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Read. Follow. Verify.Wyoming Authorizes Department of Health to Contract with County Jails for Mentally Ill Detainees
Last action · March 6, 2026: Assigned Chapter Number 67
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What This Bill Does
The Wyoming Department of Health is authorized to designate county detention facilities as qualified and enter into contracts with them for holding, securing, examining, and treating mentally ill criminal defendants prior to competency evaluations or restoration. County jails under such contracts are formally included in the legal definition of a mental health facility under state law, effective July 1, 2026.
Expands the physical infrastructure available for housing accused persons awaiting competency proceedings beyond the state hospital, potentially altering placement protocols and county detention facility operations.
- State laws govern the custody, security, and medical evaluation of criminal defendants whose mental competency to stand trial is questioned. context
- Senate File 10 was sponsored by the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee during the 2026 legislative session in Wyoming. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Wyoming Department of Health
The department is granted the authority to designate county detention facilities and enter into contracts for holding and treating mentally ill detainees.
County detention facilities
County jails may enter into written contracts with the Department of Health to provide security, examination, or treatment to accused persons.
Mentally ill detainees
Accused persons undergoing competency evaluation or restoration may be housed, examined, or treated in contracted county detention facilities rather than just the state hospital.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What facilities can now hold and treat mentally ill detainees under this law?
When does this new law go into effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
24 actions- Mar 6, 2026Governor Signed SEA No. 0033
- Mar 6, 2026Assigned Chapter Number 67
- Mar 3, 2026HouseH Speaker Signed SEA No. 0033
- Mar 2, 2026SenateS Concur:Passed 30-0-1-0-0
- Mar 2, 2026Assigned Number SEA No. 0033
- Mar 2, 2026SenateS President Signed SEA No. 0033
Show 18 earlier actions
- Feb 26, 2026HouseH 3rd Reading:Passed 60-0-2-0-0
- Feb 26, 2026SenateS Received for Concurrence
- Feb 25, 2026HouseH 2nd Reading:Passed
- Feb 24, 2026HouseH COW:Passed
- Feb 23, 2026HouseH02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0
- Feb 23, 2026HouseH Placed on General File
- Feb 20, 2026HouseH10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0
- Feb 20, 2026House:Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations
- Feb 16, 2026HouseH Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor
- Feb 13, 2026SenateS 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0
- Feb 13, 2026HouseH Received for Introduction
- Feb 12, 2026SenateS 2nd Reading:Passed
- Feb 11, 2026SenateS COW:Passed
- Feb 10, 2026SenateS01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0
- Feb 10, 2026SenateS Placed on General File
- Feb 9, 2026SenateS Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary 31-0-0-0-0
- Jan 5, 2026SenateS Received for Introduction
- Dec 1, 2025Bill 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.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Decentralization of Competency Evaluation Housing
The state is expanding the legal definition of competency facilities from exclusively state-level or court-designated hospitals to include contracted county detention centers.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wyoleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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