Friday, March 6, 2026 |
Photo – Carbon County Jail and Communications Center – Bigfoot99 file photo
The state Senate passed a bill to reimburse county jails for providing mental health services to inmates.
On Monday, the Wyoming Senate unanimously approved Senate File 10. The measure, titled Contracts for Holding and Treating Mentally Ill Detainees, was originally passed by the Senate and sent to the House of Representatives, which added a funding amendment. The bill then returned to the Senate for final approval.
Speaking during the March 2nd Senate session, Laramie County Senator Jared Olsen explained that the bill repays counties for providing mental health services to detainees while they wait to be transferred to the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston.
Specifically, Senate File 10 gives the Wyoming Department of Health authority to contract with county jails for the “security, examination, or treatment of accused persons” who have been charged with a crime but found incompetent to stand trial under Title Seven of the state’s criminal code.
During the February 23rd House Appropriations Committee meeting, Natrona County Representative, Art Washut, said courts across Wyoming are sending more criminal defendants to the state hospital. A shortage of beds and staff means those defendants remain in county jails for extended periods of time, putting additional pressure on counties and the inmates.
Later in the meeting, Wyoming Department of Health Director Stefan Johansson clarified that Senate File 10 will not only reimburse counties for the time inmates spend waiting to be transferred to the state hospital but also pay to provide mental health services in the jails.
The House Appropriations Committee advanced Senate File 10 for consideration by the full House of Representatives, with an amendment to allocate $5 million to the program if the state budget did not already include funding. The House unanimously passed the amended bill during its February 26th session, and it was moved over to the Senate for final approval.
Speaking at the March 2nd session of the Wyoming Senate, Senator Olsen said he was unaware if the final state budget would contain funding for the mental health services authorized under the measure. If the money is included in the state’s budget, the amendment specifies that the allocation would automatically expire. Either way, Senator Olsen said the bill must be funded.
Governor Mark Gordon signed the final budget bill into law on Wednesday, March 4th, without a specific allocation for Senate File 10.
The Wyoming Senate voted to approve Senate File 10, with the $5 million allocation. The bill is now waiting for Governor Gordon’s signature.
