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.