Lummis: Bill would modernize Wyoming school land trust fund

CHEYENNE (WNE) — U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, alongside U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, all R-Wyo., on Thursday introduced the Wyoming Education Trust Modernization Act. 

This legislation would amend Wyoming’s State Act of Admission to provide the state’s permanent school land fund with enhanced investment flexibility, potentially increasing annual returns for K-12 education.

“Wyoming’s school land trust fund represents one of our state’s most valuable assets for supporting public education and the next generation of Cowboy students,” Lummis said in a news release. “My legislation would allow Wyoming to modernize our investment policies while maintaining the strong protections that have served this fund for more than a century.

“I believe we can do better for our kids by investing that money more strategically and increasing Wyoming’s returns. That result would mean millions of dollars more every year for Wyoming classrooms, without raising taxes or touching Wyoming’s principal.”

Wyoming’s State Act of Admission, established by Congress upon statehood in 1890, governs how the state manages federally granted school lands. Proceeds from school trust land sales, exchanges or disposals must be deposited into a permanent land fund under strict federal regulation. Current law prohibits investing principal funds, and only accrued interest can be used for K-12 education funding.

Wyoming’s permanent school trust fund currently holds $5.4 billion. The fund generates approximately 5% annual interest under current investment restrictions. Enhanced investment flexibility could significantly boost annual education funding without touching the principal. The proposed legislation would modernize investment policies to potentially increase returns from 5% to 8.3%.

This story was published on July 11, 2025.