower hood
, or the surviving parents if there is no surviving spouse
,
is qualified
shall qualify
for the tax exemption under W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xxiv) and
is entitled to
may
apply for
it
the exemption
under the same procedure specified in this section for veterans if:

(i)

At the time of the spouse's death, both the veteran and the veteran's spouse
or parents
were residents of Wyoming;

(ii)

The veteran's spouse
has
or parents have
been
a resident
residents
of Wyoming for at least three (3) years at the time the spouse
claims
or parents claim
the exemption; and

Section 2
.

The department of revenue shall promulgate any 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

1