00SENATE BILL NO. 147                                                                                                     
01 "An Act relating to a retirement benefit for the surviving widow or widower or                                          
02 surviving divorced spouse of a governor or lieutenant governor of the state; and                                        
03 providing for an effective date."                                                                                       
04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
05    * Section 1.  AS 39.35 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                   
06  Sec. 39.35.383.  Benefits for certain surviving widows or widowers or                                                 
07 surviving divorced spouses of governors or lieutenant governors.  (a)  An                                               
08 individual who was married to a governor or lieutenant governor of this state during                                    
09 the governor's or lieutenant governor's term of office who meets the qualifications of                                  
10 this section is entitled to a benefit under this section in the amount of $1,000 per                                    
11 month.                                                                                                                  
12  (b)  To be entitled to a benefit under this section,                                                                  
13   (1)  the individual must have been married to a governor or lieutenant                                               
14 governor of this state during the governor's or lieutenant governor's term of office;                                   

01   (2)  the governor or lieutenant governor to whom the individual was                                                  
02 married must have died;                                                                                                 
03   (3)  the individual must have reached 60 years of age;                                                               
04   (4)  the individual may not be married at the time of collecting a benefit                                           
05 under this section;                                                                                                     
06   (5)  the individual may not be employed in a position covered by a state                                             
07 retirement system;                                                                                                      
08   (6)  the individual may not be entitled to another benefit under this                                                
09 chapter;  and                                                                                                           
10   (7)  the individual may not be entitled to a benefit under a state                                                   
11 retirement system other than this system.                                                                               
12  (c)  Eligibility for a benefit under this section terminates when the individual                                      
13 becomes eligible for a benefit under a state retirement system, remarries, or dies.                                     
14  (d)  Receipt of a benefit under this section does not entitle the individual to a                                     
15 post-retirement pension adjustment under AS 39.35.475 or a cost-of-living allowance                                     
16 under AS 39.35.480.  An individual receiving a benefit under this section may elect                                     
17 major medical insurance coverage under AS 39.35.535, but the individual must pay an                                     
18 amount equal to the full monthly group premium for retiree major medical insurance                                      
19 coverage regardless of the individual's age and regardless of whether the individual is                                 
20 disabled.                                                                                                               
21  (e)  In this section, "state retirement system" means the teachers' retirement                                        
22 system under AS 14.25, the optional university retirement system under AS 14.40.661                                     
23 - 14.40.799, the judicial retirement system under AS 22.25, the public employees'                                       
24 retirement system under this chapter, or the elected public officers' retirement system                                 
25 under former AS 39.37.                                                                                                  
26    * Sec. 2.  This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).