Department of transportation-efficiency study.
HB0034 would appropriate $750,000 from the highway fund to the governor’s office to pay for an independent third-party efficiency study of the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). The study would be conducted in consultation with the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee and would examine WYDOT’s rules, policies, procedures, staffing, resource distribution across the state, and design/construction practices and technologies, including engineering specifications.
The bill also requires an anonymous survey of all WYDOT employees to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, cost savings, and operational improvements. The final report, due no later than July 1, 2026, must be delivered to the governor, WYDOT, and the interim committee and include identified efficiencies, recommendations, and any suggested statutory, regulatory, policy, or procedural changes. The appropriation is contingent on the bill becoming law and would not be distributed before April 1, 2025; the act is also contingent on enactment of HB0029 and HB0033.
If enacted, HB0034 would not directly reorganize WYDOT or change transportation law on its own, but it would create a formal review process funded by the highway fund and place the governor’s office in charge of administering the study. It would affect state spending, highway fund allocations, and the oversight relationship between the executive branch, WYDOT, and the legislative transportation committee. The bill could lead to later statutory, rule, or policy changes based on the study’s recommendations, but those changes would occur only if separately adopted.
The committee vote history suggests mixed but generally cautious support for the concept of an efficiency review. The Transportation Committee advanced the bill on a 7-2 vote with a recommendation to amend and do pass, indicating substantial support for studying WYDOT operations. However, the Appropriations Committee later failed to advance it on a 2-5 vote, suggesting concern about the cost, funding source, or broader budget priorities. No transcript was provided, so the available record shows support for the idea of efficiency improvements but resistance at the appropriations stage.
The main points of contention appear to be the $750,000 appropriation from the highway fund and whether the study’s benefits justify that expense. Another likely issue is the bill’s contingent structure: it depends on enactment of HB0029 and HB0033, which may have made the proposal part of a broader package rather than a standalone study. Supporters likely view the bill as a way to identify cost savings and operational improvements at WYDOT, while opponents appear to have questioned the fiscal impact or necessity of funding an outside review.