Wyoming Bills To Exempt Horse Riders from DUI Laws, Recall City Officials

The 2026 Budget session of the Wyoming Legislature starts on Monday, February 9.

While the deadline for filing bills for the session is still more than a week away on Friday, February 13, quite a few proposed pieces of legislation have already been put forward.

As of Wednesday morning, February 4, 1 total of 93 bills had been filed in the Wyoming House and 70 more in the Senate. A total of two proposed senate resolutions and four more in the House.

The 2026 session is a budget session, meaning the primary focus is on devising a budget for state government for the next two years. However, non-budget bills can be introduced with a 2/3 majority vote.

Despite that higher threshold for introduction, there has been a trend towards proposing more non-budget items during budget sessions.

The  Saddles, Not Steering Wheels Bill

Among the non-budget bills that have been proposed so far in 2026 are the following:

House Bill 31. The saddles, not steering wheels act. Specifies the Wyoming driving under the influence laws do not apply to people riding horses, mules or other equines. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Julie Jarvis [R-Natrona County]. Co-sponsors include Reps. Campbell, E, Davis, Filer, Wharff, Williams and Senator(s) Anderson, Driskill, Jones, Landen.

It's not entirely clear why the law is needed, since a horse is already not classified as a vehicle under state law. A drunken horse rider in Wyoming could be charged with public intoxication. The bill does nothing to change that.

The public intoxication charge for riding while drunk is documented to have happened at least once, in Cody in 2009.

Recalling City Officials Bill

House Bill 22. Recall of elected municipal officials. Would let voters petition for a recall of municipal officials. It would require getting the signatures of 25 percent of the registered voters in a town or city. If the signatures are verified as valid and meet the required number, a recall election would have to be called within 30 to 40 days. The person removed from office would be allowed to run in the special election if they choose to do so. The winner of the special election would fill out the remainder of the term in office of the person removed.

Current state law only allows recalling city officials if a municipality is governed by a city commission. That form of government is not currently being used anywhere in the state.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Scott Heiner [R-Sweetwater, Lincoln, Uinta counties]. Co-sponsors include Reps. Allemand, Bear, Campbell, K and Neiman and Senator(s) Laursen, D and Pearson.