KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We start with Wyoming, keep the source links front and center, and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Wyoming

SF0124 • 2026

Economic development-rodeo museum.

AN ACT relating to tourism; providing an appropriation; specifying distribution and requirements for the appropriation; requiring reporting; and providing for an effective date.

Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Senator Driskill
Last action
2026-03-03
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify which rodeo and cowboy museum will receive the funding.

Economic Development and Rodeo Museum Funding

This act provides $15 million from the Wyoming tourism reserve to a rodeo and cowboy museum project, with specific distribution requirements and reporting obligations.

What This Bill Does

  • Provides $15 million for a rodeo and cowboy museum project to promote tourism and preserve Wyoming's heritage.
  • Splits the funds into three installments: $3 million in 2026, $2 million in 2026, and $10 million in 2027 or as soon as available.
  • Requires the Wyoming tourism board to review project proposals and ensure they benefit public tourism and job creation.
  • Conditions funding on a one-to-one match from non-state sources.
  • Requiring reports on spending by November 1st each year until 2036.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Wyoming office of tourism
  • Rodeo and cowboy museum project

Terms To Know

appropriation
money set aside for a specific purpose, in this case, funding the rodeo and cowboy museum.
matching funds
additional money from non-state sources that must be provided alongside state funds to receive the full amount of the appropriation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify which rodeo and cowboy museum will receive the funding.
  • It is unclear how the project will ensure a substantial benefit to the public as required by the governor's approval.
  • There are no provisions for what happens if the project cannot be completed by June 30, 2030.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 House

    H COW:Failed 17-34-6-5-0

  2. 2026-02-25 House

    H Placed on General File

  3. 2026-02-25 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Amend and Do Not Pass: 2-5-0-0-0

  4. 2026-02-24 House

    :Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations

  5. 2026-02-24 House

    H06 - Travel:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  6. 2026-02-23 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H06 - Travel

  7. 2026-02-20 House

    H Received for Introduction

  8. 2026-02-20 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 24-7-0-0-0

  9. 2026-02-19 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2026-02-18 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  11. 2026-02-17 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  12. 2026-02-17 Senate

    S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 4-1-0-0-0

  13. 2026-02-13 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S02 - Appropriations 26-5-0-0-0

  14. 2026-02-11 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  15. 2026-02-11 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
26LSO-0349
2026
STATE OF WYOMING
26LSO-0349
ENGROSSED
3.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0124

Economic development-rodeo museum.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Driskill, Anderson, Barlow, Biteman, Boner, Brennan, Cooper, Crago, Crum, Dockstader, Gierau, Hicks, Jones, Kolb, Landen, Laursen, D, Love, Nethercott, Olsen, Pappas, Rothfuss, Schuler and Scott and Representative(s) Banks, Brown, L, Byron, Campbell, K, Clouston, Davis, Filer, Geringer, Haroldson, Harshman, Jarvis, Larsen, L, Larson, JT, Locke, Nicholas, Sherwood, Tarver, Thayer, Washut, Williams, Winter and Wylie

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to tourism; providing an appropriation; specifying distribution and requirements for the appropriation; requiring reporting; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

(a)

There is appropriated fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000.00) from the Wyoming tourism reserve and projects account created in W.S. 39-15-111(p)(i)(B) to the Wyoming office of tourism to contract with a rodeo and cowboy museum and hall of fame project to promote tourism and preserve Wyoming's cowboy heritage and western history. This appropriation shall be distributed to the office of tourism in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2036. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose. Notwithstanding W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1008 and 9-4-207, any unexpended, unobligated funds from this appropriation shall not revert until June 30, 2036.

(b)

The appropriation in subsection (a) of this section shall be distributed to the office of tourism as follows:

(i)

Three million dollars ($3,000,000.00) shall be made available on the effective date of this act and distributed not later than April 15, 2026;

(ii)

Two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) shall be distributed on July 1, 2026;

(iii)

Ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) shall be distributed on July 1, 2027 or as soon as funds are available on and after that date.

(c)

The appropriation provided in this section shall be subject to all of the following:

(i)

For the period beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2028, the appropriation in this section shall take priority and be fully executed in each fiscal year prior to any required transfers from the Wyoming tourism reserve and projects account to the Wyoming outdoor recreation and tourism trust fund account pursuant to 2023 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 153, Section 2;

(ii)

The Wyoming tourism board shall solicit requests for qualifications under subsection (b) of this section and reject or recommend approval of requests submitted under this paragraph for final action by the governor;

(iii)

The Wyoming tourism board shall determine and certify the project efforts have a reasonable expectation of increasing tourism to Wyoming and generating additional jobs, gross state product, state revenue, and economic diversification;

(iv)

The expenditure of funds contracted for a project under this section shall be conditioned upon expenditure of matching funds in the ratio of one dollar ($1.00) of project funds to not less than one dollar ($1.00) of matching funds from any nonstate source;

(v)

Approval and allocation of any project under this section shall include a repayment provision if the project cannot be completed by June 30, 2030;

(vi)

Prior to final approval by the governor, any proposed contract shall first be reviewed by the attorney general, who shall certify the legality of the transaction and all documents connected therewith;

(vii)

The governor shall approve the project contract only upon a determination that the project will result in a substantial benefit to the public.

(d)

Not later than November 1 of each year until November 1, 2036, the office of tourism shall report to the joint appropriations committee on the expenditures made each fiscal year from the appropriation in subsection (a) of this section.

Section 2.

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)

1
SF0124