Bill > SF0049

This bill revises Wyoming's Public Records Act by expanding the definition of "official public records" to include plea agreements and non-confidential portions of sentencing memoranda, requiring governmental entities to acknowledge receipt of public records requests within three business days, and shortening the general timeframe for releasing public records from thirty to ten calendar days from the date of acknowledged receipt. It also allows for extensions to release records if the government entity requests an extension from the ombudsman, who is the designated official overseeing public records, and can grant an additional thirty days or another mutually agreed-upon date, and empowers the ombudsman to refer matters of non-compliance to the attorney general or district attorney for enforcement. Furthermore, the bill mandates that all governmental entities, not just state agencies, must adhere to uniform fees for copies and production of public records unless they charge lower fees or receive approval from the ombudsman to charge higher fees for good cause, increases the penalty for knowingly or intentionally violating the act from $750 to $2,000, and allows courts to award attorney fees to prevailing applicants in civil actions, with these changes taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions (Joint)

https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2026/SF0049