Text of WY HB 200 (2025)

2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 1 HB0200 HOUSE BILL NO. HB0200 Parent rights-amendments. Sponsored by: Representative(s) Webb, Brady, Guggenmos, Haroldson, Heiner, Johnson, Lucas, Schmid and Strock and Senator(s) Boner and Pearson A BILL for 1 AN ACT relating to education; clarifying procedures and 2 requirements for school districts to provide parents notice 3 of information regarding students; requiring school 4 districts to publish and make materials available to 5 parents; prohibiting school districts from requiring school 6 district personnel and students to use a student's 7 preferred pronoun if the pronoun does not align with the 8 student's biological sex; requiring parental or guardian 9 permission before instruction relating to diversity, equity 10 or inclusion; authorizing school district personnel to opt 11 out of mandatory trainings as specified; specifying 12 disciplinary measures; providing for a cause of action; 13 providing for a civil penalty; providing definitions; 14 requiring reporting; and providing for an effective date. 15 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 2 HB0200 1 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming: 2 3 Section 1. W.S. 21-3-135(a)(intro), (i), (iii), (v), 4 by creating new paragraphs (vi) through (viii), (b), (d) by 5 creating a new paragraph (ix), (f) and by creating new 6 subsections (g) through (k) and 21-7-110(a)(viii), by 7 creating a new paragraph (ix) and by renumbering (ix) as 8 (x) are amended to read: 9 10 21-3-135. Parental and guardian notices related to 11 the educational, physical, mental and emotional health of 12 students; student welfare; procedures; school district 13 prohibitions. 14 15 (a) Each school district including school district 16 personnel shall: 17 18 (i) Notify a student's parent or guardian as 19 soon as practicable if there is a change in the student's 20 educational, physical, mental or emotional health or 21 well-being during school hours or while the student is 22 engaged in any activity, extracurricular activity, event, 23 program or function where school district personnel are 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 3 HB0200 1 responsible for the student regardless of location. 2 Procedures adopted under this paragraph shall reinforce the 3 fundamental right of parents and guardians to make 4 decisions regarding the care and control of their children 5 by requiring school district personnel to encourage a 6 student to discuss issues relating to his well-being with 7 his parent or guardian or to facilitate discussion with the 8 parent or guardian; 9 10 (iii) Not adopt or implement any formal or 11 informal rules, policies, practices or procedures that 12 prohibit or discourage school district personnel from 13 notifying a student's parent or guardian about the 14 student's educational, physical, mental or emotional health 15 or well-being during school hours or while the student is 16 engaged in any activity, extracurricular activity, event, 17 program or function where school district personnel are 18 responsible for the student regardless of location or a 19 change in the student's related services as authorized 20 under paragraphs (a)(i) and (ii) of this section; 21 22 (v) Obtain written or electronic permission from 23 each student's parent or legal guardian not less than one 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 4 HB0200 1 (1) day prior to the student participating or receiving 2 instruction in any trainings, courses or classes that 3 address sexual orientation, or gender identity or 4 diversity, equity or inclusion;. 5 6 (vi) Notify a student's parent or guardian not 7 less than five (5) days prior to the student attending or 8 participating in an assembly, extracurricular activity or 9 guest speaker presentation and provide the option for the 10 student's parent or guardian to opt the student out of the 11 attendance or participation; 12 13 (vii) Adopt a policy, practice or procedure to 14 ensure that school district personnel and students are not 15 required to refer to a student using the student's 16 preferred pronoun if the pronoun does not align with the 17 student's biological sex; 18 19 (viii) Adopt a policy, practice or procedure to 20 allow school district personnel to withdraw or opt out of 21 mandatory classes, lessons, trainings, educational 22 activities or any program or activity involving diversity, 23 equity or inclusion. 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 5 HB0200 1 2 (b) Effective school year 2024-2025 and each school 3 year thereafter, at the beginning of each school year, each 4 school district shall make available to parents and 5 guardians any routine health care services offered or 6 provided at the student's school and provide the option for 7 the parent or guardian to withhold consent or decline any 8 routine specific health care services. Parental or guardian 9 consent to a routine health care service shall not waive 10 the parent's or guardian's right to access the student's 11 educational or health care records or to be notified of a 12 change in the student's educational, physical, mental or 13 emotional health or well-being during school hours or while 14 the student is engaged in any activity, extracurricular 15 activity, event, program or function where school district 16 personnel are responsible for the student regardless of 17 location. Nothing in this section shall be construed as 18 preventing school district personnel from rendering first 19 aid to a student or summoning emergency responders in case 20 of sudden need. 21 22 (d) Each school district shall adopt necessary rules, 23 policies, practices and procedures for a parent or guardian 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 6 HB0200 1 to file a complaint with the school district regarding a 2 school district's non-compliance with this section, in 3 accordance with the following: 4 5 (ix) Each school district shall annually report 6 to the department of education the number of complaints 7 filed, the number of hearings requested and held and the 8 number of decisions appealed for judicial review under this 9 subsection and the number of civil cases filed under 10 subsection (j) of this section. The department of education 11 shall publish the report required by this paragraph on the 12 department of education's official website. 13 14 (f) Nothing in this section shall prohibit school 15 districts from complying with mandatory reporting of abuse 16 or neglect pursuant to W.S. 14-3-205. For purposes of this 17 section, "abuse" means as defined by W.S. 14-3-202(a)(ii) 18 and "neglect" means as defined by W.S. 14-3-202(a)(vii). 19 20 (g) Effective school year 2025-2026 and each school 21 year thereafter, each school district shall make available 22 to parents and guardians and publish on the school 23 district's official website: 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 7 HB0200 1 2 (i) At the beginning of each school year, the 3 curriculum for each class or grade level at each public 4 school within the school district and any updates to the 5 curriculum that occur during the school year; 6 7 (ii) Any physical or electronic materials 8 distributed or made available to students during school 9 hours or while the student is engaged in any activity, 10 extracurricular activity, event, program or function where 11 school district personnel are responsible for the student 12 regardless of location; 13 14 (iii) At the beginning of each school year, all 15 written policies, practices and procedures and during the 16 school year any updates to any written policy, practice or 17 procedure. Each school district shall make available to 18 parents and guardians and publish on the school district's 19 official website any updates to any written policy, 20 practice or procedure within thirty (30) days after the 21 school district adopts such updates. 22 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 8 HB0200 1 (h) A teacher or school administrator who violates 2 this section shall be subject to disciplinary action under 3 W.S. 21-7-110. 4 5 (j) A person aggrieved by an alleged violation of 6 this section may file a civil action against any school 7 district personnel or school district to recover a civil 8 penalty of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) per 9 violation of this section, including subsequent or 10 continued violations. Notwithstanding any other provision 11 of law, no school district personnel or school district 12 shall be immune from liability for a violation of this 13 section. The aggrieved person may bring an action in 14 district court in the county where the violation of this 15 section occurred. 16 17 (k) As used in this section: 18 19 (i) "Abuse" means as defined by W.S. 20 14-3-202(a)(ii); 21 22 (ii) "Assembly" means a gathering of students 23 and school district personnel to share information and 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 9 HB0200 1 announcements, celebrate or present achievements or awards, 2 promote school spirit or attend presentations from guest 3 speakers; 4 5 (iii) "Curriculum" means a course of study for 6 uniform student content and performance standards for the 7 common core of knowledge and common core of skills as 8 specified under W.S. 21-9-101(b) including instructional, 9 guidance and supplemental materials; 10 11 (iv) "Diversity, equity or inclusion" means any 12 program, activity or policy that promotes differential or 13 preferential treatment of persons or classifies persons on 14 the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender 15 identity or sexual orientation; 16 17 (v) "Extracurricular activities" means a 18 voluntary activity sponsored by the public school or school 19 district or an organization sanctioned by the school 20 district. "Extracurricular activities" shall include but 21 are not limited to preparation for and involvement in 22 public performances, contests, athletic competitions, 23 demonstrations, displays and club activities; 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 10 HB0200 1 2 (vi) "Neglect" means as defined by W.S. 3 14-3-202(a)(vii); 4 5 (vii) "Policies, practices or procedures" 6 includes any written or electronic materials issued by a 7 school district or school district personnel and any 8 unwritten customs encouraged by a school district or school 9 district personnel that governs conduct at a public school 10 within a school district; 11 12 (viii) "School administrator" includes a 13 superintendent of a school district, assistant 14 superintendent, principal or assistant principal; 15 16 (ix) "School district personnel" means persons 17 employed by a school district, independent contractors 18 retained by a school district and volunteers who may have 19 contact with students in the course of volunteering for a 20 school district; 21 22 (x) "School hours" means the period of time that 23 a student is required to be in a public school. 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0421 11 HB0200 1 2 21-7-110. Suspension or dismissal of teachers; 3 notice; hearing; independent hearing officer; board review 4 and decision; appeal. 5 6 (a) The board may suspend or dismiss any teacher, or 7 terminate any continuing contract teacher, for any of the 8 following reasons: 9 10 (viii) Conviction of a felony; and 11 12 (ix) Violation of W.S. 21-3-135; and 13 14 (ix)(x) Any other good or just cause relating to 15 the educational process. 16 17 Section 2. This act is effective July 1, 2025. 18 19 (END)