Gordon signs first bills of 2025 legislative session; Wyoming PRIME Act to become law without governor’s signature

(Cheyenne, WY) – Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed the first bills of the 2025 Legislative session at the Capitol this week, including one sponsored by Wyoming Rep. Lloyd Larsen, R-Lander, specifying that private landowners aren’t liable when they let rock climbers recreate on their lands.

Gordon also allowed the Wyoming PRIME Act, sponsored by Wyoming Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, to go into law without the governor’s signature.

The legislation provides for the sale of producer-raised, homemade meat products – pending federal action legalizing that activity.

In a letter explaining his decision not to sign the bill, Gordon said “enacting a state law without Congress having already passed the federal PRIME Act will only mislead consumers who might assume the state law’s provisions would be active.”

“This law will remain dormant because the actions this act contemplates only become effective if the federal PRIME Act is passed,” Gordon wrote. “Furthermore, the passage of (this bill) in its current form may delay Wyoming’s implementation if Congress does not pass its legislation in a form that aligns with the Wyoming PRIME Act. 

“In short, this bill seems to be more for show than for benefit and as such is a poor precedent.”

Regardless, Gordon said, since “this is the second time this bill has come before me, it appears this Legislature is more interested in ‘sending a message’ than drafting effective law,” so “I am allowing the Wyoming PRIME Act to become law without my signature, understanding that rather than waiting for enabling federal legislation, our Legislature is far more anxious to gesticulate to the potential peril of both consumer and producer.”

“This letter is meant to convey the warning to Wyoming producers, processors, and consumers that until Congress passes the federal legislation, the provisions of this law will not change meat inspection in Wyoming,” Gordon said. “Until the federal law is passed, if Wyoming meat processors or livestock producers attempt to use the provisions of (the Wyoming PRIME Act), they will be subject to license revocation, fines, and federal penalties. Furthermore, Wyoming’s state meat and poultry inspection program would be noncompliant with the Federal Meat Inspection Act, putting Wyoming’s program at risk.”

He concluded his letter by encouraging Wyoming producers, processors, and consumers to contact the Wyoming Department of Agriculture for more information if they are “unsure about the implications” of the new Wyoming PRIME Act.

“We must work together to ensure the real impact of this legislation is understood and more importantly, recognize the value of the truly difficult work Wyoming has done to ensure our state inspection program enjoys primacy and is not jeopardized,” Gordon said.

Tribal notification

Gordon signed another bill with local origins this week: Senate File 16 – Industrial siting-tribal notification.

The new law requires the provision of notice to Tribal governments about applications for industrial siting permits in their area.

Other bills Gordon signed this week include:

• HEA0001 HB0025 Vehicle accident reporting-amendments
• HEA0002 HB0027 Disabled parking windshield placards-revisions
• HEA0003 HB0092 Wyoming livestock board-memorandums of understanding
• HEA0004 HB0014 Solid waste municipal cease and transfer funding
• HEA0005 HB0022 Water and wastewater operator-emergency response
• HEA0006 HB0030 Driver’s licenses and IDs-revisions
• HEA0007 HB0041 Environmental quality-irrevocable letters of credit
• HEA0008 HB0061 State land lease preference amendments
• HEA0009 HB0069 Foreign adversary ownership or control of business entities
• HEA0011 HB0075 Coal severance tax rate
• HEA0012 HB0082 Provider enrollment-standards
• HEA0013 HB0004 Snowmobile registration and user fees
• HEA0014 HB0023 Surrender driver’s license-repeal
• HEA0015 HB0045 Removing otters as protected animals
• HEA0016 HB0054 Chancery court judges-district and circuit court assistance
• HEA0017 HB0086 Public property and buildings-amendments
• HEA0018 HB0166 State auditor payment transparency
• HEA0019 HB0214 Local government payments-electronic payments
• HEA0020 HB0040 Sales and use tax revisions
• HEA0021 HB0017 Career technical education equipment grants amendments
• HEA0022 HB0132 Annual permits for specified commercial loads
• HEJR0001 HJ0001 Amending Wyoming’s act of admission for earnings
• HEA0023 HB0038 Ad valorem taxation-payment and credit of penalties
• SEA0001 SF0015 Oil and gas conservation commission-regulation of pits
• SEA0003 SF0020 Oil and gas bonding-options and bonding pools
• SEA0004 SF0023 Handicap placards-health care providers’ approval
• SEA0005 SF0025 Electronic lien and title system
• SEA0006 SF0149 Wildlife conservation license plates-amendments
• SEA0007 SF0042 Resort hotel liquor licenses
• SEA0008 SF0049 Tangible personal property-index and depreciation
• SEA0009 SF0013 Reading assessment and intervention amendments
• SEA0010 SF0078 Distribution of unsolicited absentee ballot request forms
• SEA0011 SF0080 Abandonment of water rights-limitations
• SEA0012 SF0131 Charter school leasing
• SEA0014 SF0073 Charter school funding-amendments
• SEA0015 SF0081 Tax exemption-property owned by the state
• SEA0017 SF0088 2025 large project funding
• SEA0018 SF0063 State lands-fencing-2
• SEA0019 SF0048 Business property exemption
• SJ0001 SJ0003 Commemorating Nellie Tayloe Ross

The Governor allowed the following bills to go into law without his signature:

• SEA0013 SF0096 Wyoming Gold Act (read Gordon’s letter on SF 96 here)
• SEA0020 SF0006 Residential property-removal of unlawful occupant (read Gordon’s letter on SF 6 here)

Click here and search by title for more information on the 2025 General Session bills.