Wyoming's House Bill 23 (PDF) was passed by the Senate on a 27-3 vote on February 12, 2015. The bill would allow the state to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards by repealing a footnote in the state budget for 2014-2016 that precluded the use of state funds for "any review or adoption" of the NGSS.
The treatment of climate change was cited as the reason for the footnote in the budget, as NCSE previously reported. The Wyoming state board of education subsequently declined to develop a new set of science standards independent of the NGSS. Despite the legislature's decision, local school districts are free to adopt the NGSS, and about fifteen (of forty-eight) have reportedly done so.
Before passing HB 23, the Senate amended it by adding, "The state board of education may consider, discuss or modify the next generation science standards, in addition to any other standards, content or benchmarks as it may determine necessary, to develop quality science standards that are unique to Wyoming." The House previously considered and rejected such a provision, so the bill will proceed to conference committee.
"It's clear," commented NCSE's Mark McCaffrey, "that Wyoming educators want to be able to make use of the NGSS. It would be a shame if the Senate's amendment to the bill survived, enabling the opponents of sound science education to lobby against the use of the standards as somehow not sufficiently unique to the state."