An Update on House Bill 96
With a dominant 57–4 introduction vote, Wyoming lawmakers have now fast-tracked a proposal to grant 18-to-20-year-olds standard access to concealed firearm permits. Considering that the legislative process for a Wyoming Budget Session is designed to filter out non-fiscal bills, this bill has required a two-thirds “super majority” vote in order to be introduced to the state senate.
And that it has. With overwhelming support, HB96 dominated, with over the required 42 votes to stay alive, it received 57, meaning that a whopping 92% of members voted in favor of moving the bill to the House Appropriations Committee.
This means that the House Appropriations Committee will then review the bill’s potential fiscal impact, which is currently estimated to be minimal.
While the official justification for the bill centers on legal consistency, the timing of its introduction may strike some observers as a rapid shift in policy within a couple of years.
Wyoming is a “Constitutional Carry” state, but this has only applied to those 21 and older. For those between 18 and 20, the law is much more restrictive. Currently, an 18-year-old can carry a gun in Wyoming, under Wyo. Stat. § 6-8-104, however they cannot get a physical permit unless they utilize the “sheriff loophole” in Wyo. Stat. § 6-8-104(j), which requires a personal recommendation from local law enforcement—a hurdle that HB 96 is aimed to rectify.
As of now, Wyo. Stat. § 6-8-104(j) states that the sheriff of an applicant’s county of residence “may, at his discretion,” recommend a permit for those between 18 and 21, provided the sheriff has “personal knowledge of the applicant’s situation or circumstances which warrant the issuance.”
Explicitly, Section 2 of HB 96 states that this will be repealed, showing that nearly the entire House is in agreement that a young adult’s rights shouldn’t depend on which country they live in or who their sheriff is.
Representative Bill Allemand (R-Midwest), who is a cosponsor of the bill, said, “Last year we made progress on gun-free zones, but we realized there was a gap for those aged 18 to 20 who couldn’t get a permit to carry in those newly opened areas. HB 96 is the ‘fix’ that ensures no law-abiding adult is left behind.”
If the bill continues its successful run through the Senate and is signed by the Governor, the change is slated to take effect on July 1, 2026.
With the House Appropriations Committee now in possession of the bill, the clock is ticking. Under the current budget session schedule, the committee must report the bill back to the floor by February 19. Given that roughly 92% support was seen during the introduction vote, many Capitol observers expect the bill to breeze through committee and reach the Senate by late next week.
As HB 96 moves to the House Appropriations Committee, the window for public involvement is officially open. Because Wyoming’s committee meetings are open to the public, citizens are welcome to attend the next discussion in person at the State Capitol or observe via the Wyoming Legislature’s YouTube livestream.
