HB  79-PEACE OFFICER/FIREFIGHTER RETIRE BENEFITS                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:21:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO.  79,  "An Act  relating  to participation  of                                                               
certain peace  officers and firefighters  in the  defined benefit                                                               
and  defined   contribution  plans   of  the   Public  Employees'                                                               
Retirement  System of  Alaska; relating  to eligibility  of peace                                                               
officers  and firefighters  for  medical,  disability, and  death                                                               
benefits;  relating   to  liability  of  the   Public  Employees'                                                               
Retirement  System  of Alaska;  and  providing  for an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:24:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN asked  when  to  anticipate receiving  the                                                               
actuarial fiscal note.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:25:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEN  TRUITT,  Staff,  Representative  Chuck  Kopp,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of Representative Kopp,  prime sponsor of                                                               
HB 79, offered his understanding  that with retirement bills, its                                                               
typical  for the  actuarial fiscal  note to  get produced  in the                                                               
finance  committee after  its evident  the bill  has a  chance at                                                               
passing.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  asked if the Department  of Administration                                                               
(DOA) fiscal note  is the only one this  committee is responsible                                                               
for.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. TRUITT answered that's correct.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked  why it would take  more employees to                                                               
administer the  program, as the  employees are  already currently                                                               
covered by Tier 4.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:27:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CHUCK  KOPP,   Alaska  State  Legislature,  prime                                                               
sponsor of HB 79, said it's  an excellent question that will most                                                               
likely be answered in the House Finance committee.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR   WOOL,  in   response  to   Rep  Hannan,   offered  his                                                               
understanding that  it may be  set up  costs or software  for the                                                               
system's reorganization.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL  addressed the  importance of  HB 79  and expressed                                                               
his support for passing it out of committee.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX  noted that  the current bill  "has been  a long,                                                               
long time  coming" and expressed  her support for passing  it out                                                               
of committee.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:30:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  WOOL  moved to  report  HB  79  out of  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, HB  45 was  reported out of  the House                                                               
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.