Wyoming law sets retirement coverage rules for certain firefighters

The law defines firefighter members to include certain National Guard fire and rescue employees and state agency wildland firefighters. It covers full-time employees of Wyoming National Guard fire department crash and rescue units, plus people employed full-time or temporary full-time in wildland firefighting by any state agency.

Covered state forestry and other state agency workers begin this coverage unless they choose to remain general members of the Wyoming Retirement Act. This applies to correctional forestry crew supervisors, correctional crew supervisors, correctional forestry crew managers, and wildland firefighters employed by the Wyoming state forestry division or another state agency. Workers who choose to remain general members must notify the Wyoming retirement board by April 30, 2026. The choice cannot be withdrawn. Service credit from other retirement plans administered by the board does not count as firefighter-member or law-enforcement-member credit, except for prior credit in either of those categories. Coverage began July 1, 2026. Workers had to notify the board by April 30, 2026, to remain general members.

The law sets aside $411,000 from the general fund for the Office of State Lands and Investments to pay retirement contributions under the act. The Office of State Lands and Investments receives the money for retirement contributions under the act. The money may be used only for those retirement contributions. Unspent and unobligated money reverts as provided by law. The appropriation covers July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028.