Bill > SF0109

This bill establishes the Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund, a permanent fund intended to support Wyoming's agricultural sector, with its principal to be preserved and invested for long-term growth. The fund's earnings will be deposited into an income account, which is continuously appropriated to a newly created Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund Committee for specific expenditures. This committee, composed of various agricultural and educational stakeholders, will oversee the awarding of grants for programs and initiatives at the University of Wyoming and community colleges related to production agriculture, workforce development, agriculture education in schools, value-added agriculture projects, business education for agriculture, and the adoption of new technologies. Grants from the income account must be matched by non-state funds at a dollar-for-dollar ratio, and recipients must report on their use of the funds, with individual grants capped at $200,000 unless specifically authorized by the legislature. The bill also mandates an initial transfer of $10 million from the general fund to the trust fund and appropriates funds for the committee's administrative expenses, with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture responsible for creating necessary rules and the act becoming effective on July 1, 2026, except for certain sections that take effect immediately.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2026/SF0109