Contact Your Legislators

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS

Below is information on how you can participate with your Wyoming State Legislatures on the issues that interest you. The following information was taken from the Wyoming State Legislature website at http://legisweb.state.wy.us/

FACT SHEET

How To Participate In The Legislative Process During Legislative Sessions
The Wyoming Legislature offers a variety of services to help Wyoming residents actively participate in legislative sessions, whether you are in the Capitol or in your hometown. The information below explains services provided by the Wyoming Legislature to ensure your participation in the legislative process when the Legislature is in session.

General Telephone Messages And Correspondence For Legislators
If you would like to contact a legislator directly during the session, call the Senate Receptionist at (307) 777-7711 or the House Receptionist at (307) 777-7852 to leave a brief message for a member. Written mail may be directed to a designated legislator in care of the Wyoming House or Senate, State Capitol, Cheyenne, WY, 82002. Fax messages may be sent to a designated legislator at (307) 777-5466.

Contacting Legislators By E-Mail
You may also contact members of the Wyoming Legislature via e-mail. Many legislators use e-mail to correspond with their constituents and other members of the public. This is one of the most effective ways to communicate with legislators, especially if you would like to provide more detailed information than is available through the various telephone services. Legislators who can be contacted by e-mail are listed on the Legislature’s Web site at http://legisweb.state.wy.us.

Voter Hotline
During the legislative session, you can recommend a vote for or against a particular piece of legislation by calling the Voter Hotline. Other than recommending that a legislator vote for or against an identified bill, you cannot leave a general message for legislators through this service. While it is not possible to speak directly with a legislator on the Voter Hotline, the recommendations are quickly delivered to legislators. Please keep in mind legislators consider a variety of factors when making decisions about how to vote on pending legislation. The Voter Hotline is a toll-free call within Wyoming at 1-866-996-8683. Local callers within the Cheyenne area should call 777-VOTE (777-8683). The Hotline is operational on days the Legislature is in session from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Bill Status Hotline
You can call the Bill Status Information Service toll-free within Wyoming at 1-800-342-9570 to obtain the current status of any bill in the legislative process. This is a limited service that provides information about where the bill is in the process, but does not provide information about the details of the legislation. In addition, callers cannot leave messages for legislators at this telephone number. This service is available on days the Legislature is in session from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Out-of-state callers should dial (307) 777-6185 for this service.

Hearing Impaired Service
If you have a hearing impairment, call the toll-free Wyoming Relay Service for information on any bill. The number is 1-800-877-9965 for TDD or Text Telephones. Ask the Wyoming Relay Service operator to dial (307) 777-6185 to obtain the status on bills. This service is available to all Wyoming residents with hearing impairments.

Information On The Legislature's Website
A great deal of legislative information is available electronically through the Wyoming Legislature’s Website at http://legisweb.state.wy.us. This site can also be accessed through the State of Wyoming’s Web page. During legislative sessions, the Web site will be updated daily with important legislative information, including the text of all introduced, engrossed, and enrolled bills; information about amendments; a record of all roll call votes; record ofactions taken on bills; bill status; Senate and House daily calendars; and standing committee meeting schedules.

Wyoming Legislative Service Office
213 State Capitol • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002
307-777-7881 • FAX 307-777-5466
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://legisweb.state.wy.us

Streaming Audio Of Legislative Proceedings
Live and archived audio proceedings of the Wyoming Senate and the Wyoming House of Representatives are available on the Wyoming Legislature’s Web site. A link will be prominently displayed on the Web site when the session begins that provides the option of listening to live proceedings, if the House and Senate are convened, and an archive of daily legislative proceedings. If you are having trouble hearing sound on your computer when the Houseor Senate are in session, please click on the Audio Troubleshooting Guide for assistance. The system will not stream live audio when the House and Senate are adjourned, at recess, or at ease for more than 15 minutes.

Electronic And Paper Copies Of Legislation (House Bills And Senate Files)
The text of each bill will be posted on the Legislature’s Web site as soon as the legislation is assigned a bill number. Fiscal notes are also included on the Web site, which provide information about the fiscal impact of the bill. The text of each bill that passes one house (called “engrossed bills”) and bills that are passed by the Legislature (called “enrolled acts”) are posted on the site as they are approved. Bills can be viewed by subject or sponsor. If you do not have Internet access to obtain copies of bills, you can call the Legislative Service Office at (307) 777-7881 to request paper copies of legislation for a minimal fee. The Office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on days the Legislature is in session. If you need a paper copy of a bill when you are in the Capitol, you can purchase copies at the Legislative Service Office in Room 213 of the Capitol for 10 cents per page.

Amendments To Legislation
You can obtain paper copies of House and Senate amendments under consideration each day at the Legislative Service Office in Room 213 free of charge. Amendments under consideration each day are also listed on the legislative Web site when they are released for distribution. Amendments that have been adopted are compiled daily and summaries are available in the Rotunda, the LSO Main Office, and the House and Senate lobbies. Adopted House amendments are printed on yellow paper and adopted Senate amendments are printed on green paper.

Bill Status Informaiton
In addition to the Bill Status Hotline telephone service described above, the Legislature’s Web site provides information regarding the current status of each bill under consideration, as well as previous actions on the bill (journal digest). The journal digest includes the dates actions were taken on the bill, all roll call votes related to the bill, and the text of all amendments offered regarding the bill. Paper copies of bill status information are available in the Rotunda, the LSO Main Office in Room 213, and the House and Senate lobbies. This information is printed onpurple paper.

Senate and House Schedules
Calendars for floor proceedings in the Senate and House of Representatives will be available on the Legislature’s Web site in the late afternoon for the next day’s floor proceedings in each chamber. The calendars include legislation under consideration and the general order of business. Paper copies of the House and Senate calendars are available daily in the Rotunda, the LSO Main Office in Room 213, and the House and Senate lobbies. House information is printed on yellow paper and Senate information is printed on green paper.

Standing Committee Meetings
During the session, when a bill is introduced in either the Senate or the House, it is sent to a standing committee for review and to receive public comment. You are welcome to attend standing committee meetings and to testify for or against legislation. If you would like to provide written information to the Committee, you will be requested to fill out a Committee Handout Form at the meeting (copies of the form are also available on the Legislature’s Web site). You are encouraged to e-mail an electronic copy of your handout to the LSO at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , so staff can maintain an electronic archive of committee handouts. A schedule of Standing Committee meetings and the bills that will be considered by each committee for the next legislative working day will be posted on the Legislature’s Web site each day in the late afternoon. Meeting notices are also posted outside the House and Senate lobbies and on committee doors. Paper copies of the House and Senate standing committee meeting schedules are available daily free of charge in the Rotunda, the LSO Main Office in Room 213, and the House and Senate lobbies. House committee schedules are printed on yellow paper and Senate committee schedules are printed on green paper.

Legislative Process Informational Videos
To better understand the legislative process, the Wyoming Legislature and Wyoming PBS have produced two videos that explain legislative process and budgeting issues. The Wyoming Legislature has provided every public library, community college library, and K-12 library in Wyoming with copies of these informative videos. Wyoming’s Citizen Legislature: A Guide to Wyoming’s Legislative Process explains how a bill becomes a law, while Wyoming’s Citizen Legislature: The Budget Process, explains the State’s budgeting process.

Attending Committee Meetings
Attending committee meetings to voice your opinion on issues before the Legislature is a great way to participate in the process. Below are a few guidelines to follow when attending committee meetings. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact the committee staff or read our companion brochure: I’m Going to Appear Before a Legislative Committee, which can be downloaded from the link on the left-hand side of this page.

If You Would Like to Attend a Committee Meeting When you arrive at the committee meeting room, please sign the official meeting Attendance Sheet indicating your attendance at the committee meeting. You can keep track of the committee’s schedule by reading the notices on the committee room door, by following the daily calendar available outside the Senate Lobby, the House Lobby, or Capitol Rotunda, or by checking the Committee Meeting Schedule on the Wyoming Legislature’s Web site from the link on the left-hand side of this page.

If You Want to Give a Handout to the Committee
If you would like to provide written information to the committee and you would like your handout to be part of the official committee record, please fill out the Committee Handout Form when you arrive at the meeting room and give the form and a copy of your handout (including an electronic copy, if available) to the committee staff. Please bring enough copies of your information for the committee, the committee staff, and interested members of the audience. You can also e-mail an electronic copy to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please include the committee name, meeting date, document author, document provider, and agenda item in the body of the e-mail or include an electronic copy of this form along with your submission. Electronic copies of the form can be downloaded in either Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word from the links on the left-hand side of this page.

If You Would Like to Address the Committee
Individuals who wish to address the committee will be recognized and called on by the Chairman to speak. After the Chairman has recognized you, please stand and address the Chairman (i.e. “Mr. Chairman”). Then, clearly state your name and the name of the organization you represent prior to addressing the committee. All comments, questions, and responses must flow through the Chairman by addressing the Chairman each time you wish to speak. This procedure ensures an orderly flow of discussion during the committee meeting. Contact your legislators and let your opinion on substance abuse prevention, intervention and treatment be heard. Go to the Wyoming State Legislature website to learn more about how you can get involved!

The Citizens Guide to the Wyoming Legislature also has a wealth of information specifically for citizens.