Wyoming national guard member referral-amendments, the official text

ORIGINAL Senate
File No. SF0013

ENROLLED ACT NO. 26, SENATE

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2026 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to defense forces and affairs; increasing the referral bonus amount for the Wyoming national guard member referral incentive program; expanding eligibility of the program; extending the sunset date for the program; making conforming amendments; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1. W.S. 19‑9‑403(e)(intro), (i), (ii), (iv)(B) and (v) is amended to read:

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.

(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, veterans of the Wyoming national guard, current employees of the military department or recruits beginning the enlistment process with the Wyoming national guard who make a successful referral. Administration of this program shall require that:

(i) A Wyoming national guard member, veteran of the Wyoming national guard, current employee of the military department or recruit beginning the enlistment process with the Wyoming national guard may provide the identity and contact information of a person who the member, veteran, employee or recruit 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, veteran, employee or recruit who provided the successful referral. The military department shall not distribute a referral bonus to a referring recruit until the referring recruit has completed accession into the Wyoming national guard;

(iv) As used in this subsection:

(B) "Referral bonus" means a monetary payment set each calendar year by the adjutant general not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) one thousand dollars ($1,000.00);

(v) This subsection is repealed effective July 1, 2026 2028.

Section 2. There is appropriated two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) from the general fund to the Wyoming military department for purposes of making referral bonus payments authorized by W.S. 19‑9‑403(e), as amended by this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2028. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2028. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation not be included in the standard budget for the Wyoming military department for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 3. This act is effective July 1, 2026.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

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