UPDATE: 2023 Legislative Session, Week One

January 10 - 13, 2023 ~ Session Update

A Busy First Week

Wyoming's 67th Legislature convened the 2023 General Session Tuesday, January 10. The 67th Legislature has a lot of new faces with 29 new members in the House of Representatives and five new Senators, two of whom join the Senate after serving in the House. WMS has been hard at work introducing our organization, promoting the members we proudly represent, and building relationships with new lawmakers.

The 2023 Legislative Session is a General session meaning Legislators have a longer, 40-day session to spend time diving into policy debate as well as supplemental budget requests needed to get the state through the current biennium.

WMS leadership will meet in Cheyenne on Saturday, January 21, to make important decisions on a variety of policy proposals slated for debate this year. Legislators can continue to file bills for consideration through the end of the month. Currently, WMS is tracking bills as they are posted and included links to full text along with short summaries and the status of each on the WMS Legislative Bill Tracker which will be updated as bills are posted and action is taken. E-Newsletters similar to this one will be sent to members at the conclusion of each week to provide updates from the previous week as well as an overview of what we anticipate seeing in the week to come.

WMS Legislative Bill Tracker

Please note: Positions listed on the WMS Legislative Bill Tracker are not the formal positions set by the Board yet and if listed represent alignment with existing WMS policy platforms or historic positions of the Society. The positions posted are pending board approval at the January 21, 2022 meeting.

WMS invested a great deal of time and resources to establish THE WIRE designed to enable any member, at any time, to take an active role in shaping the policy agenda for the medical society.

Log into THE WIRE and see if any proposals have been submitted for review and comment. Once logged in, you can navigate to all the proposals submitted to date by clicking on the Proposals Archive > January 21, 2023
Review the comprehensive listing of bills on the state legislative website, or on the WMS Bill Tracker. See if anything catches your attention.
Submit a proposal in THE WIRE for voting and comment across the membership for the WMS Board to review prior to next week's meeting in Cheyenne.

Remember, logging into THE WIRE is easy. Simply use the email on file with WMS and the same password you have set to log into www.wyomed.org for your member account management. If you have any trouble, simply use the Reset Password feature on the site, or contact a member of the WMS staff for assistance at 307-635-2424 or at info@wyomed.org

WMS takes legislative positions in accordance with the organization's policy platforms. Our advocacy work is prioritized around proposals that align with our pursuit of improving:

Access to Care for Wyoming Patients
Medical Liability Reform
Medicaid Programming and Funding
Physician Recruitment & Loan Repayment
Medical Education and Residency Training
Patient Safety, and
Public Health and Tobacco Prevention
Protecting the Physician-Patient Relationship

WMS Doc and PA of the Day

Thank you to our WMS members for volunteering to serve as Doc and PA of the Day. This week, the legislature appreciated the following WMS volunteers:

John Winter, MD

Kristina Behringer, MD

There are still days available to volunteer for Doc or PA of the Day. WMS is proud of this program which provides a great opportunity for WMS members to provide a valuable service to the legislature and have a front-row seat to the legislative process. Click below to learn more and see what days remain open. Email info@wyomed.org if you're interested in spending a day at the Capitol with us!

Information about Doc and PA of the Day

Bills in Committee in Week One

Several of the bills being monitored by WMS received debate early in the process. They are as follows:

Medicaid twelve month postpartum coverage - A bill to extend Medicaid coverage to women postpartum from the current 60 days to 12 months. SUPPORT - passed committee on a 5-4 vote
Cancer early detection amendments - A bill amending eligibility requirements and the reimbursement system for the Wyoming colorectal cancer early detection and prevention program. SUPPORT - Passed second reading
Highway safety-child restraints - A bill requiring that children under the age of two, or otherwise meeting weight/height requirements, be restrained in rear-facing restraint systems. SUPPORT - Passed committee
988 Suicide Prevention - A bill to establish a trust fund through which interest generated can support the state's 988 Suicide Lifeline into the future. SUPPORT - Passed committee
Definition of opiate antagonist-amendments - A bill to expand the definition of opiate antagonist from a brand-specific product to any device or medication approved by the USFDA for the treatment of an opiate related drug overdose. SUPPORT - Passed committee amended to be effective immediately
Medicaid coverage - licensed pharmacists - A bill to authorize coverage of professional services provided by a licensed pharmacist through state Medicaid. MONITOR - Passed committee without amendment
Podiatry medical services - Medicaid - A bill to authorize coverage of treatment and care delivered by a licensed podiatrist through state Medicaid. SUPPORT - Passed committee amended to remove the appropriation

How To Connect and Stay Engaged

Use wyoleg.gov to learn more about this year's legislative process. Below are quick links to important information.

Daily Calendars including floor calendars, audio streams, and committee schedules

Bill Listing that includes all legislative proposals posted for the 2023 Session

As always, Executive Director Sheila Bush welcomes and invites any and all communication. If you have questions about the status of a bill, want to provide feedback or input on legislation, have questions about using THE WIRE, or want to share your thoughts on any other aspect of the WMS advocacy work, please email her at sheila@wyomed.org or call her cell phone at 307-630-8602.