A bill aimed at improving support for Wyoming families failed to pass during the recent legislative session, highlighting the growing influence of government skepticism in state politics, Wyo File reports.
House Bill 48, later reintroduced as Senate File 157, would have allowed the Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) to use confidential data more effectively to improve early intervention programs and better target services for vulnerable families.
Despite being vetted for two years and receiving bipartisan support from policymakers, the legislation was ultimately defeated in committee votes. Lawmakers who opposed the bill expressed concerns over privacy and government overreach, with some citing personal experiences with DFS investigations as influencing their decisions.
Proponents of the bill emphasized that the proposed changes would not alter DFS’s ability to conduct investigations but would instead improve how the agency used data to help at-risk families. The goal was to provide earlier support to families before situations escalated to legal intervention, as well as to analyze the effectiveness of existing state-funded programs.
“We thought this was a nice clean-up deal,” said Rep. Lloyd Larsen, R-Fremont, one of the bill’s sponsors.
DFS officials assured lawmakers that all data would remain confidential and that the bill’s purpose was to improve the state’s ability to provide necessary services. However, opposition to the measure focused less on its details and more on broader mistrust of government agencies, particularly DFS.
During a committee hearing, Rep. Joel Guggenmos, R-Riverton, shared his personal experience with DFS, recounting an investigation into his family after he and his wife chose to discontinue chemotherapy for their child. While no charges were filed and their custody was never in question, Guggenmos described the investigation as invasive and deeply distressing.
Similarly, Rep. Darin McCann, R-Rock Springs, voiced skepticism toward DFS, citing past experiences with child welfare agencies in another state. Although unrelated to Wyoming’s DFS, McCann suggested that government agencies across the country tend to “overstep their bounds.”
The combination of these personal experiences and broader concerns about government intervention led to a narrow defeat of the bill in the House Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee with a 4-4 vote. A tie vote prevents a bill from advancing.
Advocates for the bill, including DFS officials, argue that better data-sharing could help families receive necessary services before facing crisis situations. However, in a legislature increasingly dominated by government skeptics, lawmakers remain cautious about expanding agency authority—even in efforts meant to assist families.
While this bill failed, some lawmakers and agency officials believe that as new legislators gain a deeper understanding of DFS’s role, future legislation aimed at improving family services may have a better chance of passing.
