2024 24LSO-0327
STATE OF WYOMING
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0096
Abandoned mine land program.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Stith, Davis, Heiner,
Larson, JT, Niemiec, Sherwood and Wylie and Senator(s) Dockstader and Kolb
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to the abandoned mine reclamation program;
2 establishing the abandoned mine land grant program for
3 local governments; providing priority for grants approved
4 under the grant program; requiring reports; providing
5 rulemaking authority; and providing for effective dates.
6
7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
8
9 Section 1. W.S. 35-11-1211 is created to read:
10
11 35-11-1211. Abandoned mine land grant program.
12
13 (a) The governor, through the director or
14 administrator of the abandoned mine land division shall
15 establish a grant program so that a local government entity
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1 may apply for a grant of any abandoned mine land funds as
2 provided under this section on forms prescribed by the
3 director or the administrator of the abandoned mine land
4 division. Grants may be applied for by a joint powers board
5 with the approval of all participating agencies to the
6 joint powers agreement. The priority of the award of all
7 grants of abandoned mine land funds for projects requested
8 by local government entities under this section shall be
9 determined in accordance with applicable federal law and
10 the provisions of this article by the governor, through the
11 director or administrator of the abandoned mine land
12 division.
13
14 (b) The governor shall consult with the director, the
15 administrator of the abandoned mine land division and the
16 United States department of interior, office of surface
17 mining reclamation and enforcement as necessary to
18 administer the grant program under this section. The
19 governor may promulgate rules as necessary to administer
20 the grant program under this section as provided by W.S.
21 35-11-1207(a).
22
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1 (c) Each complete application for grants under this
2 section that conform with the criteria established by law
3 and rules promulgated under this section shall be
4 considered and approved or disapproved within one hundred
5 twenty (120) days of receipt of a complete application in
6 accordance with this section.
7
8 (d) Any grant approved under this section and further
9 approved by the United States department of interior,
10 office of surface mining reclamation and enforcement shall
11 have priority over any other projects approved under this
12 article.
13
14 (e) On or before November 1 of each year, the
15 administrator of the abandoned mine land division shall
16 report to the joint appropriations committee on the
17 administration of the grant program under this section. The
18 report shall include a list of all grant requests and grant
19 approvals made in the previous twenty-four (24) months.
20
21 Section 2. The governor shall adopt any rules
22 necessary to implement this act not later than July 1,
23 2024.
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1
2 Section 3.
3
4 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
5 section, this act is effective immediately upon completion
6 of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided
7 by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
8
9 (b) Section 1 of this act is effective July 1, 2024.
10
11 (END)
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