Section 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 national guard member referral incentive program(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.Amended by Laws 2023, ch. 129,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2023.Amended by Laws 2023, ch. 128,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2023.Amended by Laws 2013 , ch. 131, § 1, eff. 3/13/2013.