00SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 159(RLS)                                                                          
01 "An Act permitting certain employees in state correctional facilities or employed                                       
02 in the Department of Corrections to convert their credited service under the                                            
03 public employees' retirement system to credited service as peace officers."                                             
04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
05    * Section 1.  AS 39.35.370 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:                                          
06  (g)  When an employee applies for appointment to retirement in the system, the                                        
07 employee may convert the credited service to which this subsection applies to credited                                  
08 service as a peace officer by claiming the service as peace officer service.  This                                      
09 subsection applies to credited service as an employee of a state correctional facility,                                 
10 other than as a correctional officer or correctional superintendent.  This subsection also                              
11 applies to credited service as an employee of the Department of Corrections in a                                        
12 management position in the division that has responsibility for institutions or the                                     
13 division that has responsibility for community corrections if the employee also has at                                  
14 least five years of credited service as a correctional officer or correctional                                          

01 superintendent at a state correctional facility.  An employee who has converted                                         
02 credited service to peace officer service under this subsection shall be treated as a                                   
03 peace officer for purposes of this chapter.  When the member claims this credited                                       
04 service as peace officer service, an indebtedness of the member to the system shall be                                  
05 established.  The indebtedness is equal to the full actuarial cost of the conversion of                                 
06 the credited service to treatment as peace officer service.  Any outstanding                                            
07 indebtedness that exists at the time the member is appointed to retirement will require                                 
08 an actuarial adjustment to the benefits payable based upon the conversion of the                                        
09 credited service.  In this subsection,                                                                                  
10   (1)  "correctional facility" has the meaning given in AS 33.30.901; and                                              
11   (2)  "management position" includes positions as division director,                                                  
12 deputy director, and assistant director.