Payment of warrants; budget powers of governor; agency budgets; federal funds; new employees.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 9-2-1005
in effect(a) No warrant shall be drawn by the auditor or paid by the treasurer:
(i) Unless funds have been previously appropriated or otherwise authorized by law for that purpose;
(ii) When it has been certified by the department that a state agency is in nonconformance with its approved budget;
(iii) If the amount sought to be expended would exceed the appropriation or other funds authorized for its use by law. Reductions imposed upon expenditures pursuant to W.S. 9-2-1014.2 and adjustments to appropriations authorized under W.S. 9-2-1014.2 or other law shall be applied in determining whether an expenditure exceeds an appropriation or other funds authorized;
(iv) If the expenditure is in nonconformance with the amounts, programs and approved budget authorized by legislative appropriation acts except upon notice to the legislature if required and approval of the governor as provided by subsection (b) of this section;
(v) If the agency for which the expenditure was authorized is in noncompliance with a provision of a legislative appropriation act relating to the expenditure;
(vi) If the expenditure relates to a capital improvement project for which total appropriations and authorizations for the project are insufficient except as otherwise authorized by law;
(vii) If the expenditure is for salaries for employees exceeding the maximum number of employees for the agency authorized by a legislative appropriation act except upon notice to the legislature if required and approval of the governor as provided by subsection (b) of this section;
(viii) If the expenditure of general fund monies is requested for a program other than the program for which the expenditure was authorized by the legislature;
(ix) If the expenditure of nonfederal monies appropriated for the personal services budget by a legislative appropriation act is requested for any other purpose;
(x) If the expenditure was authorized for capital improvements but sought to be expended for any other purpose;
(xi) If the expenditure is requested from federal revenues exceeding the amount authorized by a legislative appropriation act except upon notice to the legislature and approval of the governor as provided by paragraph (b)(iii) and subsection (g) of this section;
(xii) If the expenditure is for data processing hardware, software, consultants or training and exceeds the small purchase amount established by the department of enterprise technology services, unless specifically approved by one (1) of the following:
(A) President of the University of Wyoming for the University of Wyoming;
(B) The state chief information officer. A purchase shall not be approved pursuant to this subparagraph if it fails to conform with the criteria developed pursuant to W.S. 9-2-2906(b)(iii);
(C) Chief justice of the supreme court for the judicial branch;
(D) Director of the legislative service office for the legislative branch; or
(E) President of each community college for his respective community college.
(xiii) If the expenditure or disbursement is in violation of subsection (q) of this section or otherwise in violation of law.
(b) Subject to subsections (c), (g) and (q) of this section, the governor may:
(i) Authorize revisions, changes or redistributions to approved budgets;
(ii) Authorize revisions, changes, redistributions or increases to amounts authorized for expenditure by legislative appropriation acts from fund sources identified in W.S. 9-4-204(t) as special revenue funds, capital project funds, debt service funds or proprietary fund types, and from federal funds as provided under paragraph (iii) of this subsection, subsections (g) and (q) of this section and W.S. 9-4-206, if in his opinion a public welfare emergency exists, general fund appropriations can be conserved, agency program requirements have significantly changed or unanticipated revenues from fund sources specified in this paragraph become available and qualify pursuant to W.S. 9-2-1006(a). For any revision, change, redistribution or increase in amounts authorized for expenditure under this paragraph in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00), the governor's office shall:
(A) Notify the legislature at least ten (10) days in advance of the exercise of authority; or
(B) Notify the legislature as soon as practicable after the exercise of authority if the governor determines immediate action is necessary to preserve the public health, safety or welfare or to prevent the potential loss of funds; and
(C) In all cases identify in the notice the amount, purpose and specified fund source of the revision, change, redistribution or increase.
(iii) Subject to subsections (g) and (q) of this section, authorize the receipt and expenditure of federal revenues exceeding the amount authorized by a legislative appropriation act as provided by W.S. 9-4-206(b);
(iv) Authorize the implementation of the personnel classification and compensation plan consistent with W.S. 9-2-3207;
(v) Authorize transfer of a contingent appropriation to an account or fund to prevent a budget shortfall for any account or fund in accordance with W.S. 9-2-1014.2 and any other condition on the appropriation;
(vi) Authorize the transfer and expenditure of funds to address a public welfare emergency in accordance with W.S. 9-2-1014.3.
(c) The governor shall not:
(i) Authorize an increase in the amount appropriated to any agency by any legislative appropriation act except as authorized by law from the following:
(A) Fund types specified in paragraph (b)(ii) of this section;
(B) Allocations from a contingent appropriation under W.S. 9-2-1014.2 or an appropriation under W.S. 9-2-1014.3, if any;
(C) Federal revenues received as provided under paragraph (b)(iii) and subsections (g) and (q) of this section and W.S. 9-4-206.
(ii) Unless authorized by a legislative appropriation act, authorize funds appropriated from the general fund for one (1) program as represented by line appropriations within any legislative appropriation act to be used for another program.
(d) The state auditor, state treasurer and director of the state department of audit shall assist the governor and the department in carrying out legislative appropriation acts with respect to the audit, record keeping and control of budgets approved thereunder.
(e) Repealed by Laws 2021, ch. 124, § 3.
(f) The joint appropriations committee of the legislature shall compile the approved budget for each agency's appropriation and transmit the budget to the governor and the agency.
(g) No federal funds in excess of amounts approved by any legislative appropriations act may be accepted or expended until approved by the governor in writing. If the governor disapproves the acceptance or expenditure of federal funds under this subsection and the federal funds are accepted or expended, the state auditor shall not draw any warrant nor shall the state treasurer pay any warrant which would result in the disbursement of funds, directly or indirectly through contracts for services, to the public or private entity involved. For any acceptance or expenditure of federal funds under this paragraph in excess of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00), the governor's office:
(i) If the funds are restricted by federal or state law for a specified purpose and will be expended as a supplemental addition for a program with an approved budget, shall notify the legislature at least ten (10) days in advance of approving the acceptance or expenditure of federal funds, except as provided in paragraph (iii) of this subsection and subject to paragraph (iv) of this subsection;
(ii) If the funds are not restricted by federal or state law for a specified purpose or are restricted by law but will not be expended as a supplemental addition for a program with an approved budget, shall notify the legislature as soon as practicable and proceed as provided in W.S. 9-4-206(b). Except as provided in paragraph (iii) of this subsection, the governor shall not accept federal funds subject to this paragraph until the requirements of W.S. 9-4-206(b) have been met;
(iii) May accept federal funds and notify the legislature as soon as practicable, if the governor determines immediate action is necessary to preserve the public health, safety or welfare or to prevent the potential loss of funds subject to paragraph (iv) of this subsection. If the funds meet the provisions of paragraph (ii) or subparagraphs (iv)(A) or (B) of this subsection they shall not be expended until the provisions of paragraph (ii) and W.S. 9-4-206(b) are met, unless the governor notifies the management council that immediate expenditure of the funds is necessary to preserve the public health, safety or welfare or to prevent the potential loss of funds. If such a determination is made, funds not required to be expended immediately shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph (ii) of this subsection and W.S. 9-4-206(b). If the determination under subparagraph (iv)(A) or (B) of this subsection has been made, the governor shall not expend any funds solely to prevent the potential loss of funds until the requirements of W.S. 9-4-206(b) have been met;
(iv) Shall in all cases identify in the notice the amount, intended use and source of the federal funds, whether the state is obligated or is anticipated to expend general or other state funds and whether the state's taxing or appropriation authority is in any manner limited as a result of the acceptance or expenditure of federal funds. The amount and source of the state funds to be expended or estimated to be expended and the effect on the state's taxing or appropriation authority as a result of the acceptance or expenditure of federal funds shall be identified by the governor's office for the fiscal biennium in which the federal funds are accepted and for the next two (2) immediately succeeding fiscal biennia. The governor's office shall notify the legislature as soon as practicable if the office determines that as a result of the acceptance or expenditure of the federal funds:
(A) The state is obligated or is anticipated to expend general or other state funds in excess of ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) in any fiscal biennium including, but not limited to, the expenditure of general or other state funds as a result of a state agency's or a political subdivision's obligation to meet any maintenance of effort, maintenance of equity or maintenance of financial support requirement reportable under subparagraph (q)(i)(A) of this section. If so, the governor's office shall proceed as provided in W.S. 9-4-206(b) and shall not accept the federal funds until the requirements of W.S. 9-4-206(b) have been met, except that the governor may accept the federal funds as necessary to preserve health, safety or welfare and in accordance with paragraph (iii) of this subsection; or
(B) The state's taxing or appropriation authority is in any manner limited. If so, the governor's office shall proceed as provided in W.S. 9-4-206(b) and shall not accept the federal funds until the requirements of W.S. 9-4-206(b) have been met, except that the governor may accept the federal funds as necessary to preserve health, safety or welfare and in accordance with paragraph (iii) of this subsection.
(h) Repealed by Laws 1985, ch. 232, § 202.
(j) Repealed By Laws 2000, Ch. 48, § 3.
(k) Repealed By Laws 2003, Ch. 120, § 3.
(m) Repealed By Laws 2003, Ch. 120, § 3.
(n) Repealed By Laws 2003, Ch. 120, § 3.
(o) The governor shall report monthly to the legislature on the use of the flex authority authorized under this section or any legislative appropriation act during each biennium. The report shall specify:
(i) Appropriations and authorized positions transferred during the biennium, including transfers between expenditure series, programs and agencies with a detailed written description of the transfer;
(ii) Use of the flex authority or authority under paragraph (b)(v) or (vi) of this section to expend a contingent appropriation to avoid a reduction of expenditures pursuant to W.S. 9-2-1014.2 or to address a public welfare emergency pursuant to W.S. 9-2-1014.3.
(p) The governor shall make available monthly for public inspection information on the exercise of his authority under paragraphs (b)(i), (ii), (iii), (v) and (vi) and subsection (g) of this section and under W.S. 9-2-1014.2 and 9-2-1014.3 for the immediately preceding month. The information shall be made available on the Wyoming public finance and expenditure of funds website created by W.S. 9-2-3220(a).
(q) Prior to accepting any federal funds in excess of the amount authorized by a legislative appropriation act, whether pursuant to the authority under this section or any other provision of law, a state agency which receives an appropriation from the legislature shall:
(i) Report to the governor's office if, as a result of accepting or expending the funds:
(A) The state or any political subdivision of the state would be obligated to meet any maintenance of effort, maintenance of equity or maintenance of financial support requirement that is increased or did not exist at the time of enactment of the state legislative act authorizing acceptance of, or providing the initial appropriation of, the federal funds; or
(B) The state's taxing or appropriation authority is in any manner limited.
(ii) Include in the report required by paragraph (i) of this subsection, for the fiscal biennium in which the federal funds are accepted and for the next two (2) immediately succeeding fiscal biennia:
(A) Both the dollar amount of any anticipated expenditure of nonfederal funds and the percentage increase in any maintenance of effort, maintenance of equity or maintenance of financial support requirement over the requirement existing at the time of the enactment of the state legislative act;
(B) The specific limitation on the state's taxing or appropriation authority.
(iii) Not accept or expend the funds whether directly or by disbursement to other entities until approved by the governor in writing.
(r) The governor's approval under subsection (q) of this section shall be subject to and in accordance with the requirements of subsection (g) of this section. The reporting and approval requirements of subsection (q) of this section are in addition to other requirements imposed by law. The requirements of subsection (q) of this section shall not be applicable to federal funds authorized by a federal enactment which is specifically identified by a state legislative act explicitly appropriating the federal funds or explicitly approving the acceptance or expenditure of the federal funds.
Source: WY Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title09.pdfFetched: 10/4/2026