SF 100

 2026  26LSO-0494
                           STATE OF WYOMING
                       SENATE FILE NO. SF0100
 Wyoming business council-evaluation and reform-2.
 Sponsored    by:    Senator(s) Love, Barlow,  Brennan, Cooper,
                    Crago,   Crum,  Nethercott  and   Olsen and
                    Representative(s)   Filer,  Fornstrom  and
                    Geringer
                                 A BILL
                                      for
1 AN ACT relating to the administration of the government;
2 creating a task force; specifying duties of the task force
3 in   evaluating     the    Wyoming    business   council;      specifying
4 additional    ex    officio    members     of   the    Wyoming   business
5 council board; specifying duties of the Wyoming business
6 council; requiring reports; providing appropriations;  and
7 providing for an effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
10
11Section 1.    W.S. 9-12-103(a) is amended to read:
12
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19-12-103.  Wyoming  business  council;  creation;
2 composition;        compensation;  termination;      meetings;  surety
3 bonds; fiscal control.
4
5(a)    There is  created the Wyoming business council.
6 The    council      is     a    body    corporate  operating       as    a     state
7 instrumentality operated solely for the public benefit. As
8 such it shall have, and is hereby vested with, the powers
9 and duties conferred in this chapter.  Beginning March 1,
10 2022,    it    shall       be    governed  by    a     board     of    directors
11 consisting of thirteen (13) voting directors, appointed by
12 the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. The
13 governor shall be a member and cochairman of the board, but
14 shall    not       vote.  The    appointed  directors    shall       have
15 demonstrated leadership and business expertise.  An equal
16 number of directors shall be appointed to initial terms of
17 one (1), two (2) and three (3) years. Thereafter, directors
18 shall    serve      for    terms       of    three      (3) years. No appointed
19 director shall serve more than two (2) successive three (3)
20 year terms. If a vacancy occurs, the governor shall appoint
21 a successor in accordance with W.S. 28-12-101. The governor
22 may remove any board member he appoints for cause and shall
23 remove       any    director       who  fails    to     attend        three    (3)
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1 consecutive regular meetings of the council.  No appointed
2 council member shall send a designee to attend a council
3 meeting nor vote by proxy.  The board shall select one (1)
4 of its members to act as cochairman of the board.  The
5 board shall retain a chief executive officer.  The chief
6 executive officer serves at the pleasure of the board.  All
7 of the appointed directors shall be appointed at large and
8 at least twelve (12) of the appointed directors shall be
9 residents of Wyoming. In addition to the appointed voting
10 members, there shall be one (1) ex officio nonvoting member
11 appointed by the president of the senate and one (1) ex
12 officio nonvoting member appointed by the speaker of the
13 house of representatives.
14
15Section 2.
16
17(a)   There   is   created       the   Wyoming   business   council
18 strategic advisory task force to consist of the following
19 members:
20
21(i)   The governor or the governor's designee;
22
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1(ii)    Two  (2)        members  of     the       house    of
2 representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of
3 representatives.  One     (1)       member     appointed  under      this
4 paragraph shall be designated by the speaker of the house
5 as cochairman of the task force;
6
7(iii)     Two (2) members of the senate, appointed
8 by the president of the senate. One (1) member appointed
9 under this paragraph shall be designated by the president
10 of the senate as cochairman of the task force;
11
12(iv)    One     (1)       member      of   the        Wyoming     business
13 council board of directors;
14
15(v)     One    (1)        member      representing  business     in
16 Wyoming,     recommended  by      a      statewide  organization
17 representing       Wyoming        business  and        appointed     by    the
18 governor;
19
20(vi)    One     (1)       member      representing  manufacturing
21 business in Wyoming, appointed by the governor;
22
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1(vii)     One    (1)   member      representing  agriculture
2 business in Wyoming, appointed by the governor;
3
4(viii)       One (1) member representing the oil, gas
5 or mineral industry, appointed by the governor;
6
7(ix)     One    (1)    member     representing      the    tourism
8 industry, appointed by the governor;
9
10(x)     Two (2) members representing local economic
11 development        organizations       in    Wyoming,     appointed      by   the
12 governor;
13
14(xi)     One (1) member who is an elected official
15 of a city or town in Wyoming, recommended by a statewide
16 organization        representing      municipalities        in   Wyoming      and
17 appointed by the governor;
18
19(xii)     One (1) member who is an elected official
20 of     a   county    in     Wyoming,        recommended    by    a    statewide
21 organization representing counties in Wyoming and appointed
22 by the governor.
23
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1(b)    The    task      force       shall     be     staffed      by     the
2 legislative service office.
3
4(c)    The task force shall meet not less than three (3)
5 times during the work of the task force.
6
7(d)    Legislative        members     of     the    task    force      shall
8 receive salary, per diem and mileage as provided by W.S.
9 28-5-101. Members of the task force who are not members of
10 the legislature or state employees shall receive per diem
11 and mileage as provided by W.S. 28-5-101.
12
13(e)    The task force shall:
14
15(i)    Evaluate     the      Wyoming      business   council      and
16 its    programs,        duties      and     functions,       including        those
17 programs, duties and functions assumed or delegated to the
18 Wyoming      business    council     that     are    not    specified      in   the
19 Wyoming Economic Development Act;
20
21(ii)    Review      economic  development      initiatives
22 from    similar      states    to    Wyoming       to     inform   and     develop
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1 proposed recommendations  and possible policy  changes    for
2 the Wyoming business council;
3
4(iii)       Review       the     information  reported       and
5 submitted by the Wyoming business council under section 3
6 of this act;
7
8(iv)    Consider and develop a proposed strategic
9 direction for the Wyoming business council that represents
10 the needs of the Wyoming business community;
11
12(v)     Evaluate  which  programs,  duties     and
13 functions    of     the    Wyoming  business       council     should   be
14 retained, modified, privatized, transferred or eliminated;
15
16(vi)    Consider  and  develop        recommended
17 improvements      for    the     operations       of    the   Wyoming    business
18 council,    including  how    the        Wyoming      business    council
19 interacts with and involves the Wyoming business community;
20
21(vii)       Develop recommendations for a clear method
22 for communicating and reporting the work and operations of
23 the Wyoming business council to the governor's office and
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1 the    joint    minerals,     business  and     economic    development
2 interim committee;
3
4(viii)       Evaluate      other      community      infrastructure
5 development       programs       and       opportunities  that      may   be
6 available through consensus block  grant funding, mineral
7 royalty grants or other funding mechanisms;
8
9(ix)     Consider and make recommendations for the
10 incorporation       and     funding  of     regional  comprehensive
11 economic       development       strategies  through      the    Wyoming
12 business council in coordination with local governments and
13 economic development organizations;
14
15(x)    Consider      and make a recommendation to  the
16 legislature       about    the    creation  of     a   select      economic
17 development committee;
18
19(xi)     Consider     and      develop       proposed    legislation
20 to    implement    any    recommendations  or     proposals       developed
21 through the task force's work under this subsection.
22
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1(f)   Not later than October 1, 2026, the task force
2 shall:
3
4(i)    Report its findings and recommendations for
5 the Wyoming business council to the governor and the joint
6 minerals,     business        and     economic     development      interim
7 committee;
8
9(ii)    Forward    any     proposed   legislation      for    the
10 2027 general session to the joint minerals, business and
11 economic     development       interim     committee     or   to    another
12 applicable committee.
13
14(g)   The task force may request the assistance of any
15 state agency or other entity in completing its work. Upon
16 receiving a request under this subsection, each agency or
17 entity    shall     provide    assistance     to   the   task      force   as
18 requested.
19
20(h)   The task force created under this section shall
21 terminate on December 31, 2026.
22
23Section 3.
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1
2(a)     On the effective date of this act, the Wyoming
3 business council shall not take any action that expands any
4 program, duty or function of the Wyoming business council
5 and    shall    not    assume    any     new program,  duty   or function
6 until July 1, 2027, unless otherwise required by law.
7
8(b)     Not    later     than     April     30,       2026,    the    Wyoming
9 business       council      shall      report      to    the    joint       minerals,
10 business and economic development interim committee,  the
11 governor,       the    state    budget        department       and    the    Wyoming
12 energy authority on all of the following:
13
14(i)    The     total      amount  of    grant     funds     and
15 financial aid obligated for disbursement as of April 30,
16 2026 but not disbursed;
17
18(ii)    The number of loans executed by the Wyoming
19 business council that are still outstanding as of April 30,
20 2026. In reporting information under this paragraph, the
21 Wyoming business council shall itemize each loan by program
22 and    report    the     recipient       of   each      outstanding     loan,     the
23 terms    and     conditions  of      each     outstanding        loan,    the
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1 repayment schedule for each loan and the amount remaining
2 to be repaid for each outstanding loan;
3
4(iii)     The      number      of    bonds       executed       by     the
5 Wyoming business council before April 30, 2026 that are
6 still      outstanding     as    of     April     30,     2026.     In   reporting
7 information        under   this       paragraph,        the   Wyoming        business
8 council shall report each outstanding bond, the terms and
9 conditions      of    each      outstanding  bond   and      any     amount
10 remaining to be paid or repaid for each outstanding bond;
11
12(iv)     Agreements or contracts for grants, loans,
13 bonds and financial aid for which the state receives or
14 will receive a portion or all of the funds upon a sale of
15 property or the project;
16
17(v)     All real and personal property owned or held
18 by   the    Wyoming    business        council     as    of    April     30,      2026.
19 Information reported under this paragraph shall include the
20 program or      function for  which      the    property    is    owned      or
21 held;
22
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1(vi)     Each program and function administered or
2 operated by the Wyoming business council;
3
4(vii)     Each    set   or   group   of    funds     received   or
5 managed by the Wyoming business council;
6
7(viii)        The return on investment for each program
8 operated or administered by the Wyoming business council.
9
10Section 4.
11
12(a)   There    is     appropriated    twenty  thousand   dollars
13 ($20,000.00)        from    the   general   fund       to   the   legislative
14 service office for purposes of providing salary, per diem
15 and mileage to the legislative members of the task force
16 created under section 2 of this act.  This appropriation
17 shall be for the period beginning with the effective date
18 of this act and ending June 30, 2028.  This appropriation
19 shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose
20 and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this
21 appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30,
22 2028.
23
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1(b)     There      is    appropriated  forty        thousand     dollars
2 ($40,000.00) from the general fund to the office of the
3 governor for purposes of providing per diem and mileage to
4 nonlegislative  members      of     the     task      force     created       under
5 section 2 of this act. This appropriation shall be for the
6 period beginning with the effective date of this act and
7 ending    June      30,     2028.    This      appropriation  shall     not    be
8 transferred      or    expended  for    any     other        purpose     and    any
9 unexpended,  unobligated  funds        remaining  from        this
10 appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30,
11 2028.    It    is     the      intent     of     the    legislature  that    this
12 appropriation not be included in the standard budget of the
13 office    of     the      governor       for     the    immediately  succeeding
14 fiscal biennium.
15
16(c)     There      is     appropriated  seventy-five  thousand
17 dollars       ($75,000.00)  from       the     general  fund     to     the
18 legislative service office for purposes of securing expert
19 or consulting services associated with the evaluation and
20 review of the Wyoming business council specified in this
21 act.     This appropriation shall be for the period beginning
22 with the effective date of this act and ending June 30,
23 2028.     This      appropriation  shall       not     be     transferred       or
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1 expended     for        any   other    purpose    and     any    unexpended,
2 unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall
3 revert as provided by law on June 30, 2028.
4
5(d)   The legislative service office and the office of
6 the governor may accept grants, gifts and donations to be
7 utilized for the purposes specified in this section.
8
9Section     5.    This   act    is   effective     immediately   upon
10 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
11 as     provided    by     Article     4,    Section   8   of    the   Wyoming
12 Constitution.
13
14(END)
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