PRIORITY
WFA STANCE:
Support
WFA CATEGORY:
Family Values
TOPIC:
Stewardship
FINAL STATUS:
Governor Gordon Signed HEA No. 0046
SCHEDULE:
No Committee Meetings or Floor Sessions Currently Scheduled
Senate 3rd Reading, Senate Floor (2/26/25)
SPONSOR(S):
Representative Andrew Byron
CO-SPONSOR(S):
Representative(s) Mike Schmid, Daniel Singh, JD Williams
Senator(s) Eric Barlow, Lynn Hutchings, Bill Landen, Tara Nethercott, Jared Olsen
LEGISLATOR CONTACT INFO:
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR:
Click the names of Sponsors and Co-Sponsors above to see their details and contact information.
Click this link to contact your local legislator; TELL THEM TO VOTE YES ON HB0275
SUMMARY:
AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; amending the offense of felony animal cruelty to address actions where wildlife is reduced to possession; prohibiting the torture of wildlife as specified; specifying penalties; providing for license revocation and suspension and forfeiture of devices and equipment for specified felony animal cruelty convictions; clarifying trapping requirements; removing a reporting requirement; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.
View Full Text of the Bill: https://wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2025/HB0275
WFA COMMENTARY & UPDATES:
Why an animal bill is being supported under Family Values:
At the creation, mankind was given an extraordinary responsibility. First, according to Genesis 1:26, we were given the responsibility to rule over the earth, and then in Genesis 2:15, we see that we are to “tend and keep” the earth.
From these verses, it is easy to deduce that mankind is not to worship the creation or any aspect of it, whether that is plant, animal, or the earth itself. But it is also clear that mankind has been placed here to “tend and keep” (literally to cultivate and attend to or manage) creation responsibly.
Harvesting animals for food or culling them when they cause harm is part of managing our responsibility. But treating animals with cruelty is the opposite of how we are to fulfill the task we have been given by God.
SIMILAR BILLS:
Link(s) to bills with similar objectives will be posted below:
