19-13-410 of that compact.

19-13-410 of that compact.  19-9-210. State active duty without pay.

(a) Members of the Wyoming national guard may voluntarily request to be placed upon orders for state active duty, without pay, when assistance has been requested from an agency or political subdivision of this state or the federal government and such assistance has been approved by the adjutant general. Members shall receive from the requesting agency pay and allowances equal to the greater of their military pay or that of civilians employed by the requesting agency in the same or similar positions and reimbursement of uncompensated medical expenses as provided in W.S. 19-9-403(a).

(b) When serving on state active duty, without pay, members shall be deemed state employees for the purpose of being covered under the Wyoming Worker's Compensation Act and their state active duty shall be considered an extrahazardous occupation under W.S. 27-14-108.

19-9-211. The National Guard Mutual Assistance Counter- Drug Activities Compact.

The National Guard Mutual Assistance Counter-Drug Activities Compact as contained herein is hereby enacted into law and entered into on behalf of this state with any and all other states legally joining therein in a form substantially as follows:

The National Guard Mutual Assistance

Counter-Drug Activities Compact

ARTICLE I

Purpose

(a) The purposes of this compact are to:

(i) Provide for mutual assistance and support among the party states in the utilization of the national guard in drug interdiction, counter-drug and demand reduction activities;

(ii) Permit the national guard of this state to enter into mutual assistance and support agreements, on the basis of need, with one (1) or more law enforcement agencies operating within this state, for activities within this state, or with a national guard of one (1) or more other states, whether said activities are within or without this state in order to facilitate and coordinate efficient, cooperative enforcement efforts directed toward drug interdiction, counter-drug activities and demand reduction;

(iii) Permit the national guard of this state to act as a receiving and a responding state as defined within this compact and to insure the prompt and effective delivery of national guard personnel, assets and services to agencies or areas that are in need of increased support and presence;

(iv) Permit and encourage a high degree of flexibility in the deployment of national guard forces in the interest of efficiency;

(v) Maximize the effectiveness of the national guard in those situations which call for its utilization under this compact;

(vi) Provide protection for the rights of national guard personnel when performing duty in other states in counter- drug activities; and

(vii) Ensure uniformity of state laws in the area of national guard involvement in interstate counter-drug activities by incorporating said uniform laws within the compact.

ARTICLE II

Entry into Force and Withdrawals

(a) This compact shall enter into force when enacted into by any two (2) states. Thereafter, this compact shall become effective as to any other state upon its enactment thereof.

(b) Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take effect until one (1) year after the governor of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the governors of all other party states.

ARTICLE III

Mutual Assistance and Support

(a) As used in this article:  (i) "Drug interdiction and counter-drug activities" means the use of national guard personnel, while not in federal service, in any law enforcement support activities that are intended to reduce the supply or use of illegal drugs in the United States. These activities include, but are not limited to:

(A) Providing information obtained during either the normal course of military training or operations or during counter-drug activities, to federal, state or local law enforcement officials that may be relevant to a violation of any federal or state law within the jurisdiction of such officials;

(B) Making available any equipment, including associated supplies or spare parts, base facilities or research facilities of the national guard to any federal, state or local civilian law enforcement official for law enforcement purposes, in accordance with other applicable law or regulation;

(C) Providing available national guard personnel to train federal, state or local civilian law enforcement in the operation and maintenance of equipment, including equipment made available above, in accordance with other applicable law;

(D) Providing available national guard personnel to operate and maintain equipment provided to federal, state or local law enforcement officials pursuant to activities defined and referred to in this compact;

(E) Operation and maintenance of equipment and facilities of the national guard or other law enforcement agencies used for the purposes of drug interdiction and counter- drug activities;

(F) Providing available national guard personnel to operate equipment for the detection, monitoring and communication of the movement of air, land and sea traffic, to facilitate communications in connection with law enforcement programs, to provide transportation for civilian law enforcement personnel and to operate bases of operations for civilian-law enforcement personnel;

(G) Providing available national guard personnel, equipment and support for administrative, interpretive, analytic or other purposes;  (H) Providing available national guard personnel and equipment to aid federal, state and local officials and agencies otherwise involved in the prosecution or incarceration of individuals processed within the criminal justice system who have been arrested for criminal acts involving the use, distribution or transportation of controlled substances as defined in 21 U.S.C. 801 et seq. or other applicable law.

(ii) "Demand reduction" means providing available national guard personnel, equipment, support and coordination to federal, state, local and civic organizations, institutions and agencies for the purposes of the prevention of drug abuse and the reduction in the demand for illegal drugs;

(iii) "Law enforcement agency" means a lawfully established federal, state or local public agency that is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of penal, traffic, regulatory, game, immigration, postal, customs or controlled substances laws;

(iv) "Mutual assistance and support agreement" or "agreement" means an agreement between the national guard of this state and one (1) or more law enforcement agencies or between the national guard of this state and the national guard of one (1) or more other states, consistent with the purposes of this compact;

(v) "Official" means the appointed, elected, designated or otherwise duly selected representative of an agency, institution or organization authorized to conduct those activities for which support is requested;

(vi) "Party state" refers to a state that has lawfully enacted this compact;

(vii) "Requesting state" means the state whose governor requested assistance in the area of counter-drug activities;

(viii) "Responding state" means the state furnishing assistance or requested to furnish assistance in the area of counter-drug activities; and

(ix) "State" means each of the several states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a territory or possession of the United States.  (b) Upon the request of a governor of a party state for assistance in the area of drug interdiction, counter-drug and demand reduction activities, the governor of a responding state shall have authority under this compact to send without the borders of his or her state and place under the temporary operational control of the appropriate national guard or other military authorities of the requesting state, for the purposes of providing such requested assistance, all or any part of the national guard forces of his state as he may deem necessary, and the exercise of his discretion in this regard shall be conclusive.

(c) The governor of a party state may, within his discretion, withhold the national guard forces of his state from such use and recall any forces or part or member thereof previously deployed in a requesting state.

(d) The national guard of this state is hereby authorized to engage in counter-drug activities and demand reduction.

(e) The adjutant general of this state, in order to further the purposes of this compact, may enter into a mutual assistance and support agreement with one (1) or more law enforcement agencies of this state, including federal law enforcement agencies operating within this state, or with the national guard of one (1) or more other party states to provide personnel, assets and services in the area of counter-drug activities, and demand reduction provided that all parties to the agreement are not specifically prohibited by law to perform said activities.

(f) The agreement must set forth the powers, rights and obligations of the parties to the agreement, where applicable, as follows:

(i) Its duration;

(ii) The organization, composition and nature of any separate legal entity created thereby;

(iii) The purpose of the agreement;

(iv) The manner of financing the agreement and establishing and maintaining its budget;  (v) The method to be employed in accomplishing the partial or complete termination of the agreement and for disposing of property upon partial or complete termination;

(vi) Provision for administering the agreement, which may include creation of a joint board responsible for such administration;

(vii) The manner of acquiring, holding and disposing of real and personal property used in this agreement, if necessary;

(viii) The minimum standards for national guard personnel implementing the provisions of this agreement;

(ix) The minimum insurance required of each party to the agreement;

(x) The chain of command or delegation of authority to be followed by national guard personnel acting under the provisions of the agreement;

(xi) The duties and authority that the national guard personnel of each party state may exercise; and

(xii) Any other necessary and proper matters.

(g) Agreements prepared under the provisions of this section are exempt from any general law pertaining to intergovernmental agreements.

(h) As a condition precedent to an agreement becoming effective under this section, the agreement shall be submitted to and receive the approval of the attorney general of Wyoming. The attorney general may delegate his approval authority to the appropriate attorney for the national guard subject to those conditions which he decides are appropriate. The delegation shall be in writing and be subject to the following:

(i) The attorney general, or his agent, shall approve an agreement submitted to him under this subsection unless he finds that it is not in proper form, does not meet the requirements set forth in this subsection or otherwise does not conform to the laws of Wyoming. If the attorney general disapproves an agreement, he shall provide a written explanation to the adjutant general of the national guard;  (ii) If the attorney general, or his agent, does not disapprove an agreement within thirty (30) days after its submission to him, it is considered approved by him.

(j) Whenever national guard forces of any party state are engaged in the performance of duties in the area of drug interdiction, counter-drug and demand reduction activities pursuant to orders, no member thereof shall be held personally liable for any acts or omissions which occur during the performance of their duty.

ARTICLE IV

Responsibilities

(a) Nothing in this compact shall be construed as a waiver of any benefits, privileges, immunities or rights otherwise provided for national guard personnel performing duty pursuant to title 32 of the United States Code nor shall anything in this compact be construed as a waiver of coverage provided for under the Federal Tort Claims Act. In the event that national guard personnel performing counter-drug activities do not receive rights, benefits, privileges and immunities otherwise provided for national guard personnel as stated above, the following provisions shall apply:

(i) Whenever national guard forces of any responding state are engaged in another state in carrying out the purposes of this compact, the members thereof so engaged shall have the same powers, duties, rights, privileges and immunities as members of national guard forces of the requesting state. The requesting state shall save and hold members of the national guard forces of responding states harmless from civil liability, except as otherwise provided herein, for acts or omissions which occur in the performance of their duty while engaged in carrying out the purposes of this compact, whether responding forces are serving the requesting state within the borders of the responding state or are attached to the requesting state for purposes of operational control;

(ii) Subject to the paragraphs (a)(iii), (iv) and (v) of this article, all liability that may arise under the laws of the requesting state or the responding state, on account of or in connection with a request for assistance or support shall be assumed and borne by the requesting state;  (iii) Any responding state rendering aid or assistance pursuant to this compact shall be reimbursed by the requesting state for any loss, damage to or expense incurred in the operation of any equipment answering a request for aid and for the cost of the materials, transportation and maintenance of national guard personnel and equipment incurred in connection with such request, provided that nothing contained herein shall prevent any responding state from assuming such loss, damage, expense or other cost;

(iv) Unless there is a written agreement to the contrary, each party shall provide in the same amounts and manner as if they were on duty within their state for pay and allowances of personnel of its national guard units while engaged without the state pursuant to this compact and while going to and returning from such duty pursuant to this compact;

(v) Each party state providing for the payment of compensation and death benefits to injured members and the representatives of deceased members of its national guard forces in case such members sustain injuries or are killed within their own state, shall provide for the payment of compensation and death benefits in the same manner and on the same terms in the event such members sustain injury or are killed while rendering assistance or support pursuant to this compact. Such benefits and compensation shall be deemed items of expense reimbursable pursuant to paragraph (a)(iii) of this article.

(b) Officers and enlisted personnel of the national guard performing duties subject to proper orders pursuant to this compact shall be subject to and governed by the provisions of their home state code of military justice whether they are performing duties within or without their home state. In the event that any national guard member commits, or is suspected of committing, a criminal offense while performing duties pursuant to this compact without his home state, he may be returned immediately to his home state and the home state shall be responsible for any disciplinary action. Nothing in this section shall abrogate the general criminal jurisdiction of the state in which the offense occurred.

ARTICLE V

Delegation

Nothing in this compact shall be construed to prevent the governor of a party state from delegating any of his responsibilities or authority respecting the national guard, provided that such delegation is otherwise in accordance with law. For purposes of this compact the governor shall not delegate the power to request assistance from another state.

ARTICLE VI

Limitations

(a) Nothing in this compact shall:

(i) Authorize or permit national guard units or personnel to be placed under the operational control of any person not having the national guard rank or status required by law for that command;

(ii) Deprive a properly convened court of jurisdiction over an offense or a defendant merely because of the fact that the national guard, while performing duties pursuant to this compact, was utilized in achieving an arrest or indictment; or

(iii) Authorize the national guard to engage in the personal apprehension, arrest and incarceration of any individual or the physical search and seizure of any person. The national guard may indirectly support any such law- enforcement activities by an otherwise appropriate law- enforcement agency. The national guard may, however, directly or indirectly engage in the legal search and seizure of any property when under the supervision of an otherwise appropriate law-enforcement agency.

ARTICLE VII

Construction and Severability

This compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of the United States or of any state or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or the circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state participating herein, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining part states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.

19-9-212. Governor's authority to order service under Title 32 of the United States Code.

The governor may order any member of the national guard of Wyoming to duty under Title 32 of the United States Code, to respond to either natural or man made emergencies within Wyoming, to support national wildland fire response or to respond to requests originated in accordance with W.S. 19-9-209. This section is meant to clarify the governor's authority under Title 32 and is not intended to limit the governor's inherent authority as the commander in chief of the national guard.

ARTICLE 3 - OFFICERS AND ENLISTED PERSONNEL; GENERALLY

19-9-301. National guard officers generally.

(a) All officers of the national guard of Wyoming shall be appointed by the governor of Wyoming as provided in national guard regulations except such officers as may be commissioned by the governor in an honorary status or in a state status without regard to their allocation or qualification by the department of defense of the United States.

(b) All officers appointed in the national guard of Wyoming except the adjutant general, assistant adjutants general and additional general officers shall hold their membership until they have reached seventy (70) years of age unless retired or discharged prior to that time. No officer possesses a property interest in any duty position. The adjutant general is the discharge authority for all officers except the adjutant general, for which the governor shall be that authority. Any officer may be discharged from the Wyoming national guard according to procedures established by orders and regulations prescribed or promulgated by the adjutant general or according to federal law and regulation. An officer discharged from the United States air force or army reserves or who has his federal recognition withdrawn shall also be discharged from the Wyoming national guard effective as of the date of discharge from the reserves or withdrawal of federal recognition.

(c) Initial appointments and promotions shall be made from the best qualified officers available for service in a unit or organization. The adjutant general shall for federal promotions and as required by federal regulation, submit recommendations personally or through a federal recognition board appointed by the adjutant general. For state promotion of officers, the adjutant general shall be the promotion authority.

(d) Repealed By Laws 2003, Ch. 19, § 2.

(e) The moral character, capacity and general fitness for the service of any national guard officer may be determined at any time by an administrative board as provided by applicable law and regulations. Commissions of officers of the national guard may be vacated upon resignation or absence without leave for three (3) months upon the recommendation of an administrative board or pursuant to sentence of a courts- martial.

(f) The compensation of all officers when on duty by order of the governor shall be the same as paid to officers of like grade in the regular armed forces of the United States including longevity pay and allowances for federal and national guard service.

(g) Within ten (10) days of his appointment an officer shall take and subscribe the oath provided in national guard regulations and the oath provided by the Wyoming constitution for all state officers. The officer who administers the oaths shall certify the facts and transmit the oaths or affirmations properly sealed and attested to the adjutant general, who shall file the same. A commission signed by the governor and countersigned by the adjutant general under seal of the adjutant general's office shall then be issued to all officers qualified as provided for in national guard regulations, to take rank from date of original appointment. The rank of all officers now in the service or hereafter commissioned shall date from date of taking the oath of office.

(h) The resignation of officers shall be addressed to the governor and transmitted to the adjutant general through the regular military channels. All commanding officers before forwarding a resignation shall endorse thereon their approval or disapproval, together with all facts bearing on the case. An officer tendering his resignation shall not be considered out of the service until his resignation is accepted. Upon acceptance of the resignation of a commissioned officer, the adjutant general with the approval of the governor, shall issue termination orders.

(j) Repealed By Laws 2003, Ch. 19, § 2.  19-9-302. Enlistments; oath; term; reenlistments and extensions; discharge.

(a) After the forming of an organization, recruits may be enlisted into the organization. They shall sign their names to an enlistment contract to be furnished by the adjutant general for that purpose and signing is legal enlistment. Every commissioned officer and every noncommissioned officer at military pay grade E-9 as defined by federal rule and regulation, may administer the oath required on enlistment.

(b) Every enlisted member shall serve for a term of years prescribed by department of defense orders or national guard regulations unless he is properly discharged.

(c) All reenlistments and extensions shall be for the term prescribed by department of defense orders or national guard regulations.

(d) Upon expiration of the service of any enlisted member or upon his discharge under United States department of defense or national guard regulation, the commanding officer of his organization shall prepare a discharge certificate as provided by federal or national guard regulation.

(e) The adjutant general is the discharge authority for all enlisted members. An enlisted member may be discharged from the Wyoming national guard according to regulations adopted by the adjutant general or by federal law and regulation.

(f) An enlisted member discharged from the United States air force or army reserves shall be discharged from the Wyoming national guard effective as of the date of discharge from the reserves.

19-9-303. Laws applicable to military procedure and subjects.

On all military procedure and subjects arising in this state and not specifically covered by Wyoming law, the laws, regulations and orders of the department of defense shall apply unless specifically prohibited by published orders of the governor of Wyoming.

19-9-304. Uniforms and equipment. The uniform and equipment of all officers and enlisted personnel of the national guard of Wyoming shall be as prescribed for the national guard in department of defense orders or national guard regulations.

ARTICLE 4 - RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND ENLISTED PERSONNEL

19-9-401. National Guard members and state security officers granted certain exemptions.

(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.

19-9-402. Malpractice liability for professionals serving with the Wyoming national guard.

The state shall defend, hold harmless and indemnify any member of the Wyoming national guard who possesses a license or credentials to practice a profession and who meets the requirements of the Wyoming national guard for the practice of the profession from any financial loss arising out of any claim, demand, suit or judgment in any court by reason of any alleged malpractice of the professional, if the professional was acting in the discharge of the professional's military duties at the time that the alleged malpractice was committed, regardless of the actual military status of the professional when the act is alleged to have occurred.

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.

(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.

19-9-404. Complaints of wrongs; Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 138-similar procedure.

Any member of the Wyoming national guard who believes the member has been wronged by a commanding officer, and who, upon due application to that commanding officer, is refused redress may complain to any superior commissioned officer. The superior commissioned officer shall forward the complaint to the adjutant general. The adjutant general shall examine the complaint and take proper measures for redressing the wrong complained of and shall, as soon as possible, send to the appropriate governor a true statement of that complaint, with the measures taken to redress the complaint. The provisions of this section may be exercised in addition to or in lieu of the applicable procedures in W.S. 19-7-103(b)(xxv).

ARTICLE 5 - EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE

19-9-501. Educational assistance for national guard members; administration of plan. The Wyoming national guard educational assistance plan is established to provide assistance for qualified members of the Wyoming national guard who enroll in institutions of higher education in this state. The plan shall be administered by the adjutant general in accordance with the provisions of this article. The adjutant general shall promulgate rules for the administration, implementation and proper utilization of the plan.

19-9-502. Definitions.

(a) As used in this article:

(i) "Authorized courses" means:

(A) Credit courses which meet undergraduate or graduate degree requirements; and

(B) Credit courses which meet requirements for completion of vocational or technical training for a declared educational objective meeting requirements of rules promulgated pursuant to this article.

(ii) "Federal tuition assistance" means any payment made to or on behalf of a member by the federal government for educational assistance, excluding benefits paid pursuant to the Montgomery GI Bill;

(iii) "Member" means an active, in good standing, member of the Wyoming national guard;

(iv) "Montgomery GI Bill" means the federal Montgomery GI Bill Act of 1984, Public Law 98 – 525 and subsequent amendments thereto;

(v) "Plan" means the educational assistance plan established under this article;

(vi) "Wyoming institution of higher education" or "institution" means a public or private educational institution located within this state and approved for payment of Montgomery GI Bill benefits. "Institution" includes a public or private educational institution offering an accredited degree program in Wyoming through distance education under a partnership agreement with any branch of the United States armed forces;  (vii) "Wyoming public institutions of higher education" means the University of Wyoming and Wyoming community colleges;

(viii) "Dependent" means a person enrolled as a dependent in the defense enrollment eligibility reporting system.

19-9-503. Requirements for educational assistance; assistance payments.

(a) Subject to legislative appropriation and in accordance with the provisions of this article, the adjutant general or his designee, may authorize the payment of higher education tuition and mandatory fees for active members of the Wyoming national guard or for the spouse or dependents of active members of the Wyoming national guard as provided in subsection (c) of this section. To be eligible to participate in the plan members shall:

(i) Have completed basic military training or officer training unless waived by the adjutant general for good cause shown;

(ii) Meet the standards for satisfactory participation in the Wyoming national guard at the beginning of and throughout the entire academic term for which assistance is received;

(iii) Be committed through an enlistment contract or other written agreement to membership in the Wyoming national guard for not less than six (6) years, including initial enlistment and any previous contract or contracts;

(iv) Agree in writing to serve in the Wyoming national guard for two (2) years after the last day of the last academic term for which assistance is received under the plan. This two (2) year period of service may be within the six (6) year commitment period required by paragraph (iii) of this subsection;

(v) Have declared an academic major or educational objective; and

(vi) Meet the academic standards specified in this paragraph and otherwise be in good standing as determined by the institution of higher education pursuant to a published policy. Any member receiving educational assistance under the plan who fails to earn a cumulative grade point average at least equivalent to 2.0 on a 4.0 scale shall be ineligible for educational assistance under the plan until the member attains that cumulative grade point average, unless the adjutant general for cause and pursuant to rule and regulation waives the grade point average requirement.

(b) Members meeting the requirements of subsection (a) of this section or spouses or dependents under subsection (c) of this section may receive educational assistance benefit payments as follows:

(i) For authorized courses at a Wyoming public institution of higher education, payment may be made for up to the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees;

(ii) For authorized courses at a Wyoming private institution of higher education, payment may be made for the lesser of the actual costs of tuition and mandatory fees or an amount equal to the average resident tuition and mandatory fee charges of all Wyoming public institutions of higher education for an undergraduate student enrolled for twelve (12) semester hours;

(iii) Eligible members or spouses or dependents under subsection (c) of this section who are not Wyoming residents may receive benefits as provided in paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this subsection, but the benefit payment shall not exceed the amount of tuition and mandatory fees that would have been charged if the member or the spouse or dependent under subsection (c) of this section were a Wyoming resident;

(iv) Payment shall be made directly to the institution after the institution officially certifies that the member or the spouse or dependent under subsection (c) of this section has registered;

(v) Payments under the plan together with any federal tuition assistance received by the member or the spouse or dependent under subsection (c) of this section shall not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the tuition and mandatory fees charged.

(c) Members of the Wyoming national guard who meet the standards for satisfactory participation in the Wyoming national guard, upon completion of their initial mandatory service obligation under paragraph (a)(iii) of this section, may transfer any Wyoming national guard educational assistance plan benefits that have not reached the limits under W.S. 19-9-504(a) and (c) to their spouse or dependent to be paid in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. The transfer of benefits by the member requires the member to agree in writing to serve in the Wyoming national guard for not less than four (4) additional years after the date the benefit has been transferred. This four (4) year period of service is in addition to the six (6) year commitment period required by paragraph (a)(iii) of this section. The member's spouse or dependent may subsequently transfer any remaining benefits that have not reached the limits under W.S. 19-9-504(a) and (c) back to the member to use subject to this section. The member and the member's spouse or dependent cannot use the benefits concurrently.

19-9-504. Restrictions; repayment of benefits.

(a) Plan participation and benefit payments shall be subject to the following additional restrictions and qualifications:

(i) The plan may be used to complete only one (1) degree, certificate or other educational objective, except as authorized under subsection (c) of this section;

(ii) Participation shall be limited to the earlier of:

(A) A period of ten (10) years from the date of the participant's initial enrollment in the plan; or

(B) The participant's completion of the participant's one (1) degree, certificate or other educational objective, unless authorized for additional education under subsection (c) of this section.

(iii) Any member receiving educational assistance under the plan, or whose spouse or dependent is receiving educational assistance under the plan, who fails to maintain satisfactory participation in the Wyoming national guard shall repay all educational assistance granted under the plan for that current academic term. The member, or the member's spouse or dependent if applicable, shall be ineligible for educational assistance under the plan until the adjutant general has determined that the member meets the minimum requirements for satisfactory membership in the Wyoming national guard;  (iv) Any member who has received assistance under the plan and who fails to complete the initial six (6) year commitment required by W.S. 19-9-503(a)(iii) and maintain satisfactory participation in the Wyoming national guard for the two (2) year period required by W.S. 19-9-503(a)(iv), or who fails to complete any additional commitment under subsection (c) of this section or under W.S. 19-9-503(c), shall repay all educational assistance received under the plan.

(b) The adjutant general may promulgate rules waiving repayment otherwise required under subsection (a) of this section for death, incapacity or other good cause shown. The adjutant general shall immediately transmit all repayments of benefits under the plan to the state treasurer for deposit in the state general fund.

(c) The plan may be used to complete authorized courses to complete one (1) additional degree, certificate or other educational objective beyond the one (1) degree, certificate or other educational objective authorized in paragraph (a)(i) of this section if the member agrees in writing to serve in the Wyoming national guard for not less than four (4) years in addition to the six (6) year commitment period required by W.S.