Back to Wyoming

SF0055 • 2026

Special purpose depository institution-amendments.

AN ACT relating to banks, banking and finance; amending special purpose depository institution initial capital stock requirements; amending requirements for special purpose depository institutions to commence business as specified; amending requirements for the application to charter special purpose depository institutions as specified; amending the timeline special purpose depository institutions must commence business; authorizing appeals of decisions of the commissioner; amending the appealable court for decisions relating to special purpose depository institutions; creating a special purpose depository institution resolution fund account; specifying authorized expenditures and the investment of funds in the account; requiring a portion of supervisory fees to be paid to the account; repealing the requirement that special purpose depository institutions maintain a contingency account; making conforming amendments; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Senator Rothfuss
Last action
2026-03-07
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The exact amount of supervisory fees that go into the SPDI resolution fund account and the specific requirements for starting business are yet to be determined by the Wyoming Banking Commissioner.

Changes to Special Purpose Depository Institutions

This law changes how special purpose depository institutions (SPDIs) start their business, what they need to apply for a charter, and creates a fund to help if an SPDI closes down.

What This Bill Does

  • It requires SPDIs to have enough money to start operations instead of just getting chartered.
  • It changes the amount of estimated operating expenses required from three years to one year.
  • It removes the need for SPDIs to keep a contingency account.
  • It allows the Wyoming Banking Commissioner to set rules on how SPDIs can start their business.
  • It creates a fund that collects fees and is used if an SPDI closes down.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Special purpose depository institutions (SPDIs) in Wyoming
  • The Wyoming Banking Commissioner

Terms To Know

special purpose depository institution (SPDI)
A type of bank that focuses on a specific financial service or product.
Wyoming Banking Commissioner
The person in charge of regulating banks and other financial institutions in Wyoming.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Some parts of the law will take effect immediately, while others start on July 1, 2026.
  • It does not specify how much money SPDIs need to keep in their resolution fund.
  • The exact rules for starting business and other requirements are yet to be decided by the Wyoming Banking Commissioner.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-07 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 75

  2. 2026-03-07 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0054

  3. 2026-03-05 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0054

  4. 2026-03-05 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0054

  5. 2026-03-05 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0054

  6. 2026-03-05 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 36-25-1-0-0

  7. 2026-03-04 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2026-03-03 House

    H COW:Passed

  9. 2026-03-02 House

    H Placed on General File

  10. 2026-03-02 House

    H09 - Minerals:Recommend Do Pass 7-1-1-0-0

  11. 2026-02-26 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals

  12. 2026-02-23 House

    H Received for Introduction

  13. 2026-02-23 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 26-5-0-0-0

  14. 2026-02-20 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2026-02-19 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  16. 2026-02-18 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  17. 2026-02-18 Senate

    S09 - Minerals:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  18. 2026-02-10 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S09 - Minerals 22-8-1-0-0

  19. 2026-01-29 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  20. 2026-01-27 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 26LSO-0059

Bill No.:

SF0055

Effective:

Multiple Dates

LSO No.:

26LSO-0059

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0054

Chapter No.:

75

Prime Sponsor:

Rothfuss

Catch Title:

Special purpose depository institution-amendments.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Special purpose depository institution amendments.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act amends the initial capital stock requirements for special purpose depository institutions (SPDIs) by requiring SPDIs to have capital stock and a paid-up surplus fund to commence business rather than to be chartered, changes the amount of estimated operating expenses required for SPDIs to commence business from three (3) years to one (1) year, and repeals the requirement for a SPDI to maintain a contingency account.

This act amends the application for a SPDI to be chartered by requiring a comprehensive estimate of operating expenses for the first year of operation instead of three (3) years and requires a plan to raise capital instead of providing evidence of the required capital.

This act authorizes the Wyoming Banking Commissioner (Commissioner) to establish requirements that must be met for an approved SPDI to commence business and provides that if a SPDI fails to commence business

in compliance with these requirements within one (1) year after the issuance of a certificate of authority to operate, then the charter and certificate of authority shall expire.

This act adds the decisions of the Wyoming State Banking Board or the Commissioner regarding the requirements for an approved SPDI to commence business and the issuance or denial of an extension to commence business as decisions that are appealable to the district court or the chancery court.

This act creates a SPDI resolution fund account that requires a portion of each supervisory fee paid by SPDIs to be deposited into the account to be used by the Commissioner in the event of an involuntary dissolution of a SPDI.

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-0059

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0055

ENROLLED ACT NO. 54,

SENATE

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

AN ACT relating to banks, banking and finance; amending special purpose depository institution initial capital stock requirements; amending requirements for special purpose depository institutions to commence business as specified; amending requirements for the application to charter special purpose depository institutions as specified; amending the timeline special purpose depository institutions must commence business; authorizing appeals of decisions of the commissioner; amending the appealable court for decisions relating to special purpose depository institutions; creating a special purpose depository institution resolution fund account; specifying authorized expenditures and the investment of funds in the account; requiring a portion of supervisory fees to be paid to the account; repealing the requirement that special purpose depository institutions maintain a contingency account; making conforming amendments; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 5
‑
13
‑
115 by creating a new subsection (g), 13
‑
12
‑
110(a) and (b), 13
‑
12
‑
111(b), 13
‑
12
‑
116 by creating a new subsection (b) and by renumbering (b) as (c), 13
‑
12
‑
117, 13
‑
12
‑
119(d) and 13
‑
12
‑
122 by creating a new subsection (c) are amended to read:

5
‑
13
‑
115.

Purpose and jurisdiction.

(g)

The chancery court shall have jurisdiction to hear and decide appeals of any decision of the state banking board or the state banking commissioner appealed under W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
117.

13
‑
12
‑
110.

Required initial capital and surplus; additional capital.

(a)

The capital stock of each special purpose depository institution chartered under this chapter shall be subscribed for as fully paid stock. No special purpose depository institution shall
be chartered
commence business
with capital stock
of
less than five million dollars ($5,000,000.00).

(b)

No special purpose depository institution shall commence business until the full amount of its authorized capital is subscribed and all capital stock is fully paid in. No special purpose depository institution
may be chartered
shall commence business
without a paid up surplus fund of not less than twenty percent (20%) of its legally authorized capital stock and undivided profits in an amount not less than
three (3) years
one (1) year
of estimated operating expenses in the amount disclosed pursuant to W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
111(b) or in another amount required by the commissioner.

13
‑
12
‑
111.

Application for charter; fee; subaccount created.

(b)

The incorporators under W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
109(a) shall apply to the commissioner for a charter. The application shall contain the special purpose depository institution's articles of incorporation, a detailed business plan, a comprehensive estimate of operating expenses for the first
three (3) years
year
of operation, a complete proposal for compliance with the provisions of this chapter and
evidence of
a plan to raise
the capital required under W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
110. The commissioner may prescribe the form of application by rule.

13
‑
12
‑
116.

Certificate of authority to commence business required; application; approval or denial; failure to commence business.

(b)

The commissioner shall have the authority to determine the requirements by rule in accordance with this act that shall be met for an approved special purpose depository institution to commence business.

(b)
(c)

If an approved special purpose depository institution fails to commence business in
good faith
compliance with the requirements imposed by the commissioner under subsection (b) of this section,
within
six (6) months
one (1) year
after the issuance of a certificate of authority to operate by the commissioner, the charter and certificate of authority shall expire. The board, for good cause and upon an application filed prior to the expiration of the
six (6) month
one (1) year
period, may extend the time within which the special purpose depository institution may open for business.

13
‑
12
‑
117.

Decisions by board appealable; grounds.

Any decision of the board or commissioner in approving, conditionally approving or disapproving a charter for a special purpose depository institution
,

or
the issuance or denial of a certificate of authority to operate
, compliance with the requirements for an approved special purpose depository institution to commence business under W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
116(b) or the issuance or denial of an extension to commence business under W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
116(c)
is appealable to the district court of the county in which the institution is to be located, in accordance with the provisions of the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act
or, notwithstanding W.S. 16
‑
3
‑
114(a), to the chancery court
. In addition to the grounds for appeal contained in the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act, an appellant may appeal if the board or the commissioner fails to make any of the required findings or otherwise take an action required by law.

13
‑
12
‑
119.

Reports and examinations; supervisory fees; required private insurance or bond.

(d)

Unless the commissioner determines an exemption is appropriate because of payment of other fees, on or before January 31 and July 31 of each year, a special purpose depository institution shall compute and pay supervisory fees to the commissioner based on the total assets of the special purpose depository institution as of the preceding December 31 and June 30 respectively.

Except as provided in W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
122(c), s
upervisory fees under this section shall provide for the operating costs of the office of the commissioner and the administration of the laws governing special purpose depository institutions.
Such
Supervisory
fees shall be established by rule of the commissioner and shall be adjusted by the commissioner to assure consistency with the cost of supervision.
Except as provided in W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
122(c), s
upervisory fees shall be deposited by the commissioner with the state treasurer and credited to the special purpose depository institutions subaccount created by W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
111(d).

13
‑
12
‑
122.

Failure of institution; unsound or unsafe condition; applicability of other insolvency and conservatorship provisions; special purpose depository institution resolution fund account.

(c)

There is created the special purpose depository institution resolution fund account. A portion of each supervisory fee paid pursuant to W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
119(d) shall be deposited in the special purpose depository institution resolution fund account and shall be used by the commissioner in the event of an involuntary dissolution of a special purpose depository institution. The amount deposited in the account shall be established by rule of the commissioner. The portion of fees designated under this subsection shall be remitted to the state treasurer to be credited to the special purpose depository institution resolution fund account. All funds within the account shall be invested by the state treasurer and all investment earnings from the account shall be credited to the account. Notwithstanding W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1008, 9
‑
2
‑
1012(e) and 9
‑
4
‑
207, unobligated and unexpended funds in the account shall not lapse or revert and shall remain in the account and be available for distribution as provided by this subsection. Expenditures from the account shall be made using warrants drawn by the state auditor, upon vouchers issued and signed by the director of the department of audit or by the commissioner. Funds from the account shall be expended only to carry out the duties of the commissioner in the involuntary dissolution of a special purpose depository institution.

Section 2.

W.S. 13
‑
12
‑
106 and 13
‑
12
‑
122(b)(i)(B) are repealed.

Section 3.

The banking commissioner shall promulgate rules as necessary to implement this act.

Section 4
.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2026.

(b)

Sections 3 and 4 of this act are 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)

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

1