CSHB 25(STA): "An Act allowing certain members of the uniformed services, spouses and dependents of certain members of the uniformed services, and individuals attending certain merchant marine vocational programs to remain eligible for the permanent fund dividend during absences from the state; allowing, in certain cases, an otherwise eligible individual to file for an unclaimed permanent fund dividend if the parent, guardian, or authorized representative failed to claim a dividend on behalf of the individual during the application period; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 25(STA) 01 "An Act allowing certain members of the uniformed services, spouses and dependents of 02 certain members of the uniformed services, and individuals attending certain merchant 03 marine vocational programs to remain eligible for the permanent fund dividend during 04 absences from the state; allowing, in certain cases, an otherwise eligible individual to file 05 for an unclaimed permanent fund dividend if the parent, guardian, or authorized 06 representative failed to claim a dividend on behalf of the individual during the 07 application period; and providing for an effective date." 08 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 09 * Section 1. AS 43.23.008(a) is amended to read: 10 (a) Subject to (b) and (d) of this section, an otherwise eligible individual who 11 is absent from the state during the qualifying year remains eligible for a current year 12 permanent fund dividend if the individual was absent 13 (1) receiving secondary or postsecondary education on a full-time
01 basis; 02 (2) receiving vocational, professional, or other specific education on a 03 full-time basis for which, as determined by the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary 04 Education, a comparable program is not reasonably available in the state; 05 (3) serving on active duty as a member of the uniformed services 06 [ARMED FORCES] of the United States or accompanying, as that individual's 07 spouse, minor dependent, or disabled dependent, an individual who is 08 (A) serving on active duty as a member of the uniformed 09 services [ARMED FORCES] of the United States; and 10 (B) eligible for a current year dividend; 11 (4) serving under foreign or coastal articles of employment aboard an 12 oceangoing vessel of the United States merchant marine or attending a vocational 13 program that 14 (A) trains students for a career in the United States 15 merchant marine in an engine, deck, or steward department; 16 (B) provides seagoing service that meets the requirements 17 of the United States Coast Guard for United States merchant marine 18 credentialing; and 19 (C) is approved by the United States Coast Guard; 20 (5) receiving continuous medical treatment recommended by a 21 licensed physician or convalescing as recommended by the physician who treated the 22 illness if the treatment or convalescence is not based on a need for climatic change; 23 (6) providing care for a parent, spouse, sibling, child, or stepchild with 24 a critical life-threatening illness whose treatment plan, as recommended by the 25 attending physician, requires travel outside the state for treatment at a medical 26 specialty complex; 27 (7) providing care for the individual's terminally ill family member; 28 (8) settling the estate of the individual's deceased parent, spouse, 29 sibling, child, or stepchild, provided the absence does not exceed 220 cumulative days; 30 (9) serving as a member of the United States Congress; 31 (10) serving on the staff of a member from this state of the United
01 States Congress; 02 (11) serving as an employee of the state in a field office or other 03 location; 04 (12) accompanying a minor who is absent under (5) of this subsection; 05 (13) accompanying another eligible resident who is absent for a reason 06 permitted under (1), (2), (5) - (12), (16), or (17) of this subsection as the spouse, minor 07 dependent, or disabled dependent of the eligible resident; 08 (14) serving as a volunteer in the federal peace corps program; 09 (15) because of training or competing as a member of the United States 10 Olympic Team or a United States national team for an Olympic sport; 11 (16) participating for educational purposes in a student fellowship 12 sponsored by the United States Department of Education or by the United States 13 Department of State; 14 (17) for any reason consistent with the individual's intent to remain a 15 state resident, provided the absence or cumulative absences do not exceed 16 (A) 180 days in addition to any absence or cumulative absences 17 claimed under (3) of this subsection if the individual is not claiming an absence 18 under (1), (2), or (4) - (16) of this subsection; 19 (B) 120 days in addition to any absence or cumulative absences 20 claimed under (1) - (3) of this subsection if the individual is not claiming an 21 absence under (4) - (16) of this subsection but is claiming an absence under (1) 22 or (2) of this subsection; or 23 (C) 45 days in addition to any absence or cumulative absences 24 claimed under (1) - (16) of this subsection if the individual is claiming an 25 absence under (4) - (16) of this subsection. 26 * Sec. 2. AS 43.23.008(f) is amended to read: 27 (f) In [FOR PURPOSES OF (a)(7) OF] this section, 28 (1) "family member" means a person who is 29 (A) [(1)] legally related to the individual through marriage or 30 guardianship; or 31 (B) [(2)] the individual's sibling, parent, grandparent, son,
01 daughter, grandson, granddaughter, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, or first cousin; 02 (2) "uniformed service" means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine 03 Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, and the Commissioned Corps of the National 04 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Public Health Services. 05 * Sec. 3. AS 43.23.011 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 06 (d) An otherwise eligible individual may apply for a current year dividend 07 after March 31 and before October 1 of that year if the individual was eligible during 08 the application period under (a) of this section and the individual's parent, guardian, or 09 other authorized representative failed to claim a dividend on behalf of the individual 10 because the parent, guardian, or authorized representative had a medical emergency 11 that prevented the parent, guardian, or authorized representative from applying by 12 March 31. 13 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 14 read: 15 APPLICABILITY. AS 43.23.008(a), as amended by sec. 1 of this Act, 16 AS 43.23.008(f), as amended by sec. 2 of this Act, and AS 43.23.011(d), added by sec. 3 of 17 this Act, apply to the permanent fund dividend 2024 qualifying year for the 2025 dividend 18 year and thereafter. 19 * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2024.