HB 9 (2026): What You Need to Know & Why It Matters

House Bill 9 (2026) is an unnecessary, unconstitutional proposal that puts families at risk and interferes with parental decision-making — without improving safety for kids.

🔗 Bill text: https://wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2026/HB0009

Below are the key talking points.

Why HB 9 Is Unnecessary

Wyoming law already makes it illegal to harm, exploit, or sexually target minors. Existing statutes cover:

  • Soliciting minors for sex (W.S. 6-2-318)

  • Inducing, enticing, or coercing minors into sexual conduct (W.S. 6-4-303)

  • Sexual contact by adults in positions of authority (W.S. 6-2-314 through 6-2-317)

  • Distributing sexually explicit material to minors (W.S. 6-4-303)

  • Human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation (W.S. 6-2-706, 6-2-707)

These laws already protect children. HB 9 does not close a legal gap — it creates confusion and overreach.

Why HB 9 Is Unconstitutional

The bill conflicts with long-standing First Amendment protections established by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Miller Test (from Miller v. California, 1973) is the legal standard used to determine whether material is obscene and therefore unprotected by the First Amendment. A work is considered obscene only if all three conditions are met:

  1. Whether the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work as a whole appeals to prurient interest

  2. Whether the work depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, as specifically defined by state law

  3. Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value

HB 9 ignores this constitutional framework and opens the door to censorship that would not withstand legal scrutiny.

Why HB 9 Strips Parental Control

The language of HB 9 is so broad that it risks criminalizing parents for having age-appropriate, good-faith conversations with their own children — including discussions about bodies, relationships, consent, or basic sex education.

Instead of trusting parents to make decisions for their families, HB 9 invites government interference into private family life.

Bottom Line

HB 9 is:

  • Unnecessary — existing laws already protect children

  • Unconstitutional — it conflicts with established First Amendment standards

  • Intrusive — it undermines parental rights and family autonomy

Wyoming families deserve laws rooted in facts, constitutional principles, and respect for parents — not fear-based overreach.