Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
02/02/2026 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB243 | |
| HB210 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 210 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 243 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 210-PEACE OFFICERS/FIREFIGHTERS: DISABILITY
3:24:31 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 210, "An Act relating to occupational
disability benefits for peace officers and firefighters; and
providing for an effective date."
3:25:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CHUCK KOPP, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor of HB 210 said that before serving in the legislature,
he spent his career serving in Alaska as a police officer and a
police chief, working "shoulder to shoulder" with firefighters
and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). He said that during
this time, he worked with fire crews, dealt with incidents,
buried friends, and sat with families whose lives were forever
changed by a duty-related injury.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP explained that this gets into why the
proposed legislation matters: line-of-duty injuries are not
hypothetical, they happen. They could happen at a traffic stop,
domestic violence call, structure fire, vehicle extrication, and
multiple other areas. All these things can cause serious
injuries. He said that police and firefighters both know that
risk is part of the job, and the bill recognizes that they
should not accept financial ruin as part of the risk.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP explained that under current Alaska law, a
permanently disabled police officer or firefighter would receive
40 percent of gross pay. He said that this is a 60 percent pay
cut overnight. This often occurs when there is no ability to
work elsewhere. He said that this can be devastating for
families already faced with a high cost of living. Occupational
disability is supposed to be a safety net, not a trapdoor. He
said that 40 percent of income does not sustain expenses such as
mortgage, medical travel, housing, or family obligations. He
said that current structure sends a message that "you're on your
own." This is not the message that should be sent to men and
women who "run toward danger."
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP said that HB 210 would fix a one-time, well-
defined problem. After the first 12 months of occupational
disability, benefits would increase from 40 percent to 75
percent of gross pay for police officers and firefighters. He
said that one would not need to requalify every year to show
that they are in fact disabled and unable to return to work. He
said that it does not create a windfall and does not expand
benefits beyond public safety. He said that the proposed
legislation would not add health benefits but would restore a
livable income following a career ending injury.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP said that these types of assurances are
directly related to recruitment and retention issues with first
responders. He said that someone asking questions such as what
would happen if they got hurt, what would happen to their
family, and why Alaska offers less protection than other states
may opt for work in other states. He explained that some other
states offer upwards of 75 percent pay for occupational
disability and Alaska is losing experienced individuals to
better systems.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP said that he looks at this as a moral
obligation and public safety was not better but different. He
noted that officers and firefighters cannot refuse a dangerous
call. They cannot choose the conditions - fire behavior or
other hazards - and the risk is inherent. He said that HB 210
would not elevate them but ensure that they are not abandoned.
He said that the proposal is fiscally responsible and the
occupational disability trust funds are strongly overfunded. He
said that the bill is a predictable adjustment and not an open-
ended liability. From an operational standpoint, the cost of
vacancies, overtime, burnout, and turnover is far greater than
the cost of implementing this measure.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP concluded that the bill is about trust:
trust between the state and the officers and firefighters who
protect Alaska communities, and trust that officers and their
families will not face financial ruin in the event of a career
ending injury. He said the message is clear: "You protect
Alaska and Alaska will protect you."
3:30:55 PM
JULIA O'CONNOR, Staff, Representative Chuck Kopp, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Kopp, prime sponsor of
HB 210, said the proposed bill would change Alaska's
occupational disability benefit for peace officers and
firefighters who are permanently injured in the line of duty.
She said this would ensure that public safety personnel that are
injured are not pushed into poverty and would not lose
retirement security. Under the current Public Employees'
Retirement System (PERS) and Teachers' Retirement System (TRS)
disability coverage varies by tier. Defined contribution
members, PERS Tier IV and TRS Tier III, are only eligible for
occupational disability benefits and do not receive non-
occupational disability or healthcare coverage during their
disability period. She said HB 210 would work within this
existing framework to improve the benefit level for the limited
group that the system already serves.
MS. O'CONNOR echoed the comments of the bill sponsor by stating
that under current law, a permanently disabled peace officer or
firefighter receives just 40 percent of their gross salary at
the time of separation. For families already dealing with
medical and recovery costs, this income reduction creates real
financial pressure and does not reflect the higher risk nature
of the job. She said that HB 210 would increase occupational
disability for all public safety servants and all PERS tiers
from 40 to 75 percent of salary after the first 12 months of
disability. This change would allow a realistic chance at basic
living after a career ending injury. She explained that a
firefighter earning $6,000 who became permanently disabled would
receive around $25,000 in additional annual support. She said
that this amount can make a meaningful difference in household
stability.
MS. O'CONNOR explained that HB 210 would be a responsible
targeted improvement that addresses a gap for public safety
workers. She acknowledged that it would not solve every problem
in Alaska's retirement system but would address a clear inequity
using resources that already exist. She said this is a
workforce stability bill.
3:33:58 PM
SERGEANT DARRELL EVANS, President, Anchorage Police Department
Employees Association (APDEA), gave invited testimony in support
of HB 210. He said that he was also a police officer with over
30 years of experience in Alaska. He said that Alaska presents
unique and dangerous challenges which include cold temperatures,
hazardous driving conditions, unpredictable and dangerous
animals, and dangerous waterways. He said that all these are
added to pre-existing dangers in law enforcement. He said that
in over 30 years as a police officer, he has suffered several
injuries, but none have left him permanently disabled from work.
He said he has worked with others who were not as lucky. Some
were involved in car crashes, shot, or experienced other
injuries. He said that for those officers who had to leave
their profession earlier than planned, he thanked Representative
Kopp for these considerations. He said the bill would honor the
sacrifices made by police officers and firefighters and show
that the State of Alaska would stand behind men and women when
they need it most.
3:37:02 PM
SEAN CASE, Chief of Police, Anchorage Police Department,
Municipality of Anchorage, gave invited testimony in support of
HB 210. The proposed legislation would recognize the unique
risks and sacrifices made by Alaska's first responders.
Everyday Alaska's firefighters and police officers face threats
while in service to the state's communities. He said that when
a public safety officer becomes injured, their ability to
support their families should not be compromised. He said that
the current 40 percent structure puts financial hardship on
families. He said that the proposed bill would correct this
inequity and make a sustainable level of support for career
ending injuries. He said that it would help with recruitment
and retention as well. He said that HB 210 sends a clear
message that Alaska would stand behind those who serve and will
not abandon them if they are injured. In conclusion, he
emphasized that the bill is not about numbers but about values;
it would ensure that first responders and families are not left
behind.
3:39:25 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS asked about current vacancy rates with the
Anchorage Police Department.
CHIEF CASE responded that current vacancy rates were about 36
percent and there were an additional 48 officers in training.
He said that after this training, most funded positions would be
filled.
3:40:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK noted that there is an indeterminate
fiscal note associated with the proposed bill. She asked
whether pay adjustments would be retroactive for peace officers
already injured on the job and whether there was a sense of how
many people would receive coverage.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that the legislature could
structure it retroactively. He said that given discussions with
the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and leaders around the
state, there was a handful of people that were currently in a
career ending status. He said that disabilities can also be
work related due to chemical exposure, he said this was
especially true with firefighting. He noted that a career
ending injury can happen for a few reasons. He thought that the
Division of Retirement and Benefits (DRB) could say exactly how
many individuals in Alaska are on permanent disability status.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked Representative Kopp whether the
bill would include correctional officers.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that he did not believe that it
would; however, he allowed that he could be mistaken and said he
could follow up with a response.
3:42:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER commented that there are a lot of
intricacies about disability and retirement benefits, the tiers,
circumstances, and more. He said that it would take time to
understand the mechanics. He asked whether this was for
firefighters or police officers who permanently end their career
or whether support was temporary, or both.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that the determination for
occupational disability is made from an annual medical review.
He said that someone with a permanent disability would require a
medical panel evaluation annually to requalify for benefits.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that he was trying to look at what
percentage of people who go on disability can return to work.
He said that some of the background and support testimony had
suggested that people would want disability coverage for non-
work-related injuries, he asked whether this was considered.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that when the State of Alaska went
from the legacy retirement tiers to defined contribution, it
dropped all the nonoccupational disability and healthcare. He
said that it was unfortunate because 85 percent of career ending
injuries happen off duty. He said that the proposed bill does
not touch on this topic; it would stay with the plan related to
work related injuries. He said that there are plenty of people
who would like this coverage, but it falls outside the scope of
the bill.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether Representative Kopp had any
intention of adding any amendments that would support wider
coverage.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that his intention was to maintain
the current bill structure.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER, looking at some of the details of the
program, observed that for somebody who is on disability year-
to-year, under the 40 percent calculation, their families and
dependents, depending on age, would still receive full medical
coverage at the 40 percent rate. He asked if this was correct.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP clarified that Representative Saddler was
referring to line-of-duty deaths. He explained that line-of-
duty deaths by executive order extend benefits of the state to
cover uninsured families and possibly education benefits as
well. He explained that there was a federal program for
firefighters and police officers who die in the line-of-duty,
but it was related to life insurance.
3:47:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE said that she was trying to determine
the mechanics of the bill. She said if the factor increased to
75 percent, then it would fall on the state. She asked if this
was the right assumption.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that it ties into the disability
trust and it is a separate fund that is responsible for paying
disability payments. He reiterated that the trust is
significantly overfunded. He said that given the overfunding
and the limited nature of career ending injuries it was not a
financial point of concern. He affirmed that the trust was
"under the umbrella" of the retirement system.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked how the trust is funded and where
the money comes from.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that it comes from monthly
payments from the employer and employee contributions. He said
that there is a disability payment and it is funded monthly.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE said that her understanding was that it
was overfunded and asked whether it was just the health portion.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that the disability trust was also
overfunded.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked if he understood how much the
overfunding was.
3:49:28 PM
MS. O'CONNOR commented that the PERS Tier IV disability trust
fund is 399 percent funded and the TRS [Tier III] is 5,172
percent funded.
3:49:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE said that she did not know how
overfunded it was and whether it would reverse. But it sounds
as if there would not be many people covered by the bill.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP said that the bill would thankfully apply to
a small portion of people, and it is not anticipated that this
change would have considerable impact on the fund.
3:50:38 PM
BRANDON ROOMSBURG, Retirement Manager, Division of Retirement
and Benefits, Department of Administration, said that he would
need to follow-up with the committee given the health of the
funds.
3:51:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE said that she often hears that Alaska
loses police officers and firefighters to Washington. She asked
if the 40 percent coverage was low and whether there was context
to how other states manage disability benefits.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that this bill is not about
retirement system, just about disability benefits. He said that
the retirement system is what it is; the bill is about a small
thing that the state can do to demonstrate an investment in
people. He said that information pertaining to occupational
benefits could be found in the committee file. He remarked that
most states are between 50 to 75 percent.
3:52:28 PM
CO-CHAIR FIELDS said that he had a similar question, mainly who
would be an actuary who monitors the occupational disability
fund, who could speak to why this would be sustainable. He
wanted to hear it on the record.
3:52:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for clarification of the percentage
of overfunding associated with the funds.
MS. O'CONNOR reiterated that this is for the defined
contribution retirement disability trust. She noted that
provided in the committee file is an Alaska Retirement
Management Board ("ARM Board") resolution that has information
about the occupational disability background.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that he understood the percentages
but was interested in the total balance, or raw numbers.
MS. O'CONNOR responded that she did not know but was happy to
follow up with the numbers.
3:54:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked whether emergency medical service
(EMS) workers were included in the proposed legislation.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that EMS workers would only be
covered if they were classified as a local government PERS
public safety employee. He noted that many EMS workers are
employed outside of this context.
3:54:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that looking at information from the
Division of Retirement and Benefits, it suggested that PERS
occupational benefits were not taxable if the benefit was
calculated at 40 percent and asked whether an increase would
generate a tax burden.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that he was not sure what the
specific Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules were. He said
that he was certain there is a rule on disability benefits. He
said that during the bill presentation, the amount that would
come in would be based on a $6,000 a month figure. He said it
would be a $2,500 to $4,500 a month coverage. He thought it
would be a 15 percent tax bracket but if married and having
other factors, it likely would not be a lot of a tax burden.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if $72,000 was an average wage for
fire fighters and police officers and how the figure was
calculated.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that the $72,000 figure was an
example. He said that fire fighters and police officers in
Alaska have a significant salary range depending on the employer
and work location. He said that a starting officer salary can
be $50,000 and earnings for others could reach over $100,000.
He said that $6,000 a month is a good average estimate and
illustrates how it would impact the disability benefit.
3:57:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK appreciated the list included in the
committee file that compared Alaska's occupational disability
benefits to other states. She was wondering why a 75 percent
figure was chosen given the variance of other plans. She noted
that there was plenty of fund capital to support the 75 percent
figure but asked how the figure was determined.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that looking at the age of those
plans and how long ago the rates were set, it may not have
accounted for inflation and higher living costs. He said there
was no magic to it, but it was a rate that took into
consideration Alaska's higher cost of living.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK said that it would be great to see
Washington's rates since as Representative Coulombe had
mentioned, Alaska often loses members of its workforce to it.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP said that he could follow up with a concise
answer.
3:58:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that the systems are complicated and
he looked forward to digging into it. He noted that a document
included in the committee packet suggested that a spouse or
dependent was qualified for healthcare benefits at no cost if
someone was on disability benefits. He asked whether he
understood this correctly.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP responded that the medical coverage is if
someone was hurt on duty and it does not apply if it is a non-
occupational disability. He said that the bill does not touch
on this.
3:59:33 PM
MS. O'CONNOR added that defined benefit retirement systems do
have healthcare provided. She clarified that defined
contribution plans do not have healthcare provided.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP noted that most employees were in defined
contribution plans.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER responded that there are nuances that he
needed to understand.
4:00:17 PM
CO-CHAIR HALL announced that HB 210 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 210 Sectional Analysis, version A.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB 210 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB 210 HL&C Presentation 02.02.26.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB 210 Additional Document - Other State Rates.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB 210 Additional Document - Occupational Disability DRB info.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB 210 Letter of Support - APDEA.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB210 Additional Document - ARMB 2025-22-Recommending Disability & Healthcare Improvements.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB 210, version A.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB210-DOA-DRB-01-31-2026.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB 210 Letter of Support - ASFA.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |
| HB 210 Follow-up from 02.02.26 meeting.pdf |
HL&C 2/2/2026 3:15:00 PM |
HB 210 |