Bill Commons

WY HB 9

enacted

Grooming of children-offenses and amendments.

Wyoming · 2026 · lower

Quick answers

Did WY HB 9 pass?

Yes. WY HB 9 has been enacted into law as of 2026-03-06. Latest recorded action (2026-03-06): Governor Signed HEA No. 0012

What is WY HB 9 about?

This act creates the criminal offense of grooming of a minor for a sexual offense. A person commits the offense of grooming of a minor for a sexual offense if the person: Is age eighteen (18) or older and not less than four (4) years older than the minor; andPurposely or knowingly engages in a pattern of grooming aimed at a minor with the intent to:Manipulate the minor into engaging in sexual conduct;Coerce or entice the minor to meet in person to engage in sexual conduct;Distribute or facilitate access to sexually explicit material; orExploit a position of authority to develop an intimate or secretive relationship with a minor. The act specifies different felony penalties for grooming of a minor for a sexual offense, depending on the age of the minor victim or if the actor occupies a position of authority in relation to the victim. In addition to felony penalties, a person who is guilty of grooming of a minor for a sexual offense must complete a sexual-offender treatment program and is subject to probation for up to ten (10) years. Grooming of a minor for a sexual offense is not subject to a deferral of prosecution, and a person convicted of grooming of a minor for a sexual offense must register as a sex offender.

Who sponsors WY HB 9?

Judiciary is the primary sponsor of WY HB 9.

Description

This act creates the criminal offense of grooming of a minor for a sexual offense. A person commits the offense of grooming of a minor for a sexual offense if the person: Is age eighteen (18) or older and not less than four (4) years older than the minor; andPurposely or knowingly engages in a pattern of grooming aimed at a minor with the intent to:Manipulate the minor into engaging in sexual conduct;Coerce or entice the minor to meet in person to engage in sexual conduct;Distribute or facilitate access to sexually explicit material; orExploit a position of authority to develop an intimate or secretive relationship with a minor. The act specifies different felony penalties for grooming of a minor for a sexual offense, depending on the age of the minor victim or if the actor occupies a position of authority in relation to the victim. In addition to felony penalties, a person who is guilty of grooming of a minor for a sexual offense must complete a sexual-offender treatment program and is subject to probation for up to ten (10) years. Grooming of a minor for a sexual offense is not subject to a deferral of prosecution, and a person convicted of grooming of a minor for a sexual offense must register as a sex offender.

Introduced
2026-02-09
Latest action
2026-03-06 — Governor Signed HEA No. 0012
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Sponsors

  • Judiciaryprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-03-06

    Assigned Chapter Number 41

    became-law

  2. 2026-03-06

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0012

    executive-signature

  3. 2026-03-02

    S President Signed HEA No. 0012

  4. 2026-03-02

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0012

  5. 2026-02-27

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0012

  6. 2026-02-27

    H Concur:Passed 57-0-5-0-0

  7. 2026-02-27

    H Received for Concurrence

  8. 2026-02-27

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0

    passage,reading-3

  9. 2026-02-26

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

    reading-2

  10. 2026-02-25

    S COW:Passed

    committee-passage-favorable

  11. 2026-02-24

    S Placed on General File

  12. 2026-02-24

    S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

    committee-passage-favorable

  13. 2026-02-23

    S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary

    introduction,referral-committee

  14. 2026-02-16

    S Received for Introduction

    filing

  15. 2026-02-14

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 61-0-1-0-0

    passage,reading-3

  16. 2026-02-12

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

    reading-2

  17. 2026-02-11

    H COW:Passed

    committee-passage-favorable

  18. 2026-02-11

    H Placed on General File

  19. 2026-02-11

    H01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0

    committee-passage-favorable

  20. 2026-02-09

    H Introduced and Referred to H01 - Judiciary 43-19-0-0-0

    introduction,referral-committee

  21. 2026-01-09

    H Received for Introduction

    filing

  22. 2025-12-01

    Bill Number Assigned

    reading-1

Versions

  • Amendment HB0009SS001 (Standing Committee) - Senate Judiciary Committee (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009S2001 (2nd reading) - Senator Olsen (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HW008 (Committee of the Whole) - Representative Brown, L (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HW007 (Committee of the Whole) - Representative Brown, L (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HW006 (Committee of the Whole) - Representative Brown, L (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HW005 (Committee of the Whole) - Representative Brown, L (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HW004 (Committee of the Whole) - Representative Brown, L (Failed)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HW003 (Committee of the Whole) - Representative Brown, L (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HW002 (Committee of the Whole) - Representative Chestek (Failed)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HW001 (Committee of the Whole) - Representative Wylie (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009HS001 (Standing Committee) - House Judiciary Committee (Adopted)Compare
  • Amendment HB0009H2001 (2nd reading) - Representative Wylie (Adopted)Compare
  • EnrolledCompare
  • IntroducedCompare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • H Introduced and Referred to H01 - Judiciary 43-19-0-0-0

    2026-02-09 · pass · 43-19

    Member-level votes (65)
    • Allemand: yes
    • Andrew: yes
    • Angelos: yes
    • Banks: yes
    • Bear: yes
    • Brady: yes
    • Bratten: yes
    • Brown: yes
    • G: yes
    • Campbell: yes
    • K: yes
    • Filer: yes
    • Fornstrom: yes
    • Geringer: yes
    • Guggenmos: yes
    • Haroldson: yes
    • Harshman: yes
    • Heiner: yes
    • Hoeft: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Kelly: yes
    • Knapp: yes
    • Lawley: yes
    • Lien: yes
    • Locke: yes
    • Lucas: yes
    • McCann: yes
    • Ottman: yes
    • Pendergraft: yes
    • Rodriguez-Williams: yes
    • Riggins: yes
    • Schmid: yes
    • Singh: yes
    • Smith: yes
    • Tarver: yes
    • Styvar: yes
    • Strock: yes
    • Washut: yes
    • Webb: yes
    • Wasserburger: yes
    • Webber: yes
    • Wharff: yes
    • Williams: yes
    • Winter: yes
    • Neiman: yes
    • L: no
    • Byron: no
    • E: no
    • Chestek: no
    • Clouston: no
    • Connolly: no
    • Davis: no
    • Erickson: no
    • Jarvis: no
    • Larsen: no
    • Larson: no
    • JT: no
    • Nicholas: no
    • Posey: no
    • Provenza: no
    • Sherwood: no
    • Storer: no
    • Thayer: no
    • Wylie: no
    • Yin: no
  • H01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0

    2026-02-11 · pass · 8-0

    Member-level votes (9)
    • BRADY: yes
    • BRATTEN: yes
    • CHESTEK: yes
    • FILER: yes
    • LIEN: yes
    • SINGH: yes
    • WEBB: yes
    • WASHUT: yes
    • KELLY: excused
  • H 3rd Reading:Passed 61-0-1-0-0

    2026-02-14 · pass · 61-0

    Member-level votes (65)
    • Allemand: yes
    • Andrew: yes
    • Angelos: yes
    • Banks: yes
    • Bear: yes
    • Brady: yes
    • Bratten: yes
    • Brown: yes
    • G: yes
    • L: yes
    • Byron: yes
    • Campbell: yes
    • E: yes
    • K: yes
    • Chestek: yes
    • Clouston: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Davis: yes
    • Erickson: yes
    • Fornstrom: yes
    • Filer: yes
    • Geringer: yes
    • Haroldson: yes
    • Guggenmos: yes
    • Harshman: yes
    • Hoeft: yes
    • Heiner: yes
    • Jarvis: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Knapp: yes
    • Larsen: yes
    • Larson: yes
    • JT: yes
    • Lien: yes
    • Lawley: yes
    • Locke: yes
    • Lucas: yes
    • Nicholas: yes
    • McCann: yes
    • Ottman: yes
    • Pendergraft: yes
    • Posey: yes
    • Provenza: yes
    • Rodriguez-Williams: yes
    • Riggins: yes
    • Schmid: yes
    • Sherwood: yes
    • Singh: yes
    • Storer: yes
    • Smith: yes
    • Strock: yes
    • Styvar: yes
    • Thayer: yes
    • Tarver: yes
    • Wasserburger: yes
    • Washut: yes
    • Webb: yes
    • Webber: yes
    • Wharff: yes
    • Williams: yes
    • Wylie: yes
    • Winter: yes
    • Yin: yes
    • Neiman: yes
    • Kelly: excused
  • S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

    2026-02-24 · pass · 5-0

    Member-level votes (5)
    • CRAGO: yes
    • CRUM: yes
    • HICKS: yes
    • KOLB: yes
    • OLSEN: yes
  • S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0

    2026-02-27 · pass · 31-0

    Member-level votes (31)
    • Anderson: yes
    • Barlow: yes
    • Boner: yes
    • Case: yes
    • Brennan: yes
    • Cooper: yes
    • Crum: yes
    • Crago: yes
    • Dockstader: yes
    • Driskill: yes
    • French: yes
    • Gierau: yes
    • Hicks: yes
    • Ide: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Hutchings: yes
    • Kolb: yes
    • Laursen: yes
    • Landen: yes
    • Love: yes
    • McKeown: yes
    • Nethercott: yes
    • Olsen: yes
    • Pappas: yes
    • Pearson: yes
    • Rothfuss: yes
    • Salazar: yes
    • Schuler: yes
    • Scott: yes
    • Steinmetz: yes
    • Biteman: yes
  • H Concur:Passed 57-0-5-0-0

    2026-02-27 · pass · 57-0

    Member-level votes (65)
    • Allemand: yes
    • Andrew: yes
    • Angelos: yes
    • Banks: yes
    • Brady: yes
    • Bear: yes
    • Bratten: yes
    • Brown: yes
    • G: yes
    • L: yes
    • Byron: yes
    • Campbell: yes
    • E: yes
    • K: yes
    • Chestek: yes
    • Clouston: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Davis: yes
    • Filer: yes
    • Fornstrom: yes
    • Geringer: yes
    • Guggenmos: yes
    • Haroldson: yes
    • Harshman: yes
    • Heiner: yes
    • Hoeft: yes
    • Jarvis: yes
    • Knapp: yes
    • Larsen: yes
    • Larson: yes
    • JT: yes
    • Lien: yes
    • Lawley: yes
    • Lucas: yes
    • Locke: yes
    • McCann: yes
    • Nicholas: yes
    • Pendergraft: yes
    • Ottman: yes
    • Riggins: yes
    • Posey: yes
    • Provenza: yes
    • Schmid: yes
    • Rodriguez-Williams: yes
    • Sherwood: yes
    • Singh: yes
    • Smith: yes
    • Storer: yes
    • Strock: yes
    • Styvar: yes
    • Tarver: yes
    • Thayer: yes
    • Wasserburger: yes
    • Webber: yes
    • Webb: yes
    • Wharff: yes
    • Williams: yes
    • Winter: yes
    • Neiman: yes
    • Yin: yes
    • Erickson: excused
    • Kelly: excused
    • Johnson: excused
    • Washut: excused
    • Wylie: excused

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:38:54.484336Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

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