Wyoming’s Joint Judiciary Committee will not sponsor House Bill 77, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported Oct. 27. The bill would have voided every noncompete agreement still in effect in the state by removing the grandfather clause from Wyoming’s 2025 noncompete ban.
The 2025 law kept noncompete agreements signed before July 1, 2025, in force. The committee’s Senate members passed the bill, but its House members voted it down, so the committee will not sponsor it.
State Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, presented the bill. It came out of the Health Insurance Affordability Task Force, which she co-chairs. Ms. Nethercott said healthcare stakeholders told the task force that noncompetes are blocking Wyoming residents from getting care, and that many medical associations agree.
“There are patients being harmed as a result of their inability to access urgent medical care in the communities for which they live, because there are no providers offering the service legally because they are bound by noncompetes,” she said.
Ms. Nethercott said a noncompete takes effect when a worker leaves an employer. Because of that, she said, the grandfather clause could keep some employees bound 10 to 15 years from now, after their peers are no longer covered.
Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, backed the bill and said Wyoming’s rural geography makes delivering care harder. Rep. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne, proposed limiting the bill to the medical field. Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan, asked for data to support the measure. Committee co-Chair Rep. Art Washut, R-Casper, noted the bill would reach industries beyond healthcare.
The 69th Wyoming Legislature’s general session begins Jan. 12.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
