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SF 142

Veterans' home of Wyoming capital construction.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Eric Barlow and 8 co-sponsors

Bans polluting atmospheric activity and weather engineering, including cloud seeding, with immediate cease-and-desist enforcement by the Department of Public Safety.

S:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to SR 5-4
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Bill Summary · SF 142

Summary of SF 142 (Introduced January 28, 2025)

SF 142 proposes to prohibit geoengineering and related atmospheric modification activities, establish definitions for related terms, and set enforcement mechanisms through the Department of Public Safety. The bill is in subcommittee (Schultz, Blake, and Bousselot) as of the latest status update.

Purpose and intent

  • To ban polluting atmospheric activities, including cloud seeding and other forms of weather engineering.
  • To prevent deliberate manipulation of weather or climate via artificial means.
  • To empower the Department of Public Safety to enforce prohibitions and issue cease-and-desist orders against suspected violators.

Key provisions

Definitions (Section 1)

  • “Cloud seeding”: A weather modification method intended to change the amount or type of condensation or precipitation by dispersing chemicals (e.g., silver iodide, potassium iodide, dry ice) into the air via aircraft or ground generators.
  • “Department”: The Department of Public Safety.
  • “Polluting atmospheric activity”: Deliberate discharge of contaminants or substances (solid, liquid, gaseous, or thermal irritants) including smoke, vapor, soot, fume, aerosols, acids, alkalis, electromagnetic fields, radiation, sound/light pollution, microwaves, and other artificially produced emissions or radiation that may harm health, the environment, or agriculture.
  • “Weather engineering”: The deliberate manipulation or alteration of the environment to change weather or climate by artificial means, typically involving deliberate emissions released into the atmosphere through cloud seeding, for various scales of alteration.

Prohibited acts (Section 2)

  • Prohibits engaging in polluting atmospheric activity, cloud seeding, or any other type of weather engineering.
  • Prohibits using unmarked or unidentified aircraft, other vehicles, or facilities to engage in polluting atmospheric activity, cloud seeding, or weather engineering unless authorized by law.

Penalties and enforcement (Section 3)

  • The Department shall immediately issue a cease-and-desist order to a person suspected of violating section 708C.2.
  • The text indicates there is a mechanism for cease-and-desist orders, but the excerpt provided ends mid-sentence, and additional penalties or enforcement details are not fully shown.

Who/what would be affected

  • Individuals or entities suspected of engaging in polluting atmospheric activity, cloud seeding, or weather engineering.
  • Operators of aircraft or facilities used for atmospheric activities, especially if unmarked or unidentified.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduced: January 28, 2025.
  • Subcommittee action: February 3, 2025 (Schultz, Blake, and Bousselot).
  • Referred to: Judiciary (upon introduction).
  • Sponsor: McClintock (primary).

Potential impact

  • Creates a clear prohibition on geoengineering activities and related atmospheric manipulation within the jurisdiction.
  • Establishes rapid enforcement via cease-and-desist orders through the Department of Public Safety.
  • Defines terms to avoid ambiguity around cloud seeding and weather modification.
  • The bill’s full penalties and effective date provisions are not fully shown in the provided text; additional sections may specify offenses, fines, or other penalties and when the law would take effect.

Sponsor and status

  • Primary sponsor: McClintock.
  • Current status: Subcommittee review (Schultz, Blake, Bousselot); introduced to Judiciary.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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