ALEC Policy Champions Deliver Universal Education Freedom in Wyoming
Congratulations to Representative Andrew, Speaker Nieman, and President Biteman for their commitment to expanding educational opportunities for Wyoming students!
ALEC is proud to recognize Wyoming Speaker of the House Chip Nieman, Representative Ocean Andrew, and Senate President Bo Biteman as Policy Champions for their outstanding leadership in passing HB 199. Signed into law this week, this bill offers up to $7,000 scholarship to any Wyoming student through the creation of the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Program. With this bold move, Wyoming becomes the 15th state to establish a universally available education freedom program.
The Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Program empowers parents to make the best educational choices for their children by ensuring state education dollars follow students to the schools that best meet their needs. Most importantly, this program is open to all Wyoming students, guaranteeing that no child is denied access to a high-quality education. Families can use scholarship funds for a wide range of educational expenses, including tuition, textbooks, uniforms, standardized testing fees, and specialized therapies for students with special needs. The program contains many of the provisions found in ALEC’s Hope Scholarship Act model policy, reflecting the best practices for states to follow when creating universal education scholarship account (ESA) programs.
Representative Ocean Andrew led the charge as the primary sponsor of HB 199, working alongside Speaker Chip Nieman and Senate President Bo Biteman to secure its swift passage. Thanks to their leadership, the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Program is now a reality—ensuring every Wyoming student has access to the best educational opportunities available.
“I applaud President Biteman for his leadership and tenacity in advancing two key conservative priorities, making Wyoming the first state in the nation to implement a Pre-K voucher program to empower parents with more choices for young learners,” said Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. “This Act also expands education savings accounts for K-12 students to give families greater flexibility to choose the best educational path for their children.”
Congratulations to Speaker Nieman, Representative Andrew, and President Biteman for expanding educational opportunities for Wyoming students!