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SF 109WYOMINGSession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

Wyoming Proposes $10 Million Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund for Grants and Workforce Programs

Original title: Cowboy state agricultural trust fund.

Last action · March 3, 2026: H COW:Failed 28-28-6-0-0Sponsors: Brian Boner and 7 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Senate File 109 establishes the Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund with a $10 million transfer from the state general fund, creating a committee to award matching grants for agricultural education, workforce training, and industry innovation beginning July 1, 2026.

Why it matters

The measure commits $10 million in state funds to establish a permanent trust, requiring recipients to provide at least a one-to-one non-state funding match before receiving grants for agricultural programs and research.

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.

Directly affected

Wyoming government entities

Eligible to apply for and receive matching grant funds from the trust, subject to annual reporting requirements.

Directly affected

educational institutions

Eligible for grants supporting agricultural education, workforce programs, and concurrent credit classes.

Directly affected

Wyoming Department of Agriculture

Required to promulgate implementation rules and provide staffing and administrative support for the newly created committee.

Key Facts

  • The bill establishes the Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund as a permanent, perpetual trust fund, with all deposited funds intended to be inviolate except for investment earnings and specific grants.
  • The state auditor is required to transfer $10 million from the general fund to the trust fund on the effective date of the act.
  • The state treasurer is directed to invest the fund to strive for the highest possible risk-adjusted total net return consistent with safety and liquidity.
  • A 10-member Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund Committee is created to oversee expenditures, develop application processes, and report annually to the legislature.
Show all 8 facts
  • Fund earnings are continuously appropriated to the committee exclusively to provide grants for agricultural education, workforce development, value-added projects, and operational technology.
  • Grants awarded from the fund require a mandatory one-to-one match of non-state funds for every dollar of trust funds.
  • Grant recipients must report to the committee at least annually on the expenditure of grant funds.
  • The Wyoming Department of Agriculture is required to provide staffing support and promulgate rules to implement the act.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the initial money for the trust fund come from?
The state auditor is required to transfer $10 million from the state general fund to the Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund upon the act's effective date.
Who is eligible to receive grants from the fund?
Wyoming government entities, educational institutions, and other qualified public entities incorporated in Wyoming are eligible to receive grants.
What matching fund requirements apply to the grants?
Grants must be matched in the ratio of one dollar of trust funds to not less than one dollar of matching non-state funds.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Failed in the House.

Procedural history

17 actions
  1. Mar 3, 2026House
    H COW:Failed 28-28-6-0-0
  2. Feb 27, 2026House
    H02 - Appropriations:Do Pass Failed 1-6-0-0-0
  3. Feb 27, 2026House
    H Placed on General File
  4. Feb 26, 2026House
    H05 - Agriculture:Recommend Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0
  5. Feb 26, 2026House
    H05 - Agriculture:Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations
  6. Feb 25, 2026House
    H Received for Introduction
Show 11 earlier actions
  1. Feb 25, 2026House
    H Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture
  2. Feb 24, 2026Senate
    S 3rd Reading:Passed 25-6-0-0-0
  3. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    S 2nd Reading:Passed
  4. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    S COW:Passed
  5. Feb 19, 2026Senate
    Recalled from Committee Pursuant to Senate Rule 5-5: 29-2-0-0-0
  6. Feb 17, 2026Senate
    S06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
  7. Feb 17, 2026Senate
    :Rerefer to S02 - Appropriations
  8. Feb 16, 2026Senate
    :Refer to S06 - Travel
  9. Feb 12, 2026Senate
    S Introduced and Referred to S04 - Education 25-6-0-0-0
  10. Feb 11, 2026Senate
    S Received for Introduction
  11. Feb 10, 2026
    Bill 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

Brian BonerSenate · District 2RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Dalton BanksHouse · District 26RepublicanCosponsor
Bob DavisHouse · District 47RepublicanCosponsor
Justin FornstromHouse · District 10RepublicanCosponsor
Tomi StrockHouse · District 6RepublicanCosponsor
Show 3 more sponsors
John WinterHouse · District 28RepublicanCosponsor
Ogden DriskillSenate · District 1RepublicanCosponsor
Taft LoveSenate · District 6RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Creation of Permanent Agricultural Endowment

The bill shifts state agricultural funding from annual appropriations toward a permanent, inviolate perpetual trust model reliant on investment earnings and matching funds.

Cowboy State Agricultural Trust Fund

Connected Entities

University of Wyoming college of agriculture, life sciences and natural resources, joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee, state auditor and 6 more
OrganizationUniversity of Wyoming college of agriculture, life sciences and natural resources“Eligible recipient for production agriculture programs and committee representat”Map →
Organizationjoint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee“Recipient of annual reports from the trust fund committee.”Map →
Personstate auditor“Responsible for transferring $10,000,000 from the general fund to the trust fund”Map →
OrganizationWyoming community colleges“Institutions participating in agriculture workforce development and concurrent c”Map →
Personstate treasurer“Responsible for investing the trust fund in accordance with law.”Map →
OrganizationUniversity of Wyoming“Institution for agriculture workforce development programs and initiatives.”Map →
OrganizationWyoming department of agriculture“Promulgates rules and provides staffing and administrative support for the commi”Map →
OrganizationWyoming business council“Chief executive officer serves on the trust fund committee.”Map →
OrganizationWyoming community college commission“Designates a representative to serve on the trust fund committee.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wyoleg.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz35
    Current news / social attention level

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