SB 145: "An Act relating to the expansion of the village public safety officer program to include the provision of probation and parole supervision services, and to retirement benefits for village public safety officers."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 145 01 "An Act relating to the expansion of the village public safety officer program to include 02 the provision of probation and parole supervision services, and to retirement benefits 03 for village public safety officers." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 18.65.670 is amended to read: 06 Sec. 18.65.670. Village public safety officers program. (a) There is created 07 in the Department of Public Safety a village public safety officer program to assist 08 local governments and villages through nonprofit regional corporations to appoint, 09 train, supervise, and retain persons to serve as village public safety officers to 10 administer functions relative to 11 (1) the protection of life and property in rural areas of the state; and 12 (2) providing probation and parole supervision to persons under 13 supervision by communicating with and monitoring the activities and progress of 14 these persons at the direction of probation and parole officers.
01 (b) With funds appropriated for that purpose, the commissioner of public 02 safety shall provide grants to nonprofit regional corporations for village public safety 03 officers. The commissioner of public safety shall coordinate with the 04 commissioner of corrections when providing grants under this section, and the 05 commissioners shall jointly execute an agreement with the nonprofit regional 06 corporations. 07 (c) The commissioner of public safety may adopt regulations related to village 08 public safety officers, including minimum standards and training, criteria for 09 community or corporation participation, and the interaction between the Department 10 of Public Safety and village public safety officers. The commissioner of corrections 11 may adopt regulations related to the functions of village public safety officers 12 providing probation and parole supervision. 13 * Sec. 2. AS 18.65.670 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 14 (d) A village public safety officer employed under the village public safety 15 officer program established by this section is a member of the public employees' 16 retirement system under AS 39.35. 17 * Sec. 3. AS 39.35.120(a) is amended to read: 18 (a) An employee of the state shall be included in this system upon 19 commencement of employment with the state, or on January 1, 1961, whichever is 20 later. Unless an employee has elected to participate in the optional university 21 retirement program under AS 14.40.661 - 14.40.799, an employee of a political 22 subdivision or public organization that becomes an employer shall be included in the 23 system on the effective date of the employer's participation or the date of the 24 employee's commencement of employment with the employer, whichever is later. A 25 village public safety officer employed under the village public safety officer 26 program established in AS 18.65.670 is included in this system on the effective 27 date of this Act or upon the officer's commencement of employment with the 28 employer, whichever is later. 29 * Sec. 4. AS 39.35.310 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 30 (f) A village public safety officer employed by an employer is entitled to 31 credited service for service as a village public safety officer under the village public
01 safety officer program before the effective date of this Act. To receive credited 02 service under this subsection, the village public safety officer shall claim the service. 03 A member who claims credited service under this subsection is indebted to the system. 04 The amount of the indebtedness is the full actuarial cost of providing benefits based on 05 the service as a village public safety officer. Interest as prescribed by regulation 06 accrues on this indebtedness. Any outstanding indebtedness that exists at the time a 07 person is appointed to retirement necessitates an actuarial adjustment to the benefits 08 payable based upon prior service as a village public safety officer. 09 * Sec. 5. AS 39.35.342(a) is amended to read: 10 (a) A vested employee is entitled to credited service for employment as a 11 village public safety officer under the program established under AS 18.65.670 for 12 which the employee has not otherwise received credited service under this 13 system. An employee is not entitled to credited service for employment as a village 14 public safety officer unless the employee was employed as a village public safety 15 officer for at least one year. The credited service allowed may not exceed an 16 aggregate period of five years. Benefits are not payable on credited service for village 17 public safety officer service under this section unless the employee makes retroactive 18 contributions to the system for the period of time that service credit is claimed. 19 * Sec. 6. AS 39.35.680(17) is amended to read: 20 (17) "employer" means 21 (A) the State of Alaska; 22 (B) a nonprofit regional corporation, but only with respect 23 to village public safety officers employed by the corporation under 24 AS 18.65.670; or 25 (C) a political subdivision or public organization of the state 26 that participates in the system; 27 * Sec. 7. AS 39.35.680(28) is amended to read: 28 (28) "peace officer" or "fire fighter" means an employee occupying a 29 position as a peace officer, chief of police, correctional officer, correctional 30 superintendent, fire fighter, fire chief, or probation officer, but does not include a 31 village public safety officer employed by a village public safety officer program
01 established under AS 18.65.670; 02 * Sec. 8. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 03 read: 04 APPLICABILITY. This Act does not modify the terms of a contract between the state 05 and a nonprofit regional corporation in existence on the effective date of this Act.