The Wyoming Senate Joint Judiciary Committee on an unspecified date approved Senate File 6, a bill that would give law enforcement a process to remove unauthorized occupants from residential property and create a criminal offense for certain conduct by squatters.

Supporters and law-enforcement representatives told the committee they designed the measure to let police act quickly in cases where people occupy a residence without permission, rather than forcing property owners to pursue a slower civil forcible entry and detainer (FED) action. The bill as discussed establishes civil remedies and fees and creates a felony provision punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine up to $10,000 when a person "unlawfully detains, occupies, or trespasses upon a residential dwelling" and intentionally damages property, according to committee discussion.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Anderson, said the proposal grew out of constituent reports of people who moved into houses without permission; the draft was patterned on a Florida statute and limited to residential (not commercial) properties. "This is strictly a squatter's bill for residential," Anderson said during the hearing. Lori Ervokite of the Wyoming Realtors described multiple statewide incidents in which agents or owners found people living inside properties without permission and said police often decline to act when an occupant claims a right to be there, leaving owners to pursue time-consuming FED proceedings.

Law-enforcement testimony described practical limits. Alan Thompson, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, told the committee the provision requiring law enforcement to verify ownership had been limited in committee to a prompt check of ownership records; other checks (for pending litigation or complex chain-of-title issues) may not be practicable in the field. Thompson also warned that county GIS and records vary by county and that immediate action may not be possible if records are unavailable.

Committee members debated and adopted several amendments. The panel changed inconsistent wording (replacing "unauthorized occupant" with "unauthorized person"), removed bill language that would have required owners to provide the date they acquired the property, and struck mandatory fee-collection language so charging by law enforcement is permissive. Senator Crago said the date-of-acquisition requirement often would be burdensome for owners and could slow officers' response. The committee then voted the bill out of committee by roll call with five ayes.

The bill includes a mix of criminal and civil remedies and leaves certain practical matters—such as whether local agencies will seek to recover overtime or standby costs—subject to later clarification or amendment. The committee record shows support from trade groups including Wyoming Realtors, the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation and a Wyoming landlords association; Pacific Legal Foundation and the Wyoming Bankers Association also provided testimony in related sections of the hearing.

Senators and witnesses repeatedly emphasized the distinction in the draft between a true trespassing squatter (the bill’s focus) and a holdover tenant or renter who has other legal remedies. Committee discussion preserved that separation and added a civil remedy for parties wrongfully removed or for false sworn statements.

The committee advanced the bill with the adopted conforming and substantive amendments. Floor management was assigned to Senator Crago.