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Committee advances bill to align volunteer firefighter participation in state health pool with federal marketplace rules
Summary
House Bill 136 would correct language that prevented volunteer firefighters from fully participating in the state health insurance pool after an interaction with Affordable Care Act language. The committee amended the bill to make it effective immediately and approved it unanimously to pass out of committee.
The committee advanced House Bill 136 to address an unintended consequence from earlier legislation that limited volunteer firefighters’ access to the state health insurance pool because of conflicting Affordable Care Act language.
Jim Walmsley, fire chief of the Rock Springs Fire Department and representative of the Wyoming Fire Chiefs Association, told the committee last session’s law had a drafting mismatch with federal marketplace rules that thwarted the intent to permit volunteer firefighters to join the state pool. “In the last legislative session the bill was passed that enabled volunteer firefighters to participate in the state health insurance pool,” Walmsley said. “One of the unforeseen conflicts… is that the Affordable Care Act language interferes with the ability of those same volunteer firefighters to access the benefits of this bill.”
Committee members discussed implementation specifics including premium payment and verification frequency. The bill’s language was amended to allow annual verification instead of monthly verification and to explicitly permit cost-sharing of premiums by the volunteer service if the service chooses. Senator Scott said the bill would help recruitment for volunteer services and described it as a needed tool.
The committee voted to make the bill effective immediately and then approved the measure on a roll-call vote. The final vote recorded five ayes and no nays; the bill passed out of committee as amended.
Why it matters: Volunteer fire services are critical in many Wyoming communities. The amendment and the bill’s change reduce paperwork and clarify enrollment and cost-sharing, making state health coverage more accessible to volunteers and potentially helping retention and recruitment.
What happens next: The bill will move to the full chamber with the committee amendment making it effective immediately; sponsors and supporters said they will monitor implementation details with the Department of Insurance and local fire services.
