2025 25LSO-0229
STATE OF WYOMING Working Draft
0.6
DRAFT ONLY
NOT APPROVED FOR
INTRODUCTION
HOUSE BILL NO.
Wyoming imagination library program.
Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to education; establishing the Wyoming
2 imagination library program; providing funding for the free
3 distribution of books to young children as specified;
4 providing definitions; creating an account; requiring
5 rulemaking; providing an appropriation; and providing for
6 an effective date.
7
8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
9
10 Section 1. W.S. 21-2-205 is created to read:
11
12 21-2-205. Wyoming imagination library program.
13
1 [Bill Number]
 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0229
Working Draft
0.6
1 (a) As used in this section:
2
3 (i) "County based affiliate program" means a
4 local affiliate of the Wyoming imagination library program
5 that operates within a county;
6
7 ***********************************************************
8 *******************
9 STAFF COMMENT
10 The Committee may wish to consider whether to narrow the
11 definition of county based affiliate program or add
12 requirements to be eligible to be a county based affiliate
13 program. As currently drafted, the definition of county
14 based affiliate program is broad and may include
15 denominational or sectarian institutions, corporations,
16 libraries, school districts, and other entities.
17 ***********************************************************
18 *******************
19
20 (ii) "Participating county" means a county with
21 not less than one (1) county based affiliate program;
22
23 (iii) "Registered eligible child" means a child
24 from birth to five (5) years of age who resides in this
25 state and who is registered in a county based affiliate
26 program.
27
28 (b) The Wyoming imagination library program is created
29 to be administered by the department of education. The
2 [Bill Number]
 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0229
Working Draft
0.6
1 purpose of the program shall be to promote the development
2 of a comprehensive statewide initiative for encouraging
3 children from birth to five (5) years of age to develop a
4 love of reading and learning.
5
6 (c) The department of education shall coordinate with
7 a nonprofit entity, qualified under section 501(c)(3) of
8 the Internal Revenue Code and organized solely to promote
9 and encourage reading by children, to:
10
11 (i) Provide at least one (1) age appropriate book
12 to each registered eligible child in each participating
13 county monthly at no cost to families;
14
15 (ii) Promote the statewide development of county
16 based affiliate programs and advance and strengthen the
17 county based affiliate programs to increase enrollment;
18
19 (iii) Develop a public awareness campaign to
20 promote the program and ensure the public is aware of the
21 opportunity to register eligible children to receive free
22 books through the program;
23
3 [Bill Number]
 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0229
Working Draft
0.6
1 (iv) Administer the county based affiliate
2 program funding match requirement as specified in
3 subsection (d) of this section and coordinate the
4 collection and remittance of books;
5
6 (v) Solicit donations, gifts and other funding
7 to financially support county based affiliate programs.
8
9 (d) Each participating county based affiliate program
10 shall contribute fifty percent (50%) of the funds required
11 for the program to operate in the county directly to the
12 department of education. The department of education shall
13 manage the funds received by each participating county
14 based affiliate program. To the extent that funds are
15 available in the Wyoming imagination library program
16 account created in subsection (e) of this section, the
17 department of education shall provide to each participating
18 county based affiliate program an additional amount from
19 the Wyoming imagination library program account not to
20 exceed the amount of funds received from each participating
21 county based affiliate program.
22
4 [Bill Number]
 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0229
Working Draft
0.6
1 (e) There is created the Wyoming imagination library
2 program account. The account shall include all legislative
3 appropriations and all monies received from grants, gifts,
4 transfers, bequests and donations to the account. The
5 account is authorized to accept grants, gifts, transfers,
6 bequests and donations. All monies received shall be
7 deposited into the account. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008,
8 9-2-1012(e) or 9-4-207, unobligated and unexpended funds in
9 the account shall not lapse or revert and shall remain in
10 the account and be available for distribution as provided
11 in this section.
12
13 (f) Monies deposited into the Wyoming imagination
14 library program account shall be continuously appropriated
15 to and expended by the department of education to
16 administer the Wyoming imagination library program
17 established under subsection (b) of this section and to
18 provide the state's share of any matching funds as required
19 under subsection (d) of this section.
20
21 (g) Funds in the Wyoming imagination library program
22 account shall be invested by the state treasurer pursuant
5 [Bill Number]
 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0229
Working Draft
0.6
1 to law and the investment earnings shall be credited to the
2 account.
3
4 (h) The department of education shall promulgate rules
5 necessary to carry out this section.
6
7 Section 2. There is appropriated XXX ($XX.00) from
8 the general fund to the Wyoming imagination library program
9 account created in section 1 of this act. This
10 appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the
11 effective date of this act. This appropriation shall not be
12 transferred or expended for any other purpose.
13 Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008, 9-2-1012(e) and 9-4-207 this
14 appropriation shall not revert. It is the intent of the
15 legislature that this appropriation shall be included in
16 the department of education's standard budget for the
17 immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.
18
19 ***********************************************************
20 *******************
21 STAFF COMMENT
22 The Committee will need to determine the appropriation
23 amount of the new account.
24 ***********************************************************
25 *******************
26
6 [Bill Number]
 2025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0229
Working Draft
0.6
1 Section 3. This act is effective July 1, 2025.
2
3 (END)
7 [Bill Number]