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SF0085 • 2026

RAVEN Act.

AN ACT relating to the division of criminal investigation; creating the internet crimes against children task force program account; providing legislative findings; providing definitions; providing for the administration of the account; providing an appropriation; 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 Nethercott
Last action
2026-03-07
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details on how the funds will be utilized beyond supporting law enforcement efforts.

RAVEN Act

The RAVEN Act creates an account to provide stable funding for internet crimes against children investigations and activities.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force program account in Wyoming.
  • Appropriates $1.6 million from the general fund to this account over two years, starting July 1, 2026.
  • Requires the Attorney General to make rules to support the ICAC task force's work.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Division of Criminal Investigation in Wyoming
  • Law enforcement agencies working on internet crimes against children

Terms To Know

ICAC task force
Internet Crimes Against Children task force, a program supported by the U.S. Department of Justice to fight online child exploitation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how funds will be used beyond supporting law enforcement efforts.
  • It is unclear if additional funding will be provided after the initial two-year period.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-07 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 76

  2. 2026-03-07 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0055

  3. 2026-03-05 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0055

  4. 2026-03-05 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0055

  5. 2026-03-05 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0055

  6. 2026-03-05 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 61-0-1-0-0

  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

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

  11. 2026-02-26 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations

  12. 2026-02-23 House

    H Received for Introduction

  13. 2026-02-23 Senate

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

  14. 2026-02-20 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2026-02-19 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  16. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Recalled from Committee Pursuant to Senate Rule 5-5: 29-2-0-0-0

  17. 2026-02-16 Senate

    :Rerefer to S02 - Appropriations

  18. 2026-02-16 Senate

    S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Do Pass 3-0-2-0-0

  19. 2026-02-10 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary 30-0-1-0-0

  20. 2026-02-09 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  21. 2026-02-07 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 26LSO-0276

Bill No.:

SF0085

Effective:

Multiple Dates

LSO No.:

26LSO-0276

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0055

Chapter No.:

76

Prime Sponsor:

Nethercott

Catch Title:

RAVEN Act.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Supporting the investigation of internet crimes against children.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act creates an account to provide a stable funding source for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force within the Division of Criminal Investigation.

This act appropriates one million six hundred thousand dollars ($1,600,000.00) to fund the account.

This act requires the Attorney General to promulgate all necessary rules to implement 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-0276

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0085

ENROLLED ACT NO. 55,

SENATE

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

AN ACT relating to the division of criminal investigation; creating the internet crimes against children task force program account; providing legislative findings; providing definitions; providing for the administration of the account; providing an appropriation; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

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

Section 1.

(a)

This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Resource Allocation for Victim and Enforcement Needs (RAVEN) Act."

(b)

The legislature finds that:

(i)

The internet crimes against children task force program, through the United States department of justice, helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to technology
‑
facilitated child sexual exploitation and internet crimes against children. The program encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim assistance and community education. The program is a national network of sixty
‑
one (61) coordinated task forces representing over five thousand four hundred (5,400) federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies;

(ii)

There is a lack of dedicated state resources to combat internet crimes against children. As a result, many of the cases involving internet crimes against children are not adequately investigated. It is the intent of the legislature to create an account dedicated to combating internet crimes against children, promoting education on internet safety to the public and to minors and rescuing child victims from abuse and exploitation.

Section 2
.

W.S. 9
‑
1
‑
641 is created to read:

9
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1
‑
641.

Internet crimes against children task force program account; definitions.

(a)

As used in this section:

(i)

"ICAC task force" means the internet crimes against children task force that is located in this state and recognized by the United States department of justice;

(ii)

"Account" means the ICAC task force program account created by this section.

(b)

There is created the ICAC task force program account to provide a stable funding source for the ICAC task force in Wyoming. The account shall consist of:

(i)

Funds appropriated by the legislature directly to the account; and

(ii)

Grants, gifts and donations accepted by the attorney general and directed to the account.

(c)

All funds in the account are continuously appropriated to the division of criminal investigation solely to support the administration and activities of law enforcement in efforts to combat internet crimes against children. Unless otherwise specifically provided, appropriations to the account shall not lapse or revert at the end of the fiscal period and shall remain in the account. Interest or other earnings on funds within the account shall be credited to the account.

Section 3.

There is appropriated one million six hundred thousand dollars ($1,600,000.00) from the general fund to the internet crimes against children task force program account created by 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. Notwithstanding W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1008, 9
‑
2
‑
1012(e) and 9
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4
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207, this appropriation shall not revert. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation be included in the standard budget for the division of criminal investigation within the attorney general's office for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 4.

The attorney general shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 5.

(a)

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

(b)

Sections 4 and 5 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

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