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SF0125 • 2025

Defining health care and protecting the people's welfare.

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming constitution, statutes and rules of construction; providing a definition of health care generally applicable to law; providing findings; specifying exceptions; providing definitions; and providing for contingent effective dates.

Abortion Budget Children Healthcare
Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor
Senator Steinmetz
Last action
2025-03-14
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/12/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how healthcare providers will interpret and apply these definitions in practice.

Defining Health Care and Protecting People's Welfare

This bill defines health care to exclude abortion except under certain conditions, such as when medically necessary to save a pregnant woman's life or due to specific exceptions like incest or sexual assault.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'health care' in Wyoming law to include actions promoting physical and mental well-being but excludes abortion unless it is medically necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or due to specific exceptions such as incest or sexual assault.
  • Specifies that performing an abortion except under certain conditions is not considered health care and is prohibited.
  • Includes findings stating that all human beings have a right to life from conception and that Wyoming has a duty to protect unborn babies.
  • Provides definitions for terms such as 'abortion', 'ectopic pregnancy', 'lethal fetal anomaly', and 'molar pregnancy'.
  • Sets the effective date of the act based on either March 12, 2026, or when the Wyoming Supreme Court decides on a related case.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People seeking medical care in Wyoming.
  • Healthcare providers and facilities in Wyoming.
  • The state government of Wyoming.

Terms To Know

Abortion
An act, procedure, device or prescription that results in the premature expulsion, removal, or termination of a human embryo or fetus.
Ectopic pregnancy
A pregnancy where a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus.
Lethal fetal anomaly
A condition diagnosed before birth that, if resulting in live birth, would likely cause death within hours after birth.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill's effectiveness depends on either a specific date or the outcome of a Supreme Court case.
  • It is unclear how healthcare providers will interpret and apply these definitions in practice.
  • The bill was vetoed by the governor, but it could still be overridden by lawmakers.

Amendments

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

SF0125H2001

2nd reading • Representative Wasserburger

Corrected, Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes an existing amendment related to health care definitions.

  • Removes the Angelos et al. committee of the whole amendment (SF00125HW001/AE) entirely.
  • This action does not provide details about what was in the removed amendment, so it's unclear exactly what changes were being made to health care definitions or statutes.
SF0125HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Angelos

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a provision to appropriate $7.72 million for health care to protect people's welfare by providing payments to home and community-based service providers.

  • Adds an appropriation of $3,860,000 from the general fund and $3,860,000 in federal funds to the Department of Health for specific purposes related to health care services.
  • Specifies that these funds are intended to support home and community-based service providers within a comprehensive waiver program.
  • Clarifies that this appropriation is not part of the standard budget for future fiscal years.
  • The amendment includes technical details about fund management and effective dates which may be complex for general readers.
SF0125HS001

Standing Committee • House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds specific exceptions to the definition of health care in Wyoming law and includes legislative findings about the rights and protections for unborn babies.

  • Adds new exceptions to the definition of 'health care' related to abortion procedures, including cases where a pregnancy is due to incest or sexual assault, when there's a lethal fetal anomaly, or in cases of molar pregnancy.
  • Includes legislative findings that affirm the rights and protections for unborn babies under Wyoming’s constitution.
  • Clarifies definitions for terms such as 'abortion', 'ectopic pregnancy', 'lethal fetal anomaly', 'molar pregnancy', and 'unborn baby'.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on how these changes will be enforced or the specific impacts they might have.
SF0125S2001

2nd reading • Senator Steinmetz

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment modifies definitions and provisions related to health care and abortion in Wyoming law.

  • Adds mental health to the definition of therapeutic physical health.
  • Clarifies that fertilized eggs expelled after in vitro fertilization are not considered an abortion.
  • Establishes new criteria for what constitutes health care, specifically excluding acts or treatments that terminate vital systems unless medically necessary.
  • Changes the effective date of certain provisions based on a decision by the Wyoming Supreme Court.
  • The amendment's text is technical and may require further context to fully understand its implications.
SF0125S3001

3rd reading • Senator Boner

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how abortion is defined and when certain parts of the bill will take effect.

  • Removes previous amendments and replaces them with new language that defines abortion as not being health care under Wyoming law, except for actions specified in another section of the law.
  • Adds a provision stating that this amendment takes effect on either March 12, 2026, or when the Wyoming Supreme Court decides on the constitutionality of the Life is a Human Right Act.
  • The exact impact and interpretation of these changes may depend on how courts and other legal bodies interpret them in the future.
SF0125SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how 'health care' is defined in Wyoming's laws and constitution, making it clear that actions to terminate life are not considered health care except under specific medical circumstances.

  • Defines 'health care' as promoting physical well-being but excludes actions that end a person’s life, with exceptions for medically necessary procedures to save the pregnant woman's life.
  • Specifies that abortion is only considered health care if it is medically necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman and no reasonable efforts can preserve both lives.
  • Changes references from 'pregnant woman' to 'person' in certain sections.
  • The amendment's text does not fully explain all possible scenarios or exceptions, which may lead to further interpretation issues.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-14 Governor

    Governor Vetoed SEA No. 0092

  2. 2025-03-05 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0092

  3. 2025-03-04 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0092

  4. 2025-03-04 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0092

  5. 2025-03-04 Senate

    S Concur:Passed 26-5-0-0-0

  6. 2025-03-04 Senate

    S Received for Concurrence

  7. 2025-03-04 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 51-9-2-0-0

  8. 2025-03-03 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  9. 2025-02-28 House

    H 2nd Reading:Laid Back

  10. 2025-02-27 House

    H COW:Passed

  11. 2025-02-24 House

    H Placed on General File

  12. 2025-02-24 House

    H10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-1-1-0-0

  13. 2025-02-13 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor

  14. 2025-02-13 House

    H Received for Introduction

  15. 2025-02-12 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 24-6-1-0-0

  16. 2025-02-11 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2025-02-10 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  18. 2025-02-06 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  19. 2025-02-06 Senate

    S10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-1-0-0-0

  20. 2025-01-21 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor

  21. 2025-01-17 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  22. 2025-01-16 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
25LSO-0676

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0125

ENROLLED ACT NO. 92,

SENATE

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

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming constitution, statutes and rules of construction; providing a definition of health care generally applicable to law; providing findings; specifying exceptions; providing definitions; and providing for contingent effective dates.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 8
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1
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110 is created to read:

8
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1
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110.

Definition of health care; rules of construction; purposes; legislative findings; definitions.

(a)

For purposes of interpretation and construction under the Wyoming constitution and all statutes of this state, abortion, as defined in W.S. 35
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6
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122(a)(i), is not health care. For purposes of this section, actions specified in W.S. 35
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6
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124 shall be construed as health care in addition to the following exceptions:

(i)

Performing a pre
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viability separation procedure necessary in the physician's reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, a substantial risk of death for the pregnant woman because of a physical condition or the serious and permanent impairment of a life
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sustaining organ of the pregnant woman, provided that no separation procedure shall be deemed necessary under this paragraph unless the physician makes all reasonable medical efforts under the circumstances to preserve both the life of the pregnant woman and the life of the unborn baby in a manner consistent with reasonable medical judgment;

(ii)

Providing medical treatment to a pregnant woman that results in the accidental or unintentional injury to, or the death of, an unborn baby;

(iii)

Performing an abortion on a woman when the pregnancy is the result of incest as defined by W.S. 6
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4
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402 or sexual assault as defined by W.S. 6
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2
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301(a)(v). Prior to the performance of any abortion under this paragraph the woman, or the woman's parent or guardian if the woman is a minor or subject to a guardianship, shall report the act of incest or sexual assault to a law enforcement agency and a copy of the report shall be provided to the physician; or

(iv)

Performing an abortion on a woman when, in the physician's reasonable medical judgment, there is a substantial likelihood that the unborn baby has a lethal fetal anomaly or the pregnancy is determined to be a molar pregnancy.

(b)

The legislature finds that:

(i)

As a consequence of an unborn baby being a member of the species homo sapiens from conception, an unborn baby is a member of the human race under article 1, section 2 of the Wyoming constitution;

(ii)

The legislature acknowledges that all members of the human race are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, the foremost of which is the right to life;

(iii)

This act promotes and furthers article 1, section 6 of the Wyoming constitution, which guarantees that no person may be deprived of life or liberty without due process of law;

(iv)

Regarding article 1, section 38 of the Wyoming constitution, abortion as defined in this act is not health care. Abortion is the termination of the life of an unborn baby. It is within the authority of the state of Wyoming to determine reasonable and necessary restrictions upon abortion, including its prohibition. In accordance with article 1, section 38(c) of the Wyoming constitution, the legislature determines that the health and general welfare of the people requires the prohibition of abortion as defined in this act;

(v)

The legislature, in the exercise of its constitutional duties and powers, has a fundamental duty to provide equal protection to all human lives, including unborn babies from conception;

(vi)

Wyoming's "legitimate interests include respect for the preservation of prenatal life at all stages of development; the protection of maternal health and safety; the elimination of particularly gruesome or barbaric medical procedures; the preservation of integrity of the medical profession; the mitigation of fetal pain; and the prevention of discrimination on the basis of race, sex or disability." Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Org., 142 S. Ct. 2228, 2284 (2022) (internal citations omitted);

(vii)

The legislature recognizes the need to protect the health and general welfare of the people of Wyoming. In accordance with this purpose, the definition and rules specified in this section are provided to advance the health, welfare and safety of all people in Wyoming.

(c)

As used in this act:

(i)

"Abortion" means the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug or any other substance, device or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman, including the elimination of one (1) or more unborn babies in a multifetal pregnancy, with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn baby. "Abortion" shall not include any use, prescription or means specified in this paragraph if the use, prescription or means are done with the intent to:

(A)

Save the life or preserve the health of the unborn baby;

(B)

Save the life or preserve the health of the pregnant woman;

(C)

Remove a dead unborn baby caused by a spontaneous abortion or intrauterine fetal demise;

(D)

Treat a woman for an ectopic pregnancy;

(E)

Treat a pregnant woman for cancer or another disease that requires medical treatment which treatment may be fatal or harmful to the unborn baby.

(ii)

"Ectopic pregnancy" means a pregnancy that occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus;

(iii)

"Lethal fetal anomaly" means a fetal condition diagnosed before birth and if the pregnancy results in a live birth there is a substantial likelihood of death of the child within hours of the child's birth;

(iv)

"Molar pregnancy" means the development of a tumor or cyst that may or may not include placental tissue from trophoblastic cells after fertilization of an egg that results in spontaneous abortion or intrauterine fetal demise;

(v)

"Pregnant" means the human female reproductive condition of having a living unborn baby or human being within a human female's body throughout the entire embryonic and fetal stages of the unborn human being from fertilization, when a fertilized egg has implanted in the wall of the uterus, to full gestation and childbirth;

(vi)

"Reasonable medical judgment" means a medical judgment that would be made by a reasonably prudent physician who is knowledgeable about the case and the treatment possibilities with respect to the medical conditions involved;

(vii)

"Unborn baby" or "unborn human being" means an individual living member of the species homo sapiens throughout the entire embryonic and fetal stages from fertilization to full gestation and childbirth.

Section 2.

(a)

This act is effective on the earlier of:

(i)

March 12, 2026; or

(ii)

The date on which the Wyoming supreme court renders a decision on the constitutionality of the Life is a Human Right Act, W.S. 35
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6
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120 through 35
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6
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138. On the date on which the Wyoming supreme court renders a decision in the matter specified in this paragraph, the attorney general shall certify this date to the secretary of state.

(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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