§ 19-9-403 — Pay and allowances of officers and enlisted persons in active state service and state active duty; worker's compensation coverage for national guard members; no pension denied by reason of service

Wyoming § 19-9-403

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming
• Title 19: Defense Forces and Affairs
• Ch. 9: WYOMING NATIONAL GUARD
• Art. 4: RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND

Text

(a) Officers and enlisted men while in active state
service shall receive the same pay and allowances as are paid
for the same rank and grade for service in the armed forces of
the United States. The adjutant general may pay or reimburse
reasonable medical expenses incurred by an officer or enlisted
man as a direct consequence of state active duty. Medical
expenses paid or reasonably eligible for payment by any third
party on behalf of the officer or enlisted man shall not be
eligible for payment or reimbursement. The adjutant general
shall determine, pursuant to rules and regulations adopted under
this subsection, whether medical expenses incurred by an officer
or enlisted man are the consequence of state active duty.
(b) Members of the Wyoming national guard while in state
active duty by order or voluntarily at the request of the
governor shall be deemed state employees for purpose of being
covered under the Wyoming Worker's Compensation Act and their
state active duty shall be considered as an extrahazardous
occupation under W.S. 27-14-108.
(c) No member of the national guard shall be denied or
deprived of any pension, bounty, gratuity or hospitalization to
which he is now entitled under the laws of Wyoming because of
service therein.
(d) The state shall pay the matriculation fees and tuition
in any university, junior college or vocational training
institution in Wyoming for the children and spouse of any member
of the Wyoming national guard who dies or sustains a permanent
total disability resulting from duty as a guardsman while on
state active duty or any authorized training duty.
(e) There is created the Wyoming national guard member
referral incentive program. The purpose of the program shall be
to incentivize and maximize peer-to-peer recruiting that results
in a completed accession to the Wyoming national guard by
providing a referral bonus to Wyoming national guard members who
make a successful referral. Administration of this program shall
require that:
(i) A Wyoming national guard member may provide the
identity and contact information of a person who the member
believes would be an appropriate recruitment prospect using a
form provided by the Wyoming national guard, which includes the
person's name, contact information and any other information
required by the military department;
(ii) The military department shall keep a record of
all forms submitted under paragraph (i) of this subsection. Upon
the completed accession of a referred person and to the extent
sufficient funds are available, the military department shall
distribute a referral bonus to the member who provided the
successful referral;
(iii) Beginning July 15, 2024 and annually every July
15 thereafter, the Wyoming military department shall report
regarding the Wyoming national guard member referral incentive
program to the joint transportation, highways and military
affairs interim committee and shall include in the report the
number of referral forms submitted, the number of successful
referrals, the amounts of referral bonuses paid and any
recommended legislation;
(iv) As used in this subsection:
(A) "Completed accession" means the referred
person signs the referred person's name to an enlistment
contract for entry or re-entry after prior service into the
Wyoming national guard;
(B) "Referral bonus" means a monetary payment
set each calendar year by the adjutant general not to exceed
five hundred dollars ($500.00);
(C) "Successful referral" means providing the
identity and contact information pursuant to paragraph (e)(i) of
this subsection of any person not already a member of the
Wyoming national guard that results in a completed accession to
the Wyoming national guard.
(v) This subsection is repealed effective July 1,
2026.
(f) Subject to legislative appropriation and in accordance
with this subsection, while a member of the Wyoming national
guard serves in state active duty, the adjutant general may
authorize reimbursement to the member for medical insurance
premiums the member pays in an amount not to exceed the daily
premium cost of federal TRICARE Reserve Select or its successor
insurance program administered by the United States department
of defense, multiplied by the number of days of state active
duty served.