2023 Wyoming Legislature. Anti Historical Site Bill.
A bill to make it more difficult to designate historical sites has been introduced in the legislature.
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0281
Local government approval for historic site designations.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Storer
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to state historic sites; requiring the board of land commissioners to provide notice and to obtain consent from counties, cities or towns before making a historic site designation as specified; providing requirements; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1. W.S. 36‑8‑108 is created to read:
36‑8‑108. Designation of state historic sites; requirements.
After designation by the legislature but before any official designation is made for a state historical site when the property to be designated belongs to a county, city or town, the board of land commissioners shall obtain consent from the board of county commissioners or the local governing body of the city or town where the proposed state historical site is located. The board of county commissioners or the local governing body of a city or town shall be given not less than thirty (30) days written notice before the site is designated as a state historic site. After notice is given and the notice period has passed, if no objection is made, consent to the designation of the historic site shall be presumed.
Section 2. This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
As this has a single sponsor, it likely will go nowhere, but its purpose is hard to understand. Something being designated a historical site, contrary to widespread popular belief, doesn't commit private parties to anything.
