00                             SENATE BILL NO. 121                                                                         
01 "An Act relating to Alaska Native organizations; relating to the village public safety                                  
02 officer program; and relating to the Alaska temporary assistance program."                                              
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 18.65.670(a) is amended to read:                                                                   
05 (a)  There is created in the Department of Public Safety a village public safety                                        
06 officer program to assist local governments and villages through nonprofit regional                                     
07 corporations, Alaska Native organizations, or municipalities to appoint, train,                                     
08 supervise, and retain persons to serve as village public safety officers to administer                                  
09       functions relative to                                                                                             
10                 (1)  the protection of life and property in rural areas of the state; and                               
11                 (2)  providing probation and parole supervision to persons under                                        
12       supervision by communicating with and monitoring the activities and progress of these                             
13       persons at the direction of probation and parole officers.                                                        
14    * Sec. 2. AS 18.65.670(b) is amended to read:                                                                      
01 (b)  With funds appropriated for that purpose, the commissioner of public                                               
02 safety shall provide grants to nonprofit regional corporations and Alaska Native                                    
03 organizations for village public safety officers. If a nonprofit regional corporation for                           
04 a rural area or Alaska Native organization declines a grant under this subsection, the                              
05 commissioner may provide the grant to a municipality with a population of less than                                     
06 10,000 willing to administer the grant for the rural area. Before awarding a grant to a                                 
07 municipality, the commissioner shall consult with the nonprofit regional corporation                                    
08 or Alaska Native organization that declined the grant. The commissioner of public                                   
09 safety shall coordinate with the commissioner of corrections when providing grants                                      
10 under this section, and the commissioners shall jointly execute an agreement with the                                   
11 nonprofit regional corporations, Alaska Native organizations, or municipalities, as                                 
12       appropriate.                                                                                                      
13    * Sec. 3. AS 18.65.670(c) is amended to read:                                                                      
14 (c)  The commissioner of public safety may adopt regulations related to village                                         
15 public safety officers, including minimum standards and training, criteria for                                          
16 participation by a community, a municipality, an Alaska Native organization, or a                       
17 corporation [PARTICIPATION], and the interaction between the Department of                                              
18 Public Safety and village public safety officers. Regulations adopted by the                                            
19 commissioner of public safety under this subsection may not prohibit village public                                     
20 safety officers who otherwise meet minimum standards and training from carrying                                         
21 firearms. If the commissioner of public safety adopts regulations regarding training for                                
22 village public safety officers, at a minimum, that training must include disability                                     
23 training that provides training in the subjects set out in AS 18.65.220(3). The                                         
24 commissioner of corrections may adopt regulations related to the functions of village                                   
25       public safety officers providing probation and parole supervision.                                                
26    * Sec. 4. AS 18.65.670(e) is amended to read:                                                                      
27            (e)  In this section,                                                                                        
28 (1)  "Alaska Native organization" means an organization listed in                                                   
29       AS 47.27.070(a);                                                                                              
30 (2)  "rural area" means a community with a population of less than                                                  
31       1,000 within                                                                                                      
01                      (A) [(1)]  the unorganized borough; or                                                         
02                      (B) [(2)]  a borough, if the community is not connected by road                                
03            to Anchorage or Fairbanks.                                                                                   
04    * Sec. 5. AS 47.27.070(c) is repealed.