Firefighters-paid leave and hazard pay.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how the federal standards will be used as a guide.

Firefighters' Paid Leave and Hazard Pay Act

This law allows firefighters employed by the State Forestry Division to receive hazard pay and paid time off based on federal standards, with funding provided for these benefits.

What This Bill Does

• Allows wildland firefighters working for the State Forestry Division to get extra money (hazard pay) when their job is dangerous.
• Gives wildland firefighters paid time off according to federal rules.
• Provides $422,500 from the general fund for hazard pay until June 30, 2028.
• Requires the Department of Administration and Information and the Office of State Lands and Investments to make rules about how this law works.

Who It Names or Affects

• Wildland firefighters working for the State Forestry Division
• The Office of State Lands and Investments

Terms To Know

hazard pay

Extra money given to workers when their job is dangerous.

paid time off

Time away from work that the worker gets paid for.

Limits and Unknowns

• The federal standards are used as a guide but do not have to be followed exactly.
• This law only applies to wildland firefighters working for the State Forestry Division, not all firefighters in Wyoming.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 26LSO-0302

Bill No.:

HB0035

Effective:

Multiple Dates

LSO No.:

26LSO-0302

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0004

Chapter No.:

4

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Appropriations Committee

Catch Title:

Firefighters-paid leave and hazard pay.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Authorizes firefighters to receive hazard pay and paid time off.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act provides that persons in a wildland firefighting occupation employed by the State Forestry Division of the Office of State Lands and Investments will receive hazard pay and paid time off in accordance with federal standards.

The Office of State Lands and Investments is required to monitor federal standards for hazard pay and paid time off when determining compensation, but those standards will not be considered binding.

An appropriation is provided to provide hazard pay for wildland firefighters.

The Department of Administration and Information and the Office of State Lands and Investments are authorized to promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

26LSO-0302

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0035

ENROLLED ACT NO. 4,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2026 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to the office of state lands and investments; authorizing firefighters to receive hazard pay and paid time off as specified; providing appropriations; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

(a)

Correctional forestry crew supervisors, correctional crew supervisors, correctional forestry crew managers and any other person in a wildland firefighting occupation employed by the state forestry division of the office of state lands and investments shall:

(i)

Receive a differential for firefighting work deemed hazardous in accordance with federal standards for firefighter hazard pay and subsection (b) of this section; and

(ii)

Be eligible for paid time off in accordance with federal standards for firefighter paid time off and subsection (b) of this section.

(b)

For purposes of this section, the office of state lands and investments shall monitor federal standards for firefighting work deemed hazardous and firefighter paid time off when determining compensation under subsection (a) of this section, but those federal standards shall not be binding on the office of state lands and investments.

Section 2.

There is appropriated four hundred twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars ($422,500.00) from the general fund to the office of state lands and investments for purposes of providing hazard pay pursuant to section 1(a)(i) of this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning May 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2028. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2028. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation be included in the standard budget for the office of state lands and investments for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 3
.

The department of administration and information and the office of state lands and investments shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 4.

(a)

Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective May 1, 2026
.

(b)

Sections 3 and 4 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1