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HB0019 • 2026

Corner crossing clarification.

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; providing a clarifying exception to the offenses of trespass and game-and-fish trespass regarding incidental contact associated with crossing two (2) adjacent parcels as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Land
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Travel
Last action
2026-03-02
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's official text and summary do not provide specific details about the exact circumstances under which a person is considered 'authorized' to access both parcels, leaving some uncertainty in this regard.

Clarifying Rules About Crossing Parcels

This act clarifies that people do not commit trespassing when they walk from one government-owned parcel to another at a corner, even if they touch private land accidentally.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates an exception for walking across two adjacent parcels of land owned by local governments, the state, or federal agencies without permission.
  • Specifies that this exception applies only if the person is authorized to access both parcels and does not cause damage to any privately-owned property in between.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who walk across two adjacent parcels of land owned by local governments, the state, or federal agencies.

Terms To Know

Trespass
The act of entering someone else's property without permission and causing damage or harm.
Game-and-fish trespass
A specific type of trespassing related to hunting, fishing, or trapping on private land without permission.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and is no longer being considered.
  • It only applies when a person is authorized to access both government-owned parcels involved in the crossing.

Amendments

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

HB0019H3001

3rd reading • Representative Williams

Withdrawn

Plain English: 1 HB0019H3001 1 Page 1-line 7 Delete entirely.

  • 1 HB0019H3001 1 Page 1-line 7 Delete entirely.
  • WILLIAMS
HB0019HS001

Standing Committee • House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Re

Adopted

Plain English: 1 HB0019HS001 1 Page 1-line 15 Delete "is traveling" and insert "travels by 2 foot".

  • 1 HB0019HS001 1 Page 1-line 15 Delete "is traveling" and insert "travels by 2 foot".
  • 3 4 Page 2-line 6 After "without" insert "physically contacting 5 or".
  • 6 7 Page 2-line 7 After "land" insert "or property".
  • 8 9 Page 3-line 6 Delete "is traveling" and insert "travels by 10 foot".
HB0019SW001

Committee of the Whole • Senator Landen

Adopted

Plain English: 1 HB0019SW001 (TO ENGROSSED COPY) 1 Delete the Senate standing committee amendment (HB0019SS001/A) 2 entirely and further amend as follows: 3 4 Page 2-line 8 After "parcels." insert "For purposes of this 5 subsection: 6 7 (i) The lands owned by the state of Wyoming to which a 8 person is authorized to access refers to lands owned or under the 9 jurisdiction of the board of land commissioners, the state or any 10 agency of the state that can be accessed by public road, public 11 right-of-way, public easement, public waters, by adjacent state, 12 local or federal land if that land is open to public use or by 13 adjacent private land if the person has permission to cross that 14 land from the landowner; 15 16 (ii) To be authorized to access lands owned by the state 17 of Wyoming under this subsection, a person's use of the lands shall 18 comply with the rules of the applicable agency that has 19 jurisdiction over the lands.".

  • 1 HB0019SW001 (TO ENGROSSED COPY) 1 Delete the Senate standing committee amendment (HB0019SS001/A) 2 entirely and further amend as follows: 3 4 Page 2-line 8 After "parcels." insert "For purposes of this 5 subsection: 6 7 (i) The lands owned by the state of Wyoming to which a 8 person is authorized to access refers to lands owned or under the 9 jurisdiction of the board of land commissioners, the state or any 10 agency of the state that can be accessed by public road, public 11 right-of-way, public easement, public waters, by adjacent state, 12 local or federal land if that land is open to public use or by 13 adjacent private land if the person has permission to cross that 14 land from the landowner; 15 16 (ii) To be authorized to access lands owned by the state 17 of Wyoming under this subsection, a person's use of the lands shall 18 comply with the rules of the applicable agency that has 19 jurisdiction over the lands.".
  • 20 21 Page 3-line 14 After "parcels." insert "For purposes of this 22 paragraph: 23 24 (A) The lands owned by the state of Wyoming to which 25 a person is authorized to access refers to lands owned or under 26 the jurisdiction of the board of land commissioners, the state or 27 any agency of the state that can be accessed by public road, public 28 right-of-way, public easement, public waters, by adjacent state, 29 local or federal land if that land is open to public use or by 30 adjacent private land if the person has permission to cross that 31 land from the landowner; 32 33 (B) To be authorized to access lands owned by the 34 state of Wyoming under this paragraph, a person's use of the lands 35 shall comply with the rules of the applicable agency that has 36 jurisdiction over the lands.".
  • LANDEN
HB0019SS001

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

Failed

Plain English: 1 HB0019SS001 (TO ENGROSSED COPY) 1 Page 2-line 6 After "meet" insert ", as established by a 2 legal survey and a finite corner point marked 3 by a recognizable legal survey monument" 4 LANDEN, CHAIRMAN

  • 1 HB0019SS001 (TO ENGROSSED COPY) 1 Page 2-line 6 After "meet" insert ", as established by a 2 legal survey and a finite corner point marked 3 by a recognizable legal survey monument" 4 LANDEN, CHAIRMAN

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-02 Senate

    S COW:Failed 4-27-0-0-0

  2. 2026-02-26 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  3. 2026-02-26 Senate

    S06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 3-2-0-0-0

  4. 2026-02-23 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S06 - Travel

  5. 2026-02-19 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  6. 2026-02-19 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 32-28-2-0-0

  7. 2026-02-18 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2026-02-17 House

    H 2nd Reading:Laid Back

  9. 2026-02-16 House

    H COW:Passed

  10. 2026-02-12 House

    H Placed on General File

  11. 2026-02-12 House

    H06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-1-1-0-0

  12. 2026-02-09 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H06 - Travel 47-15-0-0-0

  13. 2026-01-09 House

    H Received for Introduction

  14. 2025-12-16 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
26LSO-0118
2026
STATE OF WYOMING
26LSO-0118
ENGROSSED
3.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0019

Corner crossing clarification.

Sponsored by: Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; providing a clarifying exception to the offenses of trespass and game-and-fish trespass regarding incidental contact associated with crossing two (2) adjacent parcels as specified; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 6
‑
3
‑
303 by creating a new subsection (d) and 23
‑
3
‑
305(b) are amended to read:

6
‑
3
‑
303.

Criminal trespass; penalties.

(d)

For purposes of this section, a person does not commit criminal trespass if the person travels by foot from one (1) parcel of land owned by a local government, the state of Wyoming or the federal government that the person is authorized to access to another parcel of land owned by a local government, the state of Wyoming or federal government that the person is authorized to access at the corner where the two (2) parcels meet and without physically contacting or causing damage to any privately owned land or property adjacent to the two (2) parcels.

23
‑
3
‑
305.

Hunting from highway; entering or traveling through private property without permission; penalty; hunting at night without permission prohibited.

(b)

No person shall enter upon, travel through or return across the private property of any person to take wildlife, hunt, fish, collect antlers or horns, or trap without the permission of the owner or person in charge of the property. Violation of this subsection constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23
‑
6
‑
202(a)(v). For purposes of this subsection
:

(i)

"T
ravel through or return across" requires physically touching or driving on the surface of the private property
;

(ii)

A person does not commit trespass under this subsection if the person travels by foot from one (1) parcel of land owned by a local government, the state of Wyoming or the federal government that the person is authorized to access to another parcel of land owned by a local government, the state of Wyoming or federal government that the person is authorized to access at the corner where the two (2) parcels meet and without physically contacting or causing damage to any privately owned land or property adjacent to the two (2) parcels
.

Section 2
.

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.

(END)

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HB0019