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Senate committee advances two firefighter bills aimed at recruitment and retention
Summary
The Committee of the Whole recommended passage of HB34 (firefighters' retirement plans) and HB35 (paid leave and hazard pay), which expand retirement plan eligibility and provide appropriations to help recruit and retain wildland firefighters; appropriations ranges were given and coverage start dates noted.
Two bills aimed at improving recruitment and retention for Wyoming's wildland firefighters won favorable recommendations from the Committee of the Whole.
House Bill 34 amends retirement statutes to allow full-time Wyoming State Forestry Conservation Program employees to join the law enforcement retirement plan and to allow eligible seasonal wildland firefighters to join the Wyoming National Guard firefighter retirement plan. Coverage would begin July 1, 2026. Sponsors said the change will make state positions more competitive with federal hiring and retention practices; the sponsor described a committee amendment that extended eligibility to some seasonal employees and raised the appropriation to $411,000 to cover the expansion (discussion at SEG 731–763).
House Bill 35 establishes paid leave and hazardous-pay appropriations for wildland firefighters consistent with federal standards and included an appropriation of $422,500 from general funds. Sponsors said the measure aims to improve retention by aligning pay and leave with what firefighters can obtain when working for federal agencies (SEG 845–864).
Both bills passed the Committee of the Whole with favorable recommendations and will return to the full Senate for further consideration. Questions from senators focused on benefit comparability across different retirement systems and requests for fiscal details to be provided before second reading.
What happens next: both bills were reported out of Committee of the Whole with due-pass recommendations and will proceed according to the Senate's legislative calendar.
