00                             SENATE BILL NO. 154                                                                         
01 "An Act adding state wildland fire and resource technicians to the definition of peace                                  
02 officer or fire fighter under the defined contribution plan of the public employees'                                    
03 retirement system and under the defined benefit plan of the public employees'                                           
04 retirement system; and providing for an effective date."                                                                
05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
06    * Section 1. AS 39.35.680(30) is amended to read:                                                                  
07                 (30)  "peace officer" or "fire fighter" means an employee occupying a                                   
08       position as a peace officer, chief of police, regional public safety officer, correctional                        
09       officer, correctional superintendent, fire fighter, fire chief, wildland fire and resource                    
10       technician, or probation officer, but does not include a village public safety officer                        
11       employed by a village public safety officer program established under AS 18.65.670;                               
12    * Sec. 2. AS 39.35.990(20) is amended to read:                                                                     
13                 (20)  "peace officer" or "fire fighter" means an employee occupying a                                   
14       position as a peace officer, chief of police, regional public safety officer, correctional                        
01       officer, correctional superintendent, fire fighter, fire chief, wildland fire and resource                    
02       technician, or probation officer, but does not include a village public safety officer                        
03       employed by a village public safety officer program established under AS 18.65.670;                               
04    * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
05 read:                                                                                                                   
06       CONVERSION OF CREDITED SERVICE. An employee who was employed as a                                                 
07 wildland fire and resource technician in the public employees' retirement system before the                             
08 effective date of this Act may convert the credited service for that position to credited service                       
09 as a peace officer by claiming the service as peace officer service before the member is                                
10 appointed to retirement. When the member claims this retroactive credited service, an                                   
11 indebtedness of the member to the system shall be established. The indebtedness is equal to                             
12 the contributions to the system that the wildland fire and resource technician would have                               
13 made if the service had counted as peace officer service less the contributions to the system                           
14 that the wildland fire and resource technician actually made. Interest as prescribed by                                 
15 regulation accrues on this indebtedness beginning July 1, 2010. Any outstanding indebtedness                            
16 that exists at the time a person is appointed to retirement will require an actuarial adjustment                        
17 to the benefits payable based on the wildland fire and resource technician service.                                     
18    * Sec. 4. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).