SF0148 • 2025

Fire suppression and restoration funding.

AN ACT relating to wildfires; providing appropriations; authorizing grants and expenditures; specifying duties of the executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board; providing for the transfer of funds; authorizing borrowing; repealing prior borrowing authorization; and providing for effective dates.

Agriculture Budget Water

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Senator Crago
Last action: 2025-02-28
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and its exact impact is uncertain due to dependencies on other bills that might or might not become law.

Fire suppression and restoration funding

This act provides appropriations for wildfire suppression in 2024, repayment of borrowed funds, and restoration projects following wildfires.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates money to restore funds expended by the state to suppress wildfires that occurred in calendar year 2024.
Authorizes up to $20 million for repayment of borrowed funds from the legislative stabilization reserve account.
Allocates $100 million and $10 million respectively for restoration projects on private and state lands, and infrastructure for water supplies damaged by wildfires.

Who It Names or Affects

The state government, including the governor's office and forestry division.
People who own land affected by wildfires.
Communities that rely on water supplies damaged by fires.

Terms To Know

Wildfire: A large fire that spreads quickly through forests, grasslands, or other vegetation.
Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account: An account used by the state to manage financial risks and emergencies.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass during its session.
Some parts of the act depend on other bills that might or might not become law.

Amendments

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

SF0148HS001

Standing Committee • House Appropriations Committee

Filed

Plain English: The amendment changes specific funding amounts and removes certain phrases related to restoring public infrastructure from the wildfire bill.

Reduces the amount of funds available for fire suppression from $100 million to $40 million.
Changes a specified fund amount from $162,276,466 to $92,276,466.
Modifies another fund amount from $40 million to $30 million.
Removes references to 'restoring lost public infrastructure' in the bill.

The amendment text does not provide context for why these changes are being made, which limits understanding of their purpose.

SF0148S2001

2nd reading • Senator Crago

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment reduces certain appropriations in the wildfire funding bill based on specific conditions related to other appropriations or borrowing authorizations.

Reduces appropriations for wildfire suppression by $1 for every dollar appropriated elsewhere for similar purposes, such as special contingency funds and disaster response units.
Limits additional appropriations if certain sections of other bills are enacted into law.
Adjusts the borrowing authority based on specific conditions related to other legislative actions.

The exact impact depends on future appropriations and legislative actions that have not yet occurred.

SF0148S3001

3rd reading • Senator Steinmetz

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes specific sections of the bill related to a steering committee, review processes, and certain duties, and modifies references to the executive director's responsibilities.

Removed language about creating a steering committee.
Deleted provisions for review processes and subsections (d) through (m).
Modified references to the executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board.

The exact impact on the overall bill's functions is not fully explained by this amendment text alone.

SF0148SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural R

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes the wording in a bill about wildfire funding to focus on restoring watershed health instead of repairing or replacing habitat, updates references to infrastructure and certain state departments, and increases the funding amount from $30 million to $40 million.

Changes 'repair or replace watershed habitat' to 'restore watershed health'.
Replaces 'facilities' with 'infrastructure'.
Removes reference to the Department of Agriculture and replaces it with a reference to the Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources department.
Increases funding from $30 million to $40 million.

The amendment text does not provide details on how exactly watershed health will be restored or what specific infrastructure improvements are planned.

Bill History

2025-02-28 House
H COW:H Did not consider for COW
2025-02-27 House
H Placed on General File
2025-02-27 House
H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-3-0-0-0
2025-02-24 House
H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations
2025-02-06 House
H Received for Introduction
2025-02-06 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 27-3-1-0-0
2025-02-05 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Laid Back
2025-02-04 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2025-02-03 Senate
S COW:Passed
2025-01-30 Senate
S Placed on General File
2025-01-30 Senate
S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2025-01-28 Senate
:Rerefer to S02 - Appropriations
2025-01-28 Senate
S06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2025-01-23 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S06 - Travel
2025-01-22 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2025-01-21 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

25LSO-0607
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0607
ENGROSSED
3.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0148

Fire suppression and restoration funding.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Crago, Anderson, Barlow, Boner and Driskill and Representative(s) Byron, Clouston, Connolly, Davis, Eklund, Larsen, L and Williams

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to wildfires; providing appropriations; authorizing grants and expenditures; specifying duties of the executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board; providing for the transfer of funds; authorizing borrowing; repealing prior borrowing authorization; and providing for effective dates.

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

[WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION, RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION FUNDING]

Section 1
.

(a)

There is appropriated from the general fund for the purpose of restoring funds expended by the state of Wyoming to suppress wildfires that occurred in calendar year 2024 the following amounts for the following programs or purposes:

(i)

One million dollars ($1,000,000.00) for the special contingency division of the office of the governor, unit 0601;

(ii)

One million two hundred sixty
‑
three thousand nine hundred sixty
‑
six dollars ($1,263,966.00) for the disaster contingency unit within the homeland security division of the office of the governor, unit 1106;

(iii)

Thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00) to the emergency fire suppression account within the office of state lands and investments.

(b)

There is appropriated from the general fund up to twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00), or as much thereof as is necessary, to be deposited by the state auditor in the legislative stabilization reserve account for repayment of funds borrowed on or before June 30, 2025 from the legislative stabilization reserve account under 2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 301(b).

(c)

There is appropriated from the general fund the amounts specified in this subsection to the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account for mitigation and restoration projects needed as a result of the wildfires that occurred within the state of Wyoming in calendar year 2024. Notwithstanding W.S. 9
‑
15
‑
103(b), amounts appropriated in this subsection shall not be subject to the grant process or other requirements specified in the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act. The following amounts shall be expended for grants and expenditures approved by the executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board:

(i)

One hundred million dollars ($100,000,000.00) for purposes of restoring grass and vegetation destroyed by wildfires on private and state lands, preventing the establishment of nonnative invasive terrestrial vegetation on private and state lands affected by wildfires, replacing and restoring habitats destroyed by wildfires on private and state lands and restoring lost public infrastructure;

(ii)

Ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) for projects to restore watershed health and infrastructure for municipal, community and county water supplies.

(d)

The executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board shall:

(i)

Establish a process to accept and review applications for grants and expenditures from funds appropriated in subsection (c) of this section;

(ii)

Develop grant and expenditure eligibility criteria for receipt of funds appropriated in subsection (c) of this section.

(e)

Any proposed grant or expenditure of funds appropriated in subsection (c) in this section shall be subject to the following requirements:

(i)

The proposed grant or expenditure shall be reviewed by the attorney general, who shall determine whether the grant or expenditure provides a substantial public benefit and constitutes a lawful use of funds; and

(ii)

The executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board may impose conditions on his approval of any grant or expenditure, including a requirement for consideration from the recipient or beneficiary thereof.

(f)

The executive director of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board shall, not later than October 1, 2025 and each October 1 thereafter until the funds appropriated in subsection (c) of this section are fully expended, report to the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee and the joint appropriations committee on the expenditure, encumbrances, obligations, recipients, purposes and justifications for all grants and expenditures from funds appropriated in subsection (c) of this section.

(g)

Funds appropriated in this section shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose. Notwithstanding W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1008, 9
‑
2
‑
1012(e) and 9
‑
4
‑
207, any unexpended, unobligated funds appropriated in this section shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2027.

[TRANSFERS – WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION, RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION]

Section 2.

The state auditor shall transfer one hundred sixty
‑
two million two hundred seventy
‑
six thousand four hundred sixty
‑
six dollars ($162,276,466.00) from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the general fund for purposes of this act.

[BORROWING AUTHORITY – WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION]

Section 3.

For the period beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026, the governor is authorized to borrow from the legislative stabilization reserve account up to forty million dollars ($40,000,000.00) as necessary to meet funding requirements to fight wildfires in the event the reserves in the office of state lands and investments' forestry division have been exhausted.

The governor shall report to the joint appropriations committee, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives immediately upon exercise of this authority.

[APPLICABILITY]

Section 4.

(a)

The appropriations in section 1(a) of this act shall be reduced in accordance with the following:

(i)

The appropriation in section 1(a)(i) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in the 2025 general session for the special contingency division of the office of the governor, unit 0601, for the purposes specified in section 1(a) of this act;

(ii)

The appropriation in section 1(a)(ii) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in the 2025 general session for the disaster contingency unit within the homeland security division of the office of the governor, unit 1106, for the purposes specified in section 1(a) of this act;

(iii)

The appropriation in section 1(a)(iii) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in the 2025 general session to the emergency fire suppression account within the office of state lands and investments for the purposes specified in section 1(a) of this act.

(b)

The appropriation in section 1(b) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in the 2025 general session to the legislative stabilization reserve account for the repayment of funds borrowed on or before June 30, 2025 from the account under 2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 301(b).

(c)

The appropriations in section 1(c) of this act shall be reduced in accordance with the following:

(i)

The appropriation in section 1(c)(i) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated or authorized for borrowing in section 346 of 2025 Senate File 0001 or section 346 of 2025 House Bill 0001;

(ii)

The appropriation in section 1(c)(ii) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated or authorized for borrowing in the 2025 general session for the purposes specified in section 1(c) and 1(c)(ii) of this act.

(d)

Section 1(d) through (k) of this act shall not be effective if either section 346 of 2025 Senate File 0001 or section 346 of 2025 House Bill 0001 is enacted into law.

(e)

The appropriation in section 2 of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) that an appropriation specified in subsections (a) through (c) of this section is reduced.

(f)

The authority to borrow funds specified in section 3 of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) of borrowing authority granted in 2025 Senate File 0001, 2025 House Bill 0001 or 2025 Senate File 0152 for the purposes specified in section 3 of this act.

[REPEAL]

Section 5
.

2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 301(b) is repealed.

[EFFECTIVE DATES]

Section 6.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is 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.

(b)

Sections 3 and 5 of this act are effective July 1, 2025.

(END)

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SF0148