WFA STANCE: Support
WFA CATEGORY: Education
STATUS: This bill went into law as SEA0008 without the Governor’s signature; Assigned Chapter Number 34 – 3/5/24
SUMMARY: Click here to read a high-level synopsis of the bill that has been signed into law.
Click here to read the Governor’s letter explaining why he did not sign the bill.
View Text of the Bill: https://wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2024/SF0009
AN ACT relating to education; specifying procedures and requirements for school districts to provide parents and guardians notice of information regarding students and the rights of parents and guardians to make decisions regarding their children; specifying that school districts cannot prohibit parental or guardian notifications and involvement in critical decisions involving students; specifying procedures for resolving parent or guardian concerns and complaints; specifying duties for school districts; requiring adoption of necessary policies, rules and procedures; and providing for effective dates.
WFA COMMENTARY:
Wyoming Family Alliance supports legislation to ensure that parents are notified of the health and welfare of their children in schools and that no school district can hide critical information from a parent.
FINAL VOTES:
We would like to commend all of those who have worked so hard on this bill protecting the rights of parents. If your legislator voted for this bill, please pass on your thanks for representing you well!
HOUSE VOTES
Ayes: Representative(s) Allemand, Allred, Andrew, Angelos, Banks, Bear, Berger, Brown, Burkhart, Jr, Byron, Chadwick, Clouston, Conrad, Crago, Davis, Eklund, Haroldson, Harshman, Heiner, Hornok, Jennings, Knapp, Larsen, Lloyd, Larson, Jt, Lawley, Locke, Neiman, Newsome, Niemiec, Northrup, Oakley, Obermueller, O’hearn, Olsen, Ottman, Pendergraft, Penn, Rodriguez-Williams, Singh, Slagle, Smith, Speaker Sommers, Stith, Strock, Styvar, Tarver, Trujillo, Walters, Ward, Washut, Western, Winter, Wylie, Zwonitzer, Dan, Zwonitzer, Dave
Nays: Representative(s) Chestek, Henderson, Nicholas, Provenza, Sherwood, Storer, Yin
Ayes 55 Nays 7 Excused 0 Absent 0 Conflicts 0
SENATE VOTES
Ayes: Senator(s) Anderson, Baldwin, Barlow, Biteman, Boner, Bouchard, Brennan, Case, Cooper, Ellis, French, Furphy, Gierau, Hicks, Hutchings, Ide, Jones, Kolb, Laursen, Nethercott, Pappas, President Driskill, Salazar, Schuler, Scott, Steinmetz
Nays: Senator Rothfuss
Excused: Senator(s) Dockstader, Kinskey, Landen, Mckeown
Ayes 26 Nays 1 Excused 4 Absent 0 Conflicts 0
WFA UPDATES:
3/5/24 – Today, the Governor allowed this bill to go into law without his signature. Click here to read a letter from the Governor explaining his reasons for not signing the bill.
3/4/24 – The Speaker of the House signed this bill and it has been sent to the Governor!
2/28/24 – This bill passed through the second reading in the House of Representatives. It is down to the last step before it passes the House and returns to the Senate. If the Senate agrees with the changes, it will go to the Governor to sign.
2/27/24 – This bill passed through the Committee of the Whole today and added an amendment that made it stronger! It has two more steps to go through in the House.
2/26/24 – This bill passed through the House Education Committee today 6-3. The Education establishment argued against the bill, but thankfully, six House Education Committee members chose to protect parental rights, like the Senate, which passed it 28-2.
Wyoming Family Alliance President Nathan Winters testified for the bill, emphasizing that it fostered relationships between the school, parents, and their children.
2/23/24 – This bill passed all the way through the Senate and is now in the House of Representatives.
