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SF0010 • 2026

Contracts for holding and treating mentally ill detainees.

AN ACT relating to criminal procedure; authorizing the department of health to enter into contracts with detention centers for holding and treating mentally ill detainees before a competency evaluation or restoration; amending the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act; providing immunity for persons providing competency evaluations or restoration services as specified; amending definitions; providing an appropriation; making conforming amendments; requiring reports; and providing for an effective date.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Judiciary
Last action
2026-03-06
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the $5 million will be allocated.

Contracts for Holding and Treating Mentally Ill Detainees

This law allows the Department of Health to make contracts with counties to hold and treat mentally ill people before they are evaluated or treated at a state hospital.

What This Bill Does

  • The Department of Health can now enter into contracts with county jails for holding and treating accused persons who have mental health issues before competency evaluations or restoration services.
  • It amends the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act to provide immunity for people providing these services under specific conditions.
  • It changes definitions in existing laws to include contracted personnel as public employees.
  • The law provides a $5 million appropriation from the general fund to support implementation of this act over two fiscal years.
  • A report is required by October 1, 2027, detailing how county detention facilities are being used and how contracts have been implemented.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Health
  • County jails and detention centers
  • Mentally ill detainees awaiting evaluation or restoration services

Terms To Know

Competency Evaluation
A process to determine if a person is mentally fit to understand court proceedings.
Restoration Services
Services aimed at helping someone regain mental competency.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the $5 million will be allocated beyond its general purpose.
  • It is unclear what criteria are used to designate county detention facilities as qualified under this act.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-06 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 67

  2. 2026-03-06 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0033

  3. 2026-03-03 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0033

  4. 2026-03-02 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0033

  5. 2026-03-02 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0033

  6. 2026-03-02 Senate

    S Concur:Passed 30-0-1-0-0

  7. 2026-02-26 Senate

    S Received for Concurrence

  8. 2026-02-26 House

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

  9. 2026-02-25 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2026-02-24 House

    H COW:Passed

  11. 2026-02-23 House

    H Placed on General File

  12. 2026-02-23 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0

  13. 2026-02-20 House

    :Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations

  14. 2026-02-20 House

    H10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  15. 2026-02-16 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor

  16. 2026-02-13 House

    H Received for Introduction

  17. 2026-02-13 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0

  18. 2026-02-12 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  19. 2026-02-11 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  20. 2026-02-10 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  21. 2026-02-10 Senate

    S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0

  22. 2026-02-09 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary 31-0-0-0-0

  23. 2026-01-05 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  24. 2025-12-01 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 26LSO-0172

Bill No.:

SF0010

Effective:

7/1/2026

LSO No.:

26LSO-0172

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0033

Chapter No.:

67

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Judiciary Interim Committee

Catch Title:

Contracts for holding and treating mentally ill detainees.

Has Report:

Yes

Subject:

Contracting with counties to hold and treat mentally ill detainees.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act authorizes the Department of Health to contract with counties to reimburse county jails for any security, examination or treatment of an accused person that a county jail provides while the accused person waits for evaluation at the state hospital.

Comments:

Requires the Department of Health to report to the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee by October 1, 2027 on the designation of county detention facilities and the utilization and implementation of contracts created pursuant to this act.

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
26LSO-0172

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0010

ENROLLED ACT NO. 33,

SENATE

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2026 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to criminal procedure; authorizing the department of health to enter into contracts with detention centers for holding and treating mentally ill detainees before a competency evaluation or restoration; amending the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act; providing immunity for persons providing competency evaluations or restoration services as specified; amending definitions; providing an appropriation; making conforming amendments; requiring reports; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 7
‑
11
‑
308 is created to read:

7
‑
11
‑
308.

Duties of the department of health as to designated facilities other than the state hospital.

The department of health may designate county detention facilities as qualified to provide security, examination or treatment to accused persons under this act and enter into contracts with those designated facilities for the security, examination or treatment of accused persons under this act. The department may enter into contracts with counties under this section.

Section 2
.

W.S. 1
‑
39
‑
103(a)(iv) by creating a new subparagraph (J), 1
‑
39
‑
109(a), 1
‑
39
‑
110(a) and 7
‑
11
‑
301(a)(ii) and (iv)

are amended to read:

1
‑
39
‑
103.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(iv)

"Public employee":

(J)

Includes persons employed by or contracted with facilities as defined by W.S. 7
‑
11
‑
301(a)(ii) that provide security, examination or treatment of accused persons housed in county detention facilities under W.S. 7
‑
11
‑
308.

1
‑
39
‑
109.

Liability; medical facilities.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section
and except for services provided under W.S. 7
‑
11
‑
308
, a governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from bodily injury, wrongful death or property damage caused by the negligence of public employees while acting within the scope of their duties in the operation of any public hospital or in providing public outpatient health care.

1
‑
39
‑
110.

Liability; health care providers.

(a)

Except for services provided under W.S. 7
‑
11
‑
308, a
governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from bodily injury, wrongful death or property damage caused by the medical malpractice of health care providers who are employees of the governmental entity, including contract physicians, physician assistants, nurses, optometrists and dentists who are providing a service for state institutions or county jails, while acting within the scope of their duties.

7
‑
11
‑
301.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(ii)

"Facility" means the Wyoming state hospital or other facility designated by the court
which
or the department of health that
can adequately provide for the security, examination or treatment of the accused
. A "facility" shall include a county jail that is subject to a written contractual agreement under W.S. 7
‑
11
‑
308
;

(iv)

"This act" means W.S. 7
‑
11
‑
301 through
7
‑
11
‑
307
7
‑
11
‑
308
.

Section 3.

There is appropriated five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) from the general fund to the department of health for purposes of implementing this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2028. 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 on June 30, 2028. This general fund appropriation shall decrease by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) of funds appropriated in 2026 House Bill 0001 or 2026 Senate File 0001, as enacted into law, for this purpose. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation be included in the standard budget of the department of health for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 4.

The department of health shall report to the joint judiciary interim committee by October 1, 2027 on the designation of county detention facilities and the utilization and implementation of contracts with those facilities as authorized under W.S. 7
‑
11
‑
308, created by this act.

Section 5
.

This act is effective July 1, 2026
.

(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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