00HOUSE BILL NO. 230                                                                                                    
01 "An Act granting certain dispatchers in police or fire departments or for the                                           
02 state troopers status as peace officers under the public employees' retirement                                          
03 system; and providing for an effective date."                                                                           
04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
05    * Section 1.  AS 39.35.680(28) is amended to read:                                                                 
06   (28)  "peace officer" or "fire fighter" means an employee occupying a                                                
07 position as a peace officer, chief of police,  dispatcher in a police or fire department                               
08 or in a state trooper office,  correctional officer, correctional superintendent, fire                                 
09 fighter, fire chief, or probation officer;                                                                              
10    * Sec. 2.  An employee who was employed as a dispatcher in a state trooper office or in                            
11 a police or fire department in the public employees' retirement system before the effective                             
12 date of this Act may convert the credited service for that position to credited service as a                            
13 peace officer by claiming the service as peace officer service before the member is appointed                           
14 to retirement.  When the member claims this retroactive credited service, an indebtedness of                            

01 the member to the system shall be established.  The indebtedness is equal to (1) the                                    
02 contributions to the system that the member would have made if the service had counted as                               
03 peace officer service, less (2) the contributions to the system that the member actually made.                          
04 Interest as prescribed by regulation accrues on this indebtedness beginning July 1, 1999.  Any                          
05 outstanding indebtedness that exists at the time the member is appointed to retirement will                             
06 require an actuarial adjustment to the benefits payable based upon the converted credited                               
07 service.                                                                                                                
08    * Sec. 3.  This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).