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Read. Follow. Verify.Wyoming allocates $500,000 for a state engineer study on industrial and consumptive water use
Last action · February 23, 2026: H COW:H Did not consider for COWSponsors: Tomi Strock and 9 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Wyoming requires the state engineer to study the impacts of large-scale industrial and s that remove water from the , backed by a $500,000 , with a report due by November 1, 2026.
The measure establishes a dedicated $500,000 state fund through June 30, 2027, to examine how hydrogen production, data centers, and other heavy industrial water consumption affect municipal, agricultural, and domestic water users.
- The Wyoming State Engineer's Office is responsible for the general supervision, measurement, appropriation, and distribution of water across the state. context
- Interim legislative committees in Wyoming study policy issues and draft legislation between regular legislative sessions. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Wyoming water users
Municipal, domestic, agricultural, and recreational water users may see future legislative recommendations affecting water availability and protection against industrial depletion.
Industrial water users
State engineer's office
The office receives $500,000 and is mandated to conduct the study, draft legislative recommendations, and report to the legislative committee by November 1, 2026.
Key Facts
- The state engineer must conduct a study on the potential impacts of current and future consumptive water uses that remove water from the hydrological cycle.
- The study focuses on large-scale industrial water use, including data centers, carbon capture technologies, and hydrogen production.
- Normal evaporation losses incidental to irrigation, reservoir operation, domestic use, or standard industrial cooling are excluded from the large-scale industrial focus.
- The study must analyze current industrial water use impacts on other water users and provide legislative recommendations to limit impacts on beneficial uses.
Show all 7 facts
- The findings and recommendations must be reported to the joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee by November 1, 2026.
- The act appropriates $500,000 from the general fund to the state engineer's office, available from the effective date through June 30, 2027.
- Unexpended funds from the appropriation revert on June 30, 2027, and the appropriation is not to be included in the state engineer's standard budget for the next biennium.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of water use are specifically targeted by the study?
How much funding is provided for the study?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
8 actions- Feb 23, 2026HouseH COW:H Did not consider for COW
- Feb 16, 2026HouseH02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0
- Feb 16, 2026HouseH Placed on General File
- Feb 12, 2026HouseH05 - Agriculture:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0
- Feb 12, 2026HouseH05 - Agriculture:Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations
- Feb 10, 2026HouseH Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture 57-3-2-0-0
Show 2 earlier actions
- Feb 5, 2026HouseH Received for Introduction
- Feb 3, 2026Bill Number Assigned
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Targeted Scrutiny of Emerging Industrial Water Demands
The bill highlights a legislative focus on non-traditional industrial water consumers like hydrogen production and data centers, separating them from standard agricultural and domestic uses.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wyoleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy35Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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