(a)  Members of the Wyoming national guard are exempt from:

(i)  Labor on the public highways;

(ii)  Service as jurors;

(iii)  Garnishment or attachment of monies accruing from performance of military duty under orders of the governor.

(b)  Every commissioned officer, warrant officer and enlisted man while engaged in active state service has all powers and immunities of other peace officers.

(c)  No member of the Wyoming national guard in active state service or a state security officer shall incur any personal liability, civil or criminal, by reason of acts committed in the performance of his necessary duties incident to service under orders of the governor or any lawful superior if the acts are not palpably illegal, excessively violent or malicious. If any civil action is brought against a member or state security officer by reason of an act or acts committed in the performance of his necessary duties, he is entitled to legal counsel to assist in his defense at state expense. Legal counsel for such purposes may be chosen by the guardsman or state security officer subject to approval by the Wyoming attorney general and legal fees incurred shall be approved by either:

(i)  The Wyoming attorney general if the case does not result in litigation; or

(ii)  By the district judge before whom the case is tried.

(d)  Any member of the Wyoming national guard who possesses a license or credentials to practice a trade or profession in another jurisdiction, or who meets the requirements of the Wyoming national guard for the practice of any professional, mechanical, teaching, training or other skill, may perform that practice, skill, trade or profession without first being licensed or otherwise possessing credentials under any Wyoming licensure laws during those times that he is serving in the Wyoming national guard in a state active service status.

(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, 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;

(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 one thousand dollars ($1,000.00);

(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, 2028.

(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.

(g)  There is created the Wyoming national guard member reenlistment and extension program. The military department shall establish and administer this program for the purpose of providing reenlistment and extension bonuses to members of the Wyoming national guard to increase the Wyoming national guard's strength in accordance with the following:

(i)  The military department may provide a reenlistment or extension bonus to a Wyoming national guard member meeting all of the following requirements:

(A)  The Wyoming national guard member satisfies the Wyoming national guard's reenlistment or extension eligibility criteria;

(B)  The Wyoming national guard member reenlists or extends with the Wyoming national guard for not less than three (3) years; and

(C)  The Wyoming national guard member satisfies any other requirements specified by the military department.

(ii)  Upon satisfaction of the requirements under paragraph (i) of this subsection and to the extent sufficient funds are available, the military department shall distribute a reenlistment or extension bonus of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) to the reenlisting or extending Wyoming national guard member;

(iii)  Beginning November 1, 2026 and annually every November 1 thereafter, the military department shall report to the joint transportation, highways and military affairs interim committee on the Wyoming national guard member reenlistment and extension program. The report shall include the following:

(A)  The number of Wyoming national guard members who reenlisted or extended;

(B)  The average number of years the Wyoming national guard members reenlisted or extended;

(C)  The amounts of reenlistment and extension bonuses paid;

(D)  The total number of members in the Wyoming national guard including the percentage of increase or decrease in the total number of members in the Wyoming national guard from the previous year;

(E)  Any recommended legislation.