§ 9-12-1402 — General powers and duties of the council; economic diversification policy and strategy; authority of governor

(a) The ENDOW executive council shall:
(i) Receive and evaluate public input, opinions and
recommendations regarding the diversification of Wyoming's
economy and advise the governor and legislature of any findings
or recommendations. The council shall seek the advice of
departments, boards, commissions and agencies of the state of
Wyoming;
(ii) By August 30, 2017, prepare and submit to the
governor and legislature through the joint minerals, business
and economic development interim committee, an exhaustive
assessment of socioeconomic data, which shall include an
examination of state and local fiscal sustainability, existing,
new and emerging economic sectors and subsectors of the economy,
identification of potential business development and innovation
zones, an inventory of existing workforce strengths and
deficiencies, economic trends and key enablers for economic
growth in the state that translate to viable business
development;
(iii) By December 31, 2017, prepare and submit to the
governor and legislature a report of its preliminary findings
and recommendations in the development of a comprehensive
economic diversification strategy. The preliminary report shall
evaluate investments necessary to support new and emerging
industries or economic sectors, knowledge transfer,
infrastructure, international trade, and cooperation between the
public sector and private enterprise, assess the relationship
between incremental state and local tax revenues, costs of
public services and economic diversification and make
recommendations as appropriate. The report shall identify
specific areas which should be designated as business
development and innovation zones. In identifying potential
zones the report shall review the establishment of zones
including, but not limited to, industries involving agriculture
and agricultural business, renewable energy sources, advanced
clean coal technologies, nuclear fuel processing and enrichment,
hybrid energy sources, enhanced oil recovery, inland
distribution ports, international trade, food and beverage
industry distribution, promotion, marketing and development of
the international trust and fiduciary business and related
sectors, emerging research and technological development,
existing, new and emerging economic sectors and subsectors, and
value added manufacturing involving Wyoming resources. The
potential zones shall be described by location in the state,
including recommended boundaries. The report shall also
identify existing industries in these areas which could be
expanded and used to attract other businesses in the same,
related or mutually supporting industries. The report shall
identify existing deficiencies and strengths in Wyoming's
workforce and workforce training programs;
(iv) By August 1, 2018, prepare and submit to the
governor for his approval a twenty (20) year comprehensive
economic diversification strategy. The strategy shall contain
explicit economic targets to guide the evolution of Wyoming's
economy in order to build a sustainable and diversified, value
added economy by 2038. The strategy shall identify agency
specific or collective actions that can be implemented
immediately without new state appropriations and resources and
agency specific and collective actions that will require new
state appropriations or reallocation of state resources. The
strategy shall address the creation of business development and
innovation zones and plans to implement the zones. The council
may recommend to the governor modifications to the twenty (20)
year plan from time to time as it deems advisable;
(v) In coordination with departments, boards,
commissions and agencies of the state of Wyoming, develop four
(4) year action plans with performance benchmarks, including
policy recommendations and budget requests. Each plan shall
specify a time period for creating business development and
innovation zones within the plan's four (4) year period and a
time schedule for full implementation of steps necessary to
establish each zone. The council shall submit each action plan
to the governor for his approval. After approval by the
governor, the council shall, in coordination with departments,
boards, commissions and agencies of the state, implement the
action plan and provide regular progress reports in meeting
targets and shall identify adjustments to be made to the
governor and legislature;
(vi) Review with the Wyoming business council,
community college commission, University of Wyoming, the
department of workforce services, and other state agency
directors as determined by the governor and ENDOW executive
council to be necessary or desirable, agency enabling
legislation, rules and regulations, policies, procedures and
other governing mechanisms to determine amendments which would
better align agency functions with the economic diversification
strategy and to allow for implementation of business development
and innovation zones;
(vii) Engage the private sector in review of state
laws, rules and regulations, policies, procedures and other
governing mechanisms that inhibit economic diversification
efforts, including those which stand as obstacles to the
implementation of business development and innovation zones, in
order to determine amendments to the same without compromising
Wyoming's environmental and workplace standards;
(viii) Have the authority to contract with
consultants through the Wyoming business council for rendering
of professional, financial and technical assistance and advice,
including for studies and investigation likely to lead to
economic diversification;
(ix) At the request of the governor, review and make
recommendations to the governor for approval on projects
submitted for grant and other funding opportunities from
nonstate sources which support the economic diversification
strategy;
(x) Conduct studies to identify services, facilities
and amenities that are attractive to businesses and their
employees seeking to relocate but which are substantially
lacking or deficient in Wyoming, and identify potential
solutions to address those deficiencies to create working and
community life climates attractive to a modern day workforce;
(xi) Develop a performance evaluation system, monitor
progress and report to the governor the status of programs and
activities outlined as goals, objectives or action items in the
state's economic diversification strategy;
(xii) In consultation with the University of Wyoming,
community colleges, the department of education, department of
workforce services and Wyoming business council, review existing
career technical education programs and develop recommendations
regarding opportunities to better coordinate existing public and
private programs, and develop or acquire existing career
technical education facilities to further technical education
opportunities in the state. The recommendations shall be
included in the council's twenty (20) year economic
diversification strategy and may be included in the council's
four (4) year action plan as determined appropriate by the
council.
(b) In carrying out his duties under this article the
governor, in consultation with the presiding officers of the
legislature, may convene advisors to obtain objective advice in
the formulation of economic diversification policy, including
assessing local, national and global conditions and trends and
evaluating the significance of those factors relative to
Wyoming.