AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; creating the crime of promoting obscenity to minors; amending the crime of promoting obscenity as specified; providing and amending definitions; prohibiting public school libraries and county libraries from curating materials that are harmful to minors; repealing an exemption from the crime of promoting obscenity for activities conducted in the course of employment at a school, college, university, museum or public library; repealing obsolete provisions; and providing for an effective date.
HB0072 would expand Wyoming’s obscenity laws by creating a new crime of promoting obscenity to minors and by broadening the statutory definitions of “disseminate,” “material,” and related terms. The bill makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly distribute, promote, or electronically transmit material harmful to minors, including certain live performances or events, and sets a penalty of up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $6,000, or both. It also revises existing obscenity exemptions to clarify that certain law enforcement, judicial, health care, parental, and sex-education activities are not covered by the prohibition.
A major policy change in the bill is its treatment of libraries. HB0072 would prohibit public school libraries and county libraries that curate collections for minors from curating materials harmful to minors, and it establishes a challenge-and-review process for contested materials. If a challenged item is found to be obscene or harmful to minors, it must be moved to an adult section and made inaccessible to minors unless a parent or guardian gives permission. The bill also repeals an existing exemption for obscene-material-related activities conducted in the course of employment at a school, college, university, museum, or public library, and removes obsolete statutory provisions.
The bill’s impact on state law would be significant because it would add a new criminal offense, expand the reach of obscenity enforcement to electronic communications and events, and impose new compliance obligations on school and county libraries. It would affect librarians, educators, parents, performers, publishers, and anyone distributing material that could be deemed harmful to minors, while also creating a formal process for public challenges to library holdings.
No committee discussion or vote record is available in the provided materials, and the bill’s last action was “Did not Consider for Introduction.” As a result, there is no recorded legislative sentiment from debate or roll call votes. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a restrictive approach to minors’ access to sexual content and library materials, but the absence of hearings or votes means there is no documented support or opposition in the supplied record.
The most likely points of contention would be the breadth of the definitions of harmful material, the inclusion of live performances and electronic communications, and the library restrictions and challenge process. Supporters would likely emphasize child protection and parental control, while critics would likely focus on free speech concerns, vagueness, and the potential for censorship or burdens on schools and libraries.
HB0072 would amend Wyoming’s criminal code to create a new misdemeanor offense for promoting obscenity to minors and to expand the scope of existing obscenity provisions. It would also impose new restrictions on public school libraries and county libraries serving minors, requiring them to remove or relocate challenged materials deemed harmful to minors. The bill would repeal an exemption for certain employment-related activities at schools, colleges, museums, and public libraries, and it would take effect July 1, 2026 if enacted.
No committee transcript or vote history is provided, and the bill did not advance for introduction, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment from debate or voting. The text suggests the bill is aimed at restricting minors’ access to sexual or obscene material, which would likely draw support from proponents of parental rights and child protection, while also likely generating opposition from free-speech advocates, librarians, educators, and others concerned about censorship and overbreadth.
The main points of contention are likely to be the bill’s broad definitions of “harmful to minors,” its inclusion of live performances and electronic communications, and its requirement that school and county libraries remove challenged materials from minors’ access. Opponents would likely argue that the bill could chill protected expression and create vague enforcement standards, while supporters would likely argue that it is necessary to prevent minors from accessing explicit content and to give parents and libraries clearer authority to restrict such material.