This bill relates to various parties involved with above or under ground storage tanks including operators, to out of use tanks, and to rule making authority.

WAM ACTION: 2/8/17, bill passed Senate Minerals 5-0.  

WAM ACTION: 1/31/17, Passed House  

This bill increases the water adjudication filing fees and moves oversight from county to the state water board. In some cases, existing water rights may impact the amount of water available for use by a municipality

This bill allows counties to restrict feeding of wildlife and allows the local governments to impose penalties.  

This bill identifies State funding for water projects with some being municipal projects. WAM members with water projects in this bill are Cody, Cowley, Gillette, Glenrock, Opal, Thayne, Wheatland, Casper, Deaver, Thermopolis, Riverton, Green River/Rock Springs, Laramie, and multiple irrigation districts. The expectation is all the projects on this bill will be funded but future projects are at risk of funding due to the fact that the supplemental budget proposes Water Development Commission funds are shared with the SEO department.  As of 2/16/17, appears this omnibus construction bill will pass securing funding for the listed projects.

2/16/17 Passed 2nd Reading in Senate

WAM ACTION: 2/7/17, Bill Senate passed Agricultural Committee 5-0.

WAM ACTION: 1/23/17, Bill passed 7-0 with no amendments=RK 

This bill indicates that the Water Development Commission shall annually review the obligated spending and report to the JAC and other agencies any excess amount. The excess shall be deposited in Water Development Account I. WAM will monitor to see if excess funds appropriated to General or other uses.

WAM ACTION: 2/22/17, bill passed House COW on third and final reading. 

This bill provides the state funding allocations for various water development projects including many county or municipal projects.  WAM considers this a priority bill to monitor not only to ensure the funding of important local water projects but also the outcome of the future un-obligated funding.

WAM ACTION: 2/21/17, bill passed House COW on third reading consent list.  

2/15/17 Passed House COW on second reading.

WAM ACTION: 2/7/18, bill passed Agriculture Committee 5-0.   

WAM Action Taken: 1/23/17 Rick Kaysen, Andi Summerville, and Laurie Heath attended JAC meetings where the planning and construction bills were moved to floor.  It appears these projects will be funded but future water projects will have limited funds.   

This bill provides funds for large projects under the WY Wildlife and Natural Resources Funding Act, specifies large projects for 2017, requires certifications, provides appropriations.

WAM ACTION: 2/24/17, bill passed House COW on third and final reading.

This bill allows for temporary water rights of instream flows.  The bill does protect existing water rights and could improve availability of water for municipal projects.

This bill increases eligibility of small water projects to receive funding upon approval of the legislature.

WAM ACTION: 2/28/17, bill failed House on General File, indefinitely postponed, possible interim topic.   

WAM ACTION: 1/261/7, bill passed with inclusive amendments 4-1, amendments to be refined by LSO.

WAM ACTION: 2/14/17 Laurie Heath testified in opposition of this bill since it changes the approval process to seemingly offer the Legislature to decide small water projects without the input of the WDC.  If the bill was moved as is, it could compete with the large water projects that benefit the cities and towns.  It was a shared opinion from Conservation Districts, Stock Growers, and Farm Bureau to look at this during the interim.  Bill passed

This bill revises the program purposes from "public interest" to "public benefit". The water development commission stipend is removed while allowing reimbursement for expenses. WAM will monitor to see if this adds undue scrutiny to WDC projects.

WAM ACTION: 1/26/17, bill passed 5-0.  

WAM ACTION: 2/14/17 Opposed in House Ag committee by Conservation District, Farm Bureau, and Stock Growers. Laid  back by committee until 2/16/17