Legislative Watch April 6, 2021 |
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Thank you for continuing to make your voice heard on issues impacting the economic self-sufficiency of women and girl in Wyoming! The progress that has been made this session is thanks to advocates like YOU. Thank you!
The 66th Wyoming Legislature is coming to an end, but that doesn't mean our work is done. Legislators will soon start working on interim committee topic and begin drafting bills for the next session. This means now is a great time to reach out to legislators to express your thoughts on issues impacting the economic self-sufficiency of women & girls! Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.
Please scroll to the bottom of this email for additional legislative engagement resources.
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SPONSORED BY Representative(s) Yin, Clifford, Duncan and Zwonitzer and Senator(s) Case
AN ACT relating to elections; amending the use of pronouns on the ballot; and providing for an effective date.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR WOMEN & GIRLS This bill changes the language on election ballots from "his name" to "the person's name" increasing representation of women in elected roles.
LATEST ACTION 4/2/2021 Passed! Senate 3rd Reading: 26-2-2-0-0
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
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AN ACT relating to insurance; mandating equivalent benefits and reimbursement related to mental health and substance use services delivered remotely; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR WOMEN & GIRLS Data shows that COVID-19 has negatively affected the mental health of women in Wyoming.4 This bill would require insurance companies to cover telehealth (at home) services equally to in-person visits, helping to ensure access to affordable mental health care during the pandemic. Beyond the pandemic, this bill would help keep mental health services more accessible to women without the childcare or transportation necessary to receive in-person mental health care.
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
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AN ACT relating to administration of the government; providing funding for the Wyoming investment in nursing program from CARES Act funds; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
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Additional Bills to Watch |
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LATEST ACTION 4/1/2021 Passed! House Appointed JCC01 Members (The last formal vote of the House today was on concurring with the Conference Committee that took the bill back to the version passed out of Judiciary Committee.)
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LATEST ACTION 4/2/2021 Passed! House 3rd Reading: 41-18-1-0-0
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Failed Bills Since Last Update |
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SPONSORED BY Representative(s) Harshman, Connolly, MacGuire, Walters, Washut and Zwonitzer and Senator(s) Furphy, Landen and Wasserburger
AN ACT relating to medical education; creating an inviolate health care education endowment fund; providing for investment of monies in the fund; providing for distribution of monies; providing for the use of earnings for the support of certain medical education programs at the University of Wyoming and Wyoming community colleges; authorizing the use of earnings for student support payments and administrative costs.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR WOMEN & GIRLS Women form 70% of workers in the health and social sector nationwide. 1 In Wyoming, many healthcare workers earn self-sufficient wages, making medical education programs an effective path to self-sufficiency for women. This bill would provide support for those programs, which would primarily benefit women.
LATEST ACTION 4/1/2021 Failed: Senate did not report out of Education Committee prior to Committee of the Whole Procedural Deadline
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
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LATEST ACTION 4/1/2021 Failed: Senate Did not consider for Committee of the Whole
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SPONSORED BY Representative(s) Romero-Martinez, Clifford, Connolly, Harshman, Provenza and Zwonitzer
AN ACT relating to Medicaid; requiring collaboration concerning the expansion of Medicaid eligibility; authorizing the expansion of Medicaid eligibility as specified; requiring reports and notice as specified; repealing prior authorizations; providing a sunset provision; and providing for an effective date.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR WOMEN & GIRLS Women with children are the most likely population to be living below the Self-Sufficiency Standard and are over-represented in low-wage jobs that do not provide health insurance.2 Data shows that women between the ages of 18 and 29 who work full-time would be nearly three times as likely as their male counterparts to enroll in an expanded Medicaid program. If passed, the population that would become eligible for access to healthcare was estimated to include about 36% younger working women. 3
LATEST ACTION 4/1/2021 Failed: Senate did not report out of Labor/Health Committee prior to Committee of the Whole Procedural Deadline
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
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SPONSORED BY Representative(s) Harshman, Connolly and Sommers and Senator(s) Rothfuss, Schuler and Wasserburger
AN ACT relating to higher education; creating the Wyoming's tomorrow scholarship program; providing eligibility requirements; providing for administration, including rulemaking authority; creating accounts and a permanent fund; requiring reports; providing for a continuous appropriation; amending a provision governing the Hathaway scholarship reserve account; amending a provision regarding permanent funds of the state; providing for a transfer of funds; providing when scholarships may first be awarded; and providing for an effective date.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR WOMEN & GIRLS Women with children are the most likely population to be living below the Self-Sufficiency Standard and are over-represented in low-wage jobs that do not provide health insurance. This bill increases access to postsecondary education, not only leading to wages well above the Self-Sufficiency level, but jobs that also provide benefits, increased stability, and have promotion and salary increase potential.2
LATEST ACTION 4/1/2021 Failed: Senate did not report out of Education Committee prior to Committee of the Whole Procedural Deadline
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
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SPONSORED BY Representative(s) Bear, Andrew, Barlow, Brown, Burt, Connolly, Duncan, Fortner, Hallinan, Haroldson, Jennings, Knapp, Laursen, Neiman and Ottman and Senator(s) Biteman, French and McKeown
AN ACT relating to human trafficking; prohibiting a minor who engages in any commercial sex act from being criminally charged; specifying that a minor who engages in any commercial sex act is a victim of human trafficking and is an abused child; amending a definition; and providing for an effective date.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR WOMEN & GIRLS
This bill provides the opportunity for victims of sex trafficking, who are overwhelmingly women and girls, to rebuild their lives and attain economic self-sufficiency in the future.
LATEST ACTION 4/1/2021 Failed: Senate did not report out of Judiciary Committee prior to Committee of the Whole Procedural Deadline
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
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LATEST ACTION 3/31/2021 Failed: House Did Not Consider for Introduction
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How can the public participate in
Wyoming's Legislative Process?
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Remember, your voice matters! You have the power to influence positive change for women and girls in Wyoming right now. You can shape legislation that benefits those in your community by reaching out to your legislators about the issues you care about.
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Members of the public are encouraged to view legislative proceedings on the Legislature’s YouTube channel. The public may also contact members directly using legislator contact information available on the Legislature’s website here.
During the legislative session, you can also recommend support for or opposition to a particular piece of legislation by using the Online Hotline.
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Would you like more frequent emails about when to make your voice heard in the legislature about women's economic self-sufficiency? Join WYWF's Power Advocates! |
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Wyoming Women in the News |
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How the Wyoming Senate killed Medicaid expansion, again The Wyoming Senate Committee on Labor, Health and Social Services voted Wednesday to kill a House-sponsored effort at Medicaid expansion. The 3-2 vote, which came after more than three hours of public testimony and debate, likely ends this year’s effort to close Wyoming’s “Medicaid gap.”
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About the Wyoming Women's Foundation
The Wyoming Women’s Foundation is a priority fund of the Wyoming Community Foundation, which granted out over $11 million to nonprofits across the state in 2019, and over $85 million since its inception in 1989. The Women’s Foundation builds on a permanent endowment that will ensure funding to enhance the lives of women and girls in Wyoming for generations to come. It makes grants to organizations that help Wyoming women and girls attain economic self-sufficiency, creates statewide awareness of the barriers to economic self-sufficiency, and supports systems change to eliminate those barriers. Learn more at wywf.org.
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