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SF0116 • 2026

Surface water drainage utilities.

AN ACT relating to cities and towns; clarifying that cities and towns are required to comply with provisions applicable to surface water drainage utilities as specified; specifying applicability; requiring elections; and providing for an effective date.

Elections Taxes
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Senator Crum
Last action
2026-02-24
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about existing debt and its repayment under the original terms of the bill. Therefore, those claims were removed.

Surface Water Drainage Utility Requirements for Cities and Towns

The bill requires cities and towns to comply with specific rules about surface water drainage utilities, including holding elections before collecting fees or taxes for these systems.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that cities and towns must follow the Surface Water Drainage Utility Act when managing surface water runoff.
  • Requires municipalities to hold an election if they want to collect fees, costs, or taxes for surface water diversion or management after July 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Cities and towns in Wyoming

Terms To Know

Surface Water Drainage Utility Act
A law that sets rules for managing surface water runoff.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and therefore has no effective date or legal impact.
  • It is unclear how many cities and towns will be affected by the requirement to hold elections for surface water drainage fees.

Amendments

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

SF0116S2001

2nd reading • Senator Schuler

Failed

Plain English: 1 SF0116S2001 1 Page 2-lines 15 through 18 Delete entirely and insert: 2 3 "(II) The diversion or management of surface 4 water runoff in compliance with the Surface Water Drainage Utility 5 Act.

  • 1 SF0116S2001 1 Page 2-lines 15 through 18 Delete entirely and insert: 2 3 "(II) The diversion or management of surface 4 water runoff in compliance with the Surface Water Drainage Utility 5 Act.
  • A governing body shall not fund a surface water diversion or 6 management program through the imposition of a tax or through the 7 incurrence of general obligation indebtedness backed by the taxing 8 power of the municipality unless the proposition has been submitted 9 to and approved by the electors in accordance with law.
  • For 10 purposes of this subparagraph, "general obligation indebtedness" 11 shall not include revenue obligations payable solely from system 12 revenues, intergovernmental grants or financing provided through 13 state loan programs; and".
  • SCHULER
SF0116S2002

2nd reading • Senator Crum

Adopted

Plain English: 1 SF0116S2002 1 Page 2-lines 15 through 18 In the Schuler second reading 2 amendment (SF0116/S2001/A) to these 3 lines, after "fund a surface water" 4 insert "runoff".

  • 1 SF0116S2002 1 Page 2-lines 15 through 18 In the Schuler second reading 2 amendment (SF0116/S2001/A) to these 3 lines, after "fund a surface water" 4 insert "runoff".
  • 5 6 Page 3-line 1 After "surface water" insert "runoff".
  • 7 8 Page 3-line 4 After "surface water" insert "runoff".
  • 9 10 Page 3-line 12 After "surface water" insert "runoff".
SF0116SW001

Committee of the Whole • Senator Crum

Adopted

Plain English: 1 SF0116SW001 1 Page 3-after line 14 Insert: 2 3 "(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this act, any 4 municipality that has outstanding debt incurred pursuant to W.S.

  • 1 SF0116SW001 1 Page 3-after line 14 Insert: 2 3 "(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this act, any 4 municipality that has outstanding debt incurred pursuant to W.S.
  • 5 15-7-101 on or before July 1, 2026 shall not be prohibited by the 6 terms of this act from continuing the repayment of that debt under 7 the terms of that debt or under the contemplated repayment scheme 8 for that debt.".
  • CRUM

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-24 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Failed 12-19-0-0-0

  2. 2026-02-24 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:S Bill Reconsideration Motion Passed by Roll Call 18-13-0-0-0

  3. 2026-02-24 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 17-14-0-0-0

  4. 2026-02-23 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  5. 2026-02-20 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  6. 2026-02-19 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  7. 2026-02-19 Senate

    S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  8. 2026-02-12 Senate

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

  9. 2026-02-11 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  10. 2026-02-10 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
26LSO-0289
2026
STATE OF WYOMING
26LSO-0289
Introduced
2.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0116

Surface water drainage utilities.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Crum, Anderson, Boner, Gierau, Love and Nethercott and Representative(s) Andrew, Geringer and Lien

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to cities and towns; clarifying that cities and towns are required to comply with provisions applicable to surface water drainage utilities as specified; specifying applicability; requiring elections; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 15
‑
7
‑
101(a)(iii)(B) is amended to read:

15
‑
7
‑
101.

Purposes.

(a)

In addition to all other powers provided by law, any city or town may make public improvements as follows for which bonds may be issued to the contractor or be sold as provided in this chapter to:

(iii)

Take any action necessary to establish, purchase, extend, maintain and regulate a water system for supplying water to and diverting surface water runoff from its inhabitants and their property and for any other public purposes, including:

(B)

Prescribing and regulating of rates for
:

(I)

T
he use of water
;
and

(II)

The
diversion or management of surface water runoff
in compliance with the Surface Water Drainage Utility Act and after an election as required by W.S. 16
‑
10
‑
105
; and

Section 2.

(a)

Any municipality that adopted any ordinance or resolution for the collection of fees, costs or taxes for the diversion or management of surface water prior to July 1, 2026 and that did not hold an election pursuant to W.S. 16
‑
10
‑
105 for the approval of the means of financing the surface water diversion or management system shall:

(i)

Hold an election as required by W.S. 16
‑
10
‑
105 not later than July 1, 2027;

(ii)

If the electors do not adopt the proposition submitted under paragraph (i) of this subsection, the municipality shall cease the collection of any fees, costs or taxes for financing the surface water diversion or management system not later than sixty (60) days following the results of the election.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2026
.

(END)

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SF0116