Non-Discrimination Employment Bill Filed In Wyoming Legislature

A bill that would ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity has been filed in the Wyoming Legislature.

House Bill 230 is sponsored by Rep. Dan Zownitzer [R-Laramie County]. The bill has four co-sponsors, including two members of each major party and both houses of the legislature.

The bill includes a specific exemption for religious organizations.

The proposal is somewhat narrower in scope than other non-discrimination bills which have been filed in the legislature in recent years, which also targeted discrimination against LGBTQ people in housing and public accommodations.

The communities of Jackson and Laramie have passed local anti-discrimination ordinances to protect LGBTQ people in recent years. Cheyenne has not passed such a law, but Mayor Marian Orr recently announced a policy protecting LGBTQ people from job discrimination in city employment.

The mayor has long been a proponent of a statewide non-discrimination law and said prior to the 2019 legislative session that she planned to lobby lawmakers for such legislation.

House Bill 230 was filed on Thursday and so far has not had a committee hearing.