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26LSO-0386
2026
STATE OF WYOMING
26LSO-0386
Numbered
2.0
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0099
Wyoming veterans museum capital construction.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Harshman and Posey and Senator(s) Boner
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to veterans; authorizing renovation of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum; creating a task force; requiring reporting; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1.
(a)
As used in this act:
(i)
"Wyoming veterans' memorial museum" means the property described in W.S. 19-14-110;
(ii)
"Wyoming veterans
'
memorial museum renovation project" means all preconstruction and construction activities necessary to renovate the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum, including design, planning, contracting for,
construction and renovation.
(b)
The Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project is authorized.
The governor and Wyoming military department, through the state construction department, may enter into contracts and retain experts as necessary to complete the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project.
The department shall keep the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum task force informed of all contracting activities.
No contract related to the Wyoming veteran’s memorial museum renovation project shall be executed without the approval of the governor.
Section 2
.
(a)
There is created the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation task force to consist of the following:
(i)
Members of the legislature as follows:
(A)
The speaker of the house shall appoint two (2) members of the Wyoming house of representatives who serve on the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee.
The speaker of the house shall designate one (1) of the members appointed under this subparagraph to be co-chairman of the task force;
(B)
The president of the senate shall appoint two (2) members of the Wyoming senate, who serve on the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee.
The president of the senate shall designate one (1) of the members appointed under this subparagraph to be co-chairman of the task force.
(ii)
Members of the Wyoming state government as follows:
(A)
The director of the state construction department or the director's designee;
(B)
The adjutant general of the Wyoming military department or the adjutant general's designee.
(iii)
One (1) member representing the interests of veterans, appointed by the governor.
(b)
The task force shall serve in an advisory role and provide recommendations to the executive branch of government for the procurement of professional services and construction and completion of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project.
While serving in an advisory role, the task force shall:
(i)
Receive and, when necessary, request information from the state construction department to stay informed on all aspects of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project;
(ii)
Closely monitor the procurement of professional services and progress on the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project;
(iii)
When necessary or prudent, make recommendations to the state construction department regarding important aspects of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project;
(iv)
Provide interim reports on the activities of the task force to the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee not later than November 1 of each year that the task force is in existence.
(c)
The task force shall be staffed by the state construction department with assistance provided by the department of state parks and cultural resources. In staffing the task force, the departments shall:
(i)
Coordinate and schedule all meetings and assemble all required meeting agendas and meeting materials for the task force;
(ii)
Act as a liaison between the task force and the executive branch of state government to communicate task force recommendations;
(iii)
Provide regular updates and progress reports to the task force and the state building commission regarding the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project;
(iv)
Provide other information and assistance to the task force as requested.
(d)
The legislative members of the task force shall receive salary, per diem and travel expenses in the manner and amount prescribed by W.S. 28-5-101.
Task force members representing Wyoming state government shall be considered to be acting within the scope of regular employment when conducting the official business of the task force and shall receive their regular pay without additional compensation, except that those members shall receive mileage and per diem as provided for other members of the task force under this subsection if the members are not reimbursed by their employer.
All other members of the task force shall not receive salary but shall receive per diem and mileage in the amount provided for members of the legislature under W.S. 28-5-101 when conducting the official business of the task force.
(e)
The task force shall terminate on June 30 of the year following the year in which the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project is completed and the facility is occupied.
Section 3
.
(a)
There is appropriated five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) from the Wyoming tourism reserve and projects account to the state construction department for the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project authorized by section 1 of this act.
This appropriation is intended to provide a maximum amount for the project from any source excluding contingency funding and shall not be construed to be an entitlement or guaranteed amount.
This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and remaining in effect until the project is completed, unless otherwise provided. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law upon completion of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project.
(b)
There is appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) from the general fund to the legislative service office for purposes of providing payments authorized by section 2 of this act to legislative members of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation task force and for other expenses of the task force authorized by law or policy of the legislature. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30 of the year following the year in which the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project is completed and the facility is occupied.
This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law
upon completion of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project.
(c)
There is appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) from the general fund to the governor's office for purposes of providing payments authorized by section 2 of this act to nonlegislative members of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation task force.
This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30 of the year following the year in which construction of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project is complete and the facility is occupied.
This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law
upon completion of the Wyoming veterans' memorial museum renovation project.
Section 4.
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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HB0099