00CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 230(STA)                                                                                        
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.  The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                            
11 to read:                                                                                                                
12  OPTIONAL CONVERSION OF EXISTING CREDITED SERVICE.  An employee                                                         
13 who was employed as a dispatcher in a state trooper office or in a police or fire department                            
14 in the public employees' retirement system before the effective date of this Act may convert                            

01 the credited service for that position to credited service as a peace officer by claiming the                           
02 service as peace officer service before the member is appointed to retirement.  When the                                
03 member claims this retroactive credited service, an indebtedness of the member to the system                            
04 shall be established.  The indebtedness is equal to the full actuarial cost of the conversion of                        
05 the credited service to treatment as peace officer service.  Interest as prescribed by regulation                       
06 accrues on this indebtedness beginning July 1, 2000.  Any outstanding indebtedness that exists                          
07 at the time the member is appointed to retirement will require an actuarial adjustment to the                           
08 benefits payable based upon the conversion of the credited service.                                                     
09    * Sec. 3.  This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).