Merit Institute Merit

The Wyoming Pro-Entrepreneurship & AI Workforce Act (WY-AI-Workforce)

Wyoming state companion to AI Workforce. Given no state income tax, the training incentive is structured as a Wyoming Business Council reinvestment payment and Workforce Development Training Fund grant.

THE WYOMING PRO-ENTREPRENEURSHIP & AI WORKFORCE ACT (WY-AI-WORKFORCE)

Vehicle: State passage. Wyoming Legislature, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Labor, Health and Social Services / Revenue / Appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Wyoming Pro-Entrepreneurship & AI Workforce Act (WY-AI-Workforce).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The Legislature finds that Wyoming levies no personal income tax and no general corporate income tax; that Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 17 governs corporations; that the Wyoming Business Council operates under Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 9 Ch. 12 and administers the Business Ready Community (BRC) grant program; that the Department of Workforce Services administers the Workforce Development Training Fund; that the Wyoming Innovation Partnership coordinates postsecondary and workforce alignment; and that the University of Wyoming and Wyoming Community College Commission support technology commercialization. This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH WYOMING LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “Qualified Wyoming AI Workforce Training” means training toward a WYRMC or Federal FRAC in AI fields.
  2. (b) “Wyoming Innovation Sandbox” means a regulatory sandbox under Title III.
  3. (c) “Qualified small business” has the meaning given in Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 17.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Wyoming Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 17 (corporations).
  • Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 9 Ch. 12 (Wyoming Business Council; BRC).
  • Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 9 Ch. 2 Art. 20 (Department of Workforce Services).
  • Wyoming Financial Technology Sandbox Act (Wyo. Stat. Ann. Sec. 40-29-101 et seq.).

TITLE II — WYOMING AI WORKFORCE TRAINING INCENTIVE (No-Corporate-Tax Rewire)

Sec. 201. Direct Grant / Reinvestment Payment

  1. (a) Given that Wyoming levies no individual or general corporate income tax, no tax credit is imposed against such taxes. The incentive is structured as:
  • (i) A direct workforce grant from the Workforce Development Training Fund under Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 9 Ch. 2 Art. 20 for qualified AI workforce training expenditures, and/or
  • (ii) A BRC-adjacent reinvestment payment administered by the Wyoming Business Council under Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 9 Ch. 12.
  1. (b) Eligible expenditure base mirrors federal IRC Sec. 45BB; aggregate cap.
  2. (c) Award equals 30% of eligible expenditures capped at $3,000 per employee / $150,000 per employer annually.
  3. (d) Wyoming Business Council and Department of Workforce Services jointly administer.

Sec. 202. Coordination with Wyoming Innovation Partnership

  1. (a) The Wyoming Innovation Partnership shall publish a list of qualifying WYRMC and Federal FRAC pathways.

TITLE III — WYOMING INNOVATION SANDBOX

Sec. 301. Establishment

  1. (a) The Wyoming Business Council, in coordination with the Secretary of State and Division of Banking, shall operate a Wyoming Innovation Sandbox under Wyo. Stat. Ann. Sec. 40-29-101 et seq. (Financial Technology Sandbox Act), with scope expansion as authorized herein.
  2. (b) Twenty-four-month terms; renewable.

Sec. 302. Scope

  1. (a) Covers state-licensed activities in occupational-licensure boards under Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 33 and financial-institution activities under Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 13 and Title 40, to the extent not preempted.

TITLE IV — SMALL-BUSINESS FORMATION

Sec. 401. Expedited Formation Pathway

  1. (a) The Secretary of State shall implement an expedited formation pathway for Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 17 entities within 24 hours.

Sec. 402. Single-Portal Licensing

  1. (a) Wyoming.gov business services shall operate a single-portal licensing system for state-level occupational licenses under Wyo. Stat. Ann. Title 33.

TITLE V — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 501. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 502. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect July 1 of the year following enactment.


Canonical federal version: AI Workforce. Other Wyoming bills: WY-ACSA, WY-MEWRA, WY-GT&P.