HB 173

 2026  26LSO-0345
                           STATE OF WYOMING
                          HOUSE BILL NO. HB0173
 Juvenile discipline-parental obligations.
 Sponsored by: Representative(s) Winter, Guggenmos, Heiner,
               Knapp, Larsen, L and Ottman
                                        A BILL
                                         for
1 AN     ACT   relating     to     parental  liability;     creating    and
2 amending     provisions  related       to    parental      liability    as
3 specified; and providing for an effective date.
4
5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
6
7Section     1.    W.S.     14-2-203(a),  14-3-438,     14-6-242,
8 14-6-244(b)        and  (d),  14-6-438,  21-4-105      and
9 21-4-314(b)(ix), (x) and by creating a new paragraph (xi)
10 are amended to read:
11
1214-2-203.    Parental tort liability for property damage
13 of certain minors; exception; action cumulative.
14
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1(a)    Any    property  owner,      including        a    public       school
2 district in the state, is entitled to recover damages from
3 the parents of any minor under the age of seventeen (17)
4 years and over the age of ten (10) years who maliciously
5 and willfully damages or destroys his the owner's property.
6 The recovery is limited to the actual damages in an amount
7 not    to    exceed     two        thousand       dollars  ($2,000.00)  five
8 thousand dollars ($5,000.00) in addition to taxable court
9 costs. This section does shall not apply to parents whose
10 parental      custody       and       control      of       the    child       had     been
11 terminated by court order prior to the destructive act.
12
1314-3-438.      Liability for contempt; penalties.
14
15 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court upon
16 its own motion or upon the motion of the district or county
17 attorney, or guardian ad litem, may find that the child's
18 parent,      parents,       or    guardian        or    any       other       person    who
19 willfully     violates,  or   neglects  or    refuses      to     obey    or
20 perform any order or provision of this act is liable for
21 contempt     of     court    and      may    be   fined      not       more    than    five
22 hundred dollars ($500.00) one thousand dollars ($1,000.00)
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1 or   incarcerated     not    more     than    ninety   (90)   one   hundred
2 twenty (120) days, or both.
3
414-6-242.    Liability for contempt; penalties.
5
6 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court upon
7 its own motion or upon the motion of the district or county
8 attorney, or guardian ad litem, may find that the child,
9 child's parent, parents, or guardian or any other person
10 who willfully violates, or neglects or refuses to obey or
11 perform any order or provision of this act is liable for
12 contempt     of   court   and   may     be   fined   not   more   than   five
13 hundred dollars ($500.00) one thousand dollars ($1,000.00)
14 or   incarcerated     not    more     than    ninety   (90)   one   hundred
15 twenty (120) days, or both.
16
1714-6-244.    Parental liability for failure to exercise
18 reasonable control and authority.
19
20(b)   If the court finds at the hearing of a juvenile
21 petition that the parent or guardian having custody of the
22 child has failed or neglected to subject the juvenile to
23 reasonable parental control and authority, and that such
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1 failure or neglect is the proximate cause of the act or
2 acts of the juvenile upon which a finding of delinquency is
3 based, the court may, if the child is placed on probation,
4 require the parent or guardian to furnish a cash deposit or
5 bond   in      an      amount    not    to   exceed     five      hundred        dollars
6 ($500.00)  one    thousand       dollars      ($1,000.00),       conditioned
7 upon   the        faithful       discharge      of    the    conditions  of   the
8 child's probation.
9
10(d)       Funds received upon forfeiture of a cash deposit
11 or   bond      under     subsection       (c)   of    this     section       shall     be
12 applied in payment of damages, if any, which may have been
13 caused      by    the    juvenile,       including      payment        to    a   school
14 district  damaged    by    the    juvenile's  act   or   acts.  The
15 balance of the proceeds shall be retained by the court to
16 apply to any future damages resulting from the act or acts
17 of the juvenile until the juvenile reaches eighteen (18)
18 years of age at which time any remaining proceeds shall be:
19
20(i)    Paid into the county treasury to the credit
21 of the public school fund of the county if the court finds
22 that     the      juvenile       has    violated      any     material       term     of
23 probation;
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1
2(ii)    Returned to the parent or guardian if the
3 juvenile has abided by the terms of probation.
4
514-6-438.    Liability for contempt; penalties.
6
7 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court upon
8 its own motion or upon the motion of the district or county
9 attorney, or guardian ad litem, may find that the child,
10 the    child's    parent,    parents,      or   guardian       or   any    other
11 person who willfully violates, or neglects or refuses to
12 obey   or   perform   any    order    or   provision     of     this      act   is
13 liable for contempt of court and may be fined not more than
14 five    hundred     dollars     ($500.00)       one     thousand       dollars
15 ($1,000.00) or incarcerated not more than ninety (90) one
16 hundred twenty (120) days, or both.
17
1821-4-105.    Penalty for failure of parent, guardian or
19 custodian to comply with article.
20
21 Any parent, guardian or custodian of any child to whom this
22 article applies who willfully fails, neglects or refuses to
23 comply with the provisions of this article may be punished
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1 by     not     more   than     ten     (10)       twenty-five        (25)    days       of
2 community       service      and     subject       to     proceedings       under      the
3 Child        Protection      Act,    W.S.        14-3-401       et   seq.,       or    the
4 Children In Need of Supervision Act, W.S. 14-6-401 et seq.,
5 or both.
6
721-4-314.  School     district  implementation;  state
8 policies, training and technical assistance.
9
10(b)     The    policy       prohibiting  harassment,      intimidation
11 or bullying shall include, without limitation:
12
13(ix)    A    process     for       discussing  the    district's
14 harassment, intimidation or bullying policy with students
15 that shall be reviewed and updated annually; and
16
17(x)    A    statement        of    how     the    policy     is    to    be
18 publicized,       including  notice       that    the    policy     applies      to
19 participation in functions sponsored by the school;. and
20
21(xi)    Consequences  and      appropriate        remedial
22 actions,       including       a    referral       to     law    enforcement,  for
23 parents or guardians of minor students who have committed
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1 acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying or engaged in
2 reprisal or retaliation where the acts were, in part, a
3 result of the parent's or guardian's neglect or refusal to
4 discipline the minor student for the acts.
5
6Section 2.   This act is effective July 1, 2026.
7
8(END)
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