Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
02/25/2025 11:15 AM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB17 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 17 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 17-DISABLED VETERANS: RETIREMENT BENEFITS
11:16:46 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 17, "An Act relating to retirement benefits
and military service."
11:17:02 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID opened public testimony on HB 17.
11:17:57 AM
AUSTIN FLAVIN, representing self, testified in support of HB 17.
He said that HB 17 is a "good idea for other veterans like
myself" and highlighted his career with both the state of Alaska
and the military. He said that HB 17 would increase the quality
of life for veterans in Alaska and said that HB 17's proposed
benefits are "not a handout, they are what I paid for."
11:24:04 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID, after ascertaining that there was no one else
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 17.
11:24:43 AM
REPERSENTATIVE GEORGE RAUSCHER, Alaska State Legislature, as
prime sponsor, presented HB 17 to the committee. He thanked the
committee for their time in hearing HB 17 and shared his support
for an equitable retirement system for Alaska's military
veterans.
11:26:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Representative Rauscher to outline
what a "normal retirement benefit" means as is mentioned in
lines 4-5 of HB 17 and asked if there was an estimate of how
many Alaskans would be affected by HB 17.
11:26:44 AM
CRAIG VALDEZ, Staff, Representative George Rauscher, Alaska
State Legislature, on behalf of Representative George Rauscher,
prime sponsor, answered committee questions on HB 17. He said
that page 1, line 5 of the proposed legislation is already
referring to a normal retirement benefit that military veterans
would receive at age 60. He explained that the state doesn't
have any exact numbers regarding the amount of veterans who are
enrolled in Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III benefits of the
historic Public Employee Retirement System (PERS).
11:28:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY moved to report HB 17 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, HB 17 was reported from the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.
11:29:18 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID thanked the invited testifiers and delivered
committee announcements.
11:29:44 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 11:29 a.m.
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