SF0068 - Communication interception.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0218

 

 

 

SENATE FILE NO.  SF0068

 

 

Communication interception.

 

Sponsored by:

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to communication interception; repealing
 2  and recreating existing provisions concerning communication
 3  interception; prohibiting interception of certain
 4  communications; providing for exceptions and criminal
 5  penalties; providing for forfeiture of equipment used for
 6  interception of communications; establishing a procedure
 7  for peace officers to obtain authority to intercept
 8  communications regarding specified offenses; providing for
 9  procedures subsequent to interception of communications,
10  including notification and reporting; authorizing civil
11  actions and providing for damages; and providing for an
12  effective date.

13 

14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

15 

16         Section 1.  W.S. 7-3-601 through 7-3-611 are repealed
17  and recreated to read:

 

Page  1

 

 

 

 1 

 2                         ARTICLE 6

 3              COMMUNICATION INTERCEPTION

 4 

 5         7-3-601.  Definitions.

 6 

 7         (a)  As used in this act:

 8 

 9              (i)  "Aggrieved person" means any person who
10  participated in an oral, wire or electronic communication
11  intercepted as defined in this act, or a person against
12  whom the interception was directed;

13 

14              (ii)  "Contents of an oral, wire or electronic
15  communication" includes information concerning the identity
16  of the parties participating in the communication and the
17  existence, meaning, substance or purport of the
18  communication;

19 

20              (iii)  "Electronic communication" means any
21  transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data
22  or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in
23  part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic or

 

Page  2

 

 

 

 1  photooptical system that affects interstate or foreign
 2  commerce but does not include:

 3 

 4                   (A)  The radio portion of a cordless
 5  telephone communication that is transmitted between the
 6  cordless telephone handset and the base unit;

 7 

 8                   (B)  Any wire or oral communication;

 9 

10                   (C)  Any communication made through a
11  tone-only paging device; or

12 

13                   (D)  Any communication made through a
14  tracking device.

15 

16              (iv)  "Electronic, mechanical or other device"
17  means any device or apparatus which can be used to
18  intercept a wire, oral or electronic communication, other
19  than:

20 

21                   (A)  Any telephone, telex or telegraph
22  equipment, or component thereof, used in the ordinary
23  course of business; or

24 

 

Page  3

 

 

 

 1                   (B)  A hearing aid or similar device used
 2  solely to correct subnormal hearing.

 3 

 4              (v)  "Intercept" means the aural or other
 5  acquisition of the contents of any oral, wire or electronic
 6  communication by use of an electronic, mechanical or other
 7  device;

 8 

 9              (vi)  "Judge" means a judge of a district court;

10 

11              (vii)  "Oral communication" means any oral
12  communication uttered by a person who reasonably expects
13  and circumstances justify the expectation that the
14  communication is not subject to interception but does not
15  include any electronic communication;

16 

17              (viii)  "Peace officer" means as defined in W.S.
18  7-2-101 and includes any law enforcement officer with
19  federal criminal enforcement jurisdiction;

20 

21              (ix)  "Provider of wire or electronic
22  communication service" means any person who provides a
23  service which consists of communications by wire, radio,
24  electronic, laser or other transmission of energy;

 

Page  4

 

 

 

 1 

 2              (x)  "Wire communication" means any aural
 3  transfer made in whole or in part through the use of
 4  facilities for the transmission of communications by the
 5  aid of wire, cable or other like connection, including the
 6  use of such connection in a switching station, between the
 7  point of origin and the point of reception, furnished or
 8  operated by any person engaged in providing or operating
 9  such facilities for the transmission of intrastate,
10  interstate or foreign communications, and includes any
11  electronic storage of such communication, but the term does
12  not include the radio portion of a cordless telephone
13  communication that is transmitted between the cordless
14  telephone handset and the base unit;

15 

16              (xi)  "This act" means W.S. 7-3-601 through
17  7-3-611.

18 

19         7-3-602.  Prohibition against interception or
20  disclosure of wire, oral or electronic communications;
21  exceptions; penalties.

22 

23         (a)  Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
24  section, no person shall willfully:

 

Page  5

 

 

 

 1 

 2              (i)  Intercept any wire, oral or electronic
 3  communication;

 4 

 5              (ii)  Disclose to another person the contents of
 6  any wire, oral or electronic communication, knowing or
 7  having reason to know that the information was obtained
 8  through the interception of a wire, oral or electronic
 9  communication in violation of this section;

10 

11              (iii)  Use the contents of any wire, oral or
12  electronic communication knowing or having reason to know
13  that the information was obtained through the interception
14  of a wire, oral or electronic communication in violation of
15  this section.

16 

17         (b)  Nothing in subsection (a) of this section
18  prohibits:

19 

20              (i)  An officer, employee or agent of a wire or
21  electronic communication service whose facilities are used
22  in the transmission of a wire communication from
23  intercepting, disclosing or using a wire or electronic
24  communication intercepted in the normal course of that

 

Page  6

 

 

 

 1  person's employment if the interception is made only for
 2  mechanical or service quality checks or to protect the
 3  property of the provider of wire or electronic
 4  communications service;

 5 

 6              (ii)  An officer, employee or agent of any
 7  provider of wire or electronic communications service from
 8  providing information, facilities or technical assistance
 9  to a peace officer who is authorized pursuant to this act
10  to intercept a wire, oral or electronic communication;

11 

12              (iii)  An officer, employee or agent of the
13  federal communications commission, in the normal course of
14  his employment and in discharge of the monitoring
15  responsibilities exercised by the commission in the
16  enforcement of 47 U.S.C. Chapter 5 from intercepting a wire
17  or electronic communication, or oral communication
18  transmitted by radio, or disclosing or using the
19  information thereby obtained;

20 

21              (iv)  Any person from intercepting an oral, wire
22  or electronic communication where the person is a party to
23  the communication or where one (1) of the parties to the
24  communication has given prior consent to the interception

 

Page  7

 

 

 

 1  unless the communication is intercepted for the purpose of
 2  committing any criminal or tortious act;

 3 

 4              (v)  A peace officer from intercepting, using or
 5  disclosing to another peace officer in the course of his
 6  official duties any wire, oral or electronic communication
 7  pursuant to an order permitting the interception under this
 8  act;

 9 

10              (vi)  An employee of a telephone company from
11  intercepting a wire communication for the sole purpose of
12  tracing the origin of the communication upon request by the
13  recipient of the communication who alleges that the
14  communication is obscene, harassing or threatening in
15  nature. The person conducting the interception shall notify
16  local law enforcement authorities of the interception
17  within forty-eight (48) hours;

18 

19              (vii)  An employee of a licensed ambulance
20  service, a fire station employing firefighters, a public
21  utility, any other entity with a published emergency
22  telephone number or an agency operating an emergency
23  telephone number system from intercepting and recording
24  incoming wire communications. A public utility may

 

Page  8

 

 

 

 1  intercept and record incoming wire communications on
 2  published emergency telephone numbers only; or

 3 

 4              (viii)  Any person from intercepting any
 5  communication broadcast by any radio transmitting device
 6  unless the transmitting device is being used to intercept
 7  communications in violation of this section.

 8 

 9         (c)  Any person who violates this section is guilty of
10  a felony punishable  by a fine of not more than one
11  thousand dollars ($1,000.00), imprisonment for not more
12  than five (5) years, or both.

13 

14         7-3-603.  Prohibition against manufacture and
15  possession of wire, oral or electronic communication
16  intercepting devices; exceptions; penalties.

17 

18         (a)  Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
19  section, no person shall willfully manufacture, assemble,
20  possess, sell or offer for sale any electronic, mechanical
21  or other device, with intent to intercept wire, oral or
22  electronic communications in violation of this act.

23 

 

Page  9

 

 

 

 1         (b)  Nothing in subsection (a) of this section
 2  prohibits an officer, agent, employee of or person under
 3  contract with or bidding upon contract with a provider of
 4  wire or electronic communication services, the United
 5  States, a state or a political subdivision thereof, in the
 6  normal course of the activities of the United States, a
 7  state or a political subdivision thereof, to send through
 8  the mail, send or carry in interstate or foreign commerce,
 9  or manufacture, assemble, possess or sell any electronic,
10  mechanical or other device, knowing or having reason to
11  know that the design of the device renders it primarily
12  useful for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of
13  wire, oral or electronic communications.

14 

15         (c)  Any person who violates this section is guilty of
16  a felony punishable as provided in W.S. 7-3-602(c).

17 

18         7-3-604.  Seizure and forfeiture of wire or oral
19  communication intercepting devices.

20 

21  Any electronic, mechanical or other device manufactured,
22  assembled, used, sold or possessed in violation of this act
23  may be seized by any peace officer upon process issued by
24  any district court or district court commissioner having

 

Page 10

 

 

 

 1  jurisdiction over the property or without process if the
 2  seizure is incident to an arrest or a search under a search
 3  warrant or if the peace officer seizing the device has
 4  probable cause to believe the property was used or is
 5  intended to be used in violation of this act. Devices
 6  subject to seizure under this act are contraband subject to
 7  forfeiture in accordance with law.

 8 

 9         7-3-605.  Authorization for interception of wire, oral
10  or electronic communications.

11 

12         (a)  The governor, the attorney general or the
13  district attorney within whose jurisdiction the order is
14  sought in conjunction with the attorney general, may
15  authorize an application to a judge of competent
16  jurisdiction for an order authorizing the interception of
17  wire, oral or electronic communications by the Wyoming
18  division of criminal investigation or any law enforcement
19  agency of the state having responsibility for investigation
20  of the offense for which the application is made, if the
21  interception may provide evidence of an attempt to commit,
22  conspiracy to commit, solicitation to commit or the
23  commission of any of the following felony offenses or
24  comparable crimes in any other jurisdiction:

 

Page 11

 

 

 

 1 

 2              (i)  Violations of the Wyoming Controlled
 3  Substances Act of 1971;

 4 

 5              (ii)  Any of the following, if incident to or
 6  discovered during investigation of a violation of the
 7  Wyoming Controlled Substances Act of 1971:

 8 

 9                   (A)  Murder as defined in W.S. 6-2-101 and
10  6-2-104;

11 

12                   (B)  Kidnapping or related felony offense as
13  defined in W.S. 6-2-201, 6-2-202 and 6-2-204;

14 

15                   (C)  First or second degree sexual assault
16  as defined in W.S. 6-2-302 and 6-2-303;

17 

18                   (D)  Robbery as defined in W.S. 6-2-401;

19 

20                   (E)  Blackmail as defined in W.S. 6-2-402;

21 

22                   (F)  Burglary as defined by W.S. 6-3-301; or

23 

 

Page 12

 

 

 

 1                   (G)  Felony larceny or related felony
 2  offense defined in W.S. 6-3-401 through 6-3-410.

 3 

 4         7-3-606.  Procedure for interception of wire, oral or
 5  electronic communications.

 6 

 7         (a)  Each authorized application for an order
 8  permitting the interception of wire, oral or electronic
 9  communications shall be made in writing upon oath or
10  affirmation to a judge and shall state the applicant's
11  authority under W.S. 7-3-605(a) to make the application. 
12  Each application shall include the following information:

13 

14              (i)  The identity of the peace officer;

15 

16              (ii)  A full and complete statement of the facts
17  and circumstances relied upon by the applicant to justify
18  his belief that an order should be issued, including:

19 

20                   (A)  Specific facts concerning the
21  particular offense that is being investigated;

22 

 

Page 13

 

 

 

 1                   (B)  A particular description of the nature
 2  and location of the equipment from which, or the place
 3  where, the communication is to be intercepted;

 4 

 5                   (C)  A particular description of the type of
 6  communication sought to be intercepted;

 7 

 8                   (D)  The identity of the person or persons,
 9  if known, who are suspected of committing the offense and
10  whose communications are to be intercepted.

11 

12              (iii)  A complete statement as to whether or not
13  other investigative procedures have been tried and have
14  failed, or why they reasonably appear to be unlikely to
15  succeed or would be too dangerous;

16 

17              (iv)  A statement of the required duration of the
18  interception.  If the nature of the investigation will
19  require that the interception not automatically terminate
20  when the described type of communication has been first
21  obtained, the application shall state facts sufficient to
22  establish probable cause to believe that additional
23  communications of the same type will occur after the
24  initial interception;

 

Page 14

 

 

 

 1 

 2              (v)  A full and complete statement by the
 3  applicant concerning all previous applications known to
 4  have been made to any judge:

 5 

 6                   (A)  For permission to intercept wire, oral
 7  or electronic communications involving any of the same
 8  persons, equipment or places specified in the application;
 9  and

10 

11                   (B)  Action taken by the judges on each
12  previous application.

13 

14              (vi)  If the application is for extension of an
15  order, a complete statement shall be made setting forth the
16  results thus far obtained from the interception or a
17  reasonable explanation of the failure to obtain any
18  results.

19 

20         (b)  The judge may require the applicant to furnish
21  additional testimony or documentary evidence in support of
22  the application.

23 

 

Page 15

 

 

 

 1         (c)  Upon an application, the judge may issue an ex
 2  parte order, as requested or modified, permitting
 3  interception of wire, oral or electronic communications
 4  within the territorial jurisdiction of the court in which
 5  the judge is sitting, and outside that jurisdiction but
 6  within the state of Wyoming in the case of a mobile
 7  interception device authorized by a district court within
 8  such district, if the judge determines on the basis of the
 9  facts submitted by the applicant that:

10 

11              (i)  There is probable cause for belief that the
12  named person is committing or has committed any of the
13  offenses enumerated in W.S. 7-3-605;

14 

15              (ii)  There is probable cause for belief that
16  particular communications concerning those offenses will be
17  intercepted;

18 

19              (iii)  Normal investigative procedures have been
20  tried and have failed, or reasonably appear to be unlikely
21  to succeed or would be too dangerous;

22 

23              (iv)  There is probable cause for belief that the
24  equipment from which, or the place where, the wire, oral or

Page 16

 

 

 

 1  electronic communications are to be intercepted is or is
 2  about to be used in connection with any of the offenses
 3  enumerated in W.S. 7-3-605 or is leased to, listed in the
 4  name of or used by the person suspected in the commission
 5  of any enumerated offense.

 6 

 7         (d)  Each order permitting interception of wire, oral
 8  or electronic communications shall specify:

 9 

10              (i)  The nature and location of the person or
11  persons, if known, whose communications are to be
12  intercepted;

13 

14              (ii)  The nature and location of the
15  communications equipment or place where the interception is
16  to occur;

17 

18              (iii)  A particular description of the type of
19  communication sought to be intercepted and a statement of
20  the particular offense or offenses to which it relates;

21 

22              (iv)  The period of time during which an
23  interception is authorized including a statement as to
24  whether or not the interception shall automatically

 

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 1  terminate when the described communication is first
 2  obtained;

 3 

 4              (v)  The identity of the agency authorized to
 5  intercept the communications and of the person authorizing
 6  the application.

 7 

 8         (e)  No order entered under this section may permit
 9  the interception of any wire, oral or electronic
10  communication for any period longer than is necessary to
11  achieve the objective of the authorization, or in any event
12  longer than thirty (30) days. The thirty (30) day period
13  provided by this subsection begins on the earlier of the
14  day on which the peace officer first begins to conduct an
15  interception under the order or ten (10) days after the
16  order is entered.

17 

18         (f)  Extensions of an order may be granted upon an
19  application for extension made in accordance with
20  subsection (a) of this section and upon the findings
21  required by subsection (c) of this section. The period of
22  the extension shall be no longer than necessary to achieve
23  the objective of the extension and in any event no longer
24  than thirty (30) days.

 

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 1 

 2         (g)  Every order and extension thereof shall contain a
 3  provision that the permission to intercept shall be
 4  executed as soon as practicable, and that the execution of
 5  the permission shall be conducted in such a way as to
 6  minimize the interception. Every order or extension thereof
 7  shall also provide that the interception terminate upon
 8  attainment of the objective, or in any event in thirty (30)
 9  days.

10 

11         (h)  The order or extension permitting interception
12  may require reports to be made to the judge issuing the
13  order, stating the progress which has been made toward
14  achievement of the authorized objective and the need for
15  continued interception.

16 

17         (j)  The contents of any wire, oral or electronic
18  communication intercepted shall, if possible, be recorded
19  on tape, wire or other comparable device. The recording
20  shall be performed to protect it from editing or other
21  alterations. Immediately upon expiration of the period of
22  the order, or extension thereof, the recording shall be
23  submitted to the judge issuing the order and shall be
24  sealed under his directions. A recording shall not be

 

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 1  destroyed except upon an order of the judge, and in any
 2  event shall be kept for five (5) years. Duplicate
 3  recordings may be made for use or disclosure pursuant to
 4  the provisions of this section. The presence of the seal
 5  provided for by this subsection, or a satisfactory
 6  explanation for its absence, is a prerequisite for the use
 7  or disclosure of the contents of any wire or oral
 8  communication or evidence derived therefrom.

 9 

10         (k)  Applications made and orders granted under this
11  section shall be sealed by the judge. Custody of the sealed
12  applications and orders shall be maintained at the
13  direction of the judge. The applications and orders shall
14  be disclosed only upon a showing of good cause before a
15  judge and shall not be destroyed except upon order of the
16  judge to whom the application was presented, and in any
17  event shall be kept for five (5) years. Any information
18  obtained pursuant to a court order permitting interception
19  of wire or oral communications shall not be used, published
20  or divulged except in accordance with the provisions of
21  this act.

22 

23         (m)  Within a reasonable time, but not later than
24  ninety (90) days after the denial of an application or the

 

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 1  termination of the period of an order authorizing
 2  interception or extension thereof, the judge shall cause to
 3  be served upon each person named in the application and any
 4  other person the judge determines as in the interest of
 5  justice, notice of the following:

 6 

 7              (i)  That an order or application has been
 8  entered under this section;

 9 

10              (ii)  The date of the entry and the period of
11  permitted interception or the denial of the application;
12  and

13 

14              (iii)  Whether wire, oral or electronic
15  communications were or were not intercepted.

16 

17         (n)  The judge, upon the filing of a motion, may, in
18  his discretion, make available to the person or his counsel
19  for inspection any portion of the intercepted
20  communications, applications and orders as the judge
21  determines to be in the interest of justice. On an ex parte
22  showing of good cause to a judge, the service of the matter
23  required by subsection (m) of this section may be
24  postponed.

 

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 1 

 2         (o)  The contents of any wire, oral or electronic
 3  communication intercepted pursuant to this section or
 4  evidence derived from that communication shall not be
 5  received in evidence or otherwise disclosed in any trial,
 6  hearing or other proceeding unless the party offering the
 7  evidence, not less than twenty (20) days before the trial,
 8  hearing or proceeding, gives notice to the court or hearing
 9  officer and all other parties. The court may then order
10  disclosure of the court order and accompanying application. 
11  If the order of interception and accompanying application
12  has previously been disclosed, the offering party may
13  furnish all other parties with the order of interception
14  and accompanying application without further order of the
15  court or hearing officer upon proper notice.  This twenty
16  (20) day period may be waived by the court or hearing
17  officer if it finds that it was not possible to furnish the
18  party with the information twenty (20) days before the
19  trial, hearing or proceeding and that no party will be
20  prejudiced by the delay in receiving the information.

21 

22         (p)  The contents of any intercepted wire, oral or
23  electronic communication or evidence derived therefrom
24  shall not be admitted as evidence in any trial, hearing or

 

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 1  other proceeding in this state unless the interception was
 2  performed in accordance with this act.

 3 

 4         (q)  No otherwise privileged wire, oral or electronic
 5  communication intercepted shall lose its privileged
 6  character, unless the communications are in furtherance of
 7  a criminal or tortious act in violation of the laws of the
 8  United States or this state.

 9 

10         (r)  When a peace officer, while engaged in
11  intercepting wire, oral or electronic communications
12  relating to an offense specified in the order permitting
13  interception, intercepts wire, oral or electronic
14  communications relating to an offense other than those
15  specified in the order, the contents thereof, and evidence
16  derived therefrom, may be disclosed or used only if the
17  offense constitutes a felony under the laws of the United
18  States or this state. If the communication concerns an
19  enumerated offense listed in W.S. 7-3-605, the agency
20  executing the order of interception shall apply to the
21  issuing court for an expansion of the order of interception
22  pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of this section. The
23  application shall be made as soon as practicable.

24 

 

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 1              (s)  In the event an intercepted communication is in a
 2  code or a foreign language, and an expert in that code or
 3  foreign language is not reasonably available during the
 4  interception period, any minimization required under this
 5  section shall be accomplished as soon as practicable after
 6  the interception.

 7 

 8         7-3-607.  Order directing others to furnish
 9  assistance.

10 

11  An order permitting the interception of a wire, oral or
12  electronic communication shall, upon request of the
13  applicant, direct that a provider of wire or electronic
14  communication service, landlord, custodian or other person
15  shall immediately furnish the applicant all information,
16  facilities and technical assistance necessary to accomplish
17  the interception unobtrusively and with a minimum of
18  interference with the services that the service provider,
19  landlord, custodian or other person is supplying the person
20  whose communication is to be intercepted. Any provider of
21  wire or electronic communication service, landlord,
22  custodian or other person furnishing these facilities or
23  technical assistance shall be compensated therefor by the

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 1  applicant for reasonable expenses incurred in providing the
 2  facilities or assistance.

 3 

 4         7-3-608.  Information furnished to attorney general by
 5  executing agency; report to legislature.

 6 

 7         (a)  Upon final execution of an order of interception,
 8  the executing agency shall furnish the following
 9  information within ten (10) working days to the attorney
10  general:

11 

12              (i)  Information as to the number of orders,
13  extensions and expansions made by the court;

14 

15              (ii)  Each offense specified in the application;

16 

17              (iii)  The nature of the facilities from which or
18  the place where communications were to be intercepted;

19 

20              (iv)  A general description of the interceptions
21  made under any order or extension, including the nature and
22  frequency of other communications intercepted, the number
23  of persons whose communications were intercepted and the

 

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 1  nature, amount and cost of the manpower and other resources
 2  used in the interceptions; and

 3 

 4              (v)  The number of arrests resulting from
 5  interceptions made under the order or extension and the
 6  offenses for which arrests were made.

 7 

 8       (b)  The attorney general shall report to the joint
 9  judiciary interim committee no later than July 1 of each
10  year.  The report shall contain the information required by
11  subsection (a) of this section.

12 

13         7-3-609.  Recovery of civil damages for violations;
14  good faith defense.

15 

16         (a)  Any person whose wire, oral or electronic
17  communication is intercepted, disclosed or used in
18  violation of this act may recover damages against any
19  person who intercepts, discloses, uses or procures any
20  other person to intercept, disclose or use the
21  communications as follows:

22 

 

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 1              (i)  Actual damages but not less than one
 2  thousand dollars ($1,000.00) a day for each day of
 3  violation;

 4 

 5              (ii)  Punitive damages; and

 6 

 7              (iii)  Reasonable attorney's fees and other
 8  litigation costs reasonably incurred.

 9 

10         (b)  A good faith reliance on a court order
11  constitutes a complete defense to any civil or criminal
12  action brought under this act.

13 

14         7-3-610.  Exclusivity of provisions.

15 

16  This act shall be the exclusive means by which any
17  interception of wire, oral or electronic communications may
18  be permitted for investigation of the violation of any law,
19  statute or ordinance of the state of Wyoming or any local,
20  municipal or other governmental unit.

21 

22         7-3-611.  Reports by attorney general and state
23  courts.

24 

 

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 1  The attorney general and Wyoming courts shall report to the
 2  administrative office of the United States courts pursuant
 3  to 18 U.S.C. § 2519.

 4 

 5         Section 2.  This act is effective immediately upon
 6  completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
 7  as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming
 8  Constitution.

 9 

10                         (END)

 

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