Wyoming Legislature Adjourns: 2026 Budget Session wraps up with wins for Wyoming ag
Following 21 days of deliberation by members of the 68th Wyoming Legislature, the 2026 Budget Session officially came to a close on March 11.
Some key wins for Wyoming agriculture came out of the short session, including securing appropriations funding for relevant programming in the 2027-28 biennial budget and updated legislative provisions regarding a variety of ag-related topics.
Final budget
The 2027-28 biennial budget, as passed by the House and Senate and signed by Gov. Mark Gordon, secures several noteworthy provisions for agriculture.
A legislative update issued by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) on March 11 outlines these provisions, including wins in funding for natural resource programs, wildfire recovery initiatives, higher education, livestock health and rodeo.
According to WSGA, the approved budget secures $5,000 in appropriations for the Centennial Farm and Ranch Program, which honors families who have owned and operated the same farm or ranch for 100 years or more.
Additionally, the budget appropriates $8 million to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust (WWNRT) to address invasive species on state and private lands, as well as over $19 million in grant funding appropriations to WWNRT for wildfire recovery initiatives.
Regarding funding for the University of Wyoming (UW), WSGA reports the budget will appropriate $2.5 million to UW for matching grants related to rangeland management, as well as $2.5 million in appropriations funding for the Cowboy State Ag Initiative.
The approved budget also secures $550,000 in appropriations funding to UW for veterinary medicine education and training under an agreement with Kansas State University or any other accredited college of veterinary medicine.
Aimed at addressing the shortage of large animal veterinarians in rural areas, the Rural Veterinary Medicine Education Program will secure funding for the first cohort of five students to attend veterinary school at partner institutions, with the requirement they practice in Wyoming for a minimum of three years following graduation.
In addition, the Wyoming Livestock Board received funding for an additional field veterinarian, as well as one-time funding for disease mitigation efforts.
Finally, the budget appropriates $15 million for the prospective relocation of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colo. to Cheyenne.
State lands success
Members of ag advocacy groups like WSGA and Wyoming Farm Bureau (WyFB) worked tirelessly to ensure the interests of Wyoming producers were represented throughout the legislative session.
WSGA Executive Vice President Jim Magagna says the passage of Senate File (SF) 16, Subleasing of state lands exemptions, into law is great news for agriculture, as the legislation updates outdated policies and affords greater flexibility to producers grazing non-owned livestock on state land leases.
Magagna notes WSGA has been advocating for reform to policy regarding subleasing of state lands for several years and celebrates the updated provisions which came out of this session as real progress.
He explains the original law required state land lessees to secure prior approval from the Office of State Lands and Investments (OSLI) before grazing non-owned livestock on state lands and to ultimately return one-half of the net profits from non-owned livestock back to the state.
The new act requires producers to pay the state a flat monthly fee per head of non-owned livestock and to notify OSLI within 30 days after placing non-owned livestock on state land leases, rather than requiring the approval in advance.
Importantly, Magagna adds the updated language also provides if the common ownership of the livestock and of the entity leasing the state trust land meets or exceeds 80 percent, livestock shall not be designated as non-owned.
Magagna emphasizes the final document reflects widespread approval from members of the House and Senate, as well as OSLI leadership and the broader ag community.
Private property protected
Further, Magagna says the failure of House Bill (HB) 19, Corner crossing clarification, and SF0025, Landowner license limits in limited quota hunt areas, will hopefully lead to additional much-needed discussion on these important issues throughout upcoming interim committee meetings.
WyFB Executive Vice President Kerin Clark echoes Magagna’s sentiments on HB0019, noting the bill’s failure protects the private property rights which are fundamental to agriculture.
“The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals determined corner crossing under certain conditions is legal. However, this proposed legislation would have broadened the scope of corner crossing from federal lands to include state lands and local government lands,” Clark explains.
Further legislative triumphs
In addition, both Clark and Magagna highlight the success of legislation regarding prescriptive easements for electricity delivery and distribution.
“Electrical reliability and private property rights drove the discussion on the prescriptive easements for electricity delivery which has been signed into law,” Clark says. “WyFB worked with stakeholders led by the Wyoming Rural Electric Association on this legislation leading up to and during the session.”
Clark adds collaboration on the development of this bill “ensured strong consideration of private property rights while balancing the need for electrical reliability” and served as “a good model for how legislation should be drafted.”
Finally, Clark notes the passage of legislation related to wildland fire management and budget provisions for the state forestry department will be helpful come fire season.
“Our members have witnessed firsthand the nimble response of the state forestry department during wildland fires and this investment in manpower for the office will certainly be helpful for the fire season,” Clark says.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
