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HB17 • 2026

DISABLED VETERANS: RETIREMENT BENEFITS

An Act relating to retirement benefits and military service.

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVES RAUSCHER, Eischeid, Costello, Saddler, Bynum, D.Nelson SENATOR Rauscher
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
(S) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the removal of three specific legal sections but does not explain what those sections previously contained beyond their citation numbers.

Retirement Rules for Disabled Veterans

This law allows terminated Alaska public employees who are veterans with a permanent total disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to retire at any age if they have five years of credited service.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the rule so that normal retirement benefits can be received by veterans rated as permanently and totally disabled for a service-connected condition at any age with at least five years of credited service, instead of requiring them to wait until age 60.
  • Keeps existing rules allowing peace officers or firefighters to retire after 20 years of credited service.
  • Keeps existing rules allowing other employees to retire after 30 years of credited service.
  • Removes three specific sections from state law: AS 39.35.340(d), 39.35.340(i), and 39.35.541(b).

Who It Names or Affects

  • Terminated Alaska public employees who are veterans with a permanent total disability rating for a service-connected condition from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • Peace officers and firefighters in the state pension system.

Terms To Know

Credited Service
The amount of time an employee has worked that counts toward their retirement eligibility, as referenced in AS 39.35.
Service-Connected Condition
A condition rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for which a veteran is considered permanently and totally disabled.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The official text does not state when this law officially takes effect.
  • The bill only addresses specific sections regarding retirement eligibility ages and service years; it does not detail other parts of the pension system or benefit amounts.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Min

    (S) Minutes (SFIN)

  2. 2026-04-14 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  3. 2026-04-14 Text

    (S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532

  4. 2026-01-26 1545

    (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): RAUSCHER

  5. 2025-05-17 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  6. 2025-05-17 Text

    (S) Moved HB 17 Out of Committee

  7. 2025-05-17 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 10:00 AM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  8. 2025-05-17 1318

    (S) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  9. 2025-05-17 1318

    (S) FN1: INDETERMINATE(ADM)

  10. 2025-05-17 1318

    (S) NR: WIELECHOWSKI, GRAY-JACKSON

  11. 2025-05-17 1318

    (S) AM: KAWASAKI, BJORKMAN

  12. 2025-05-17 1318

    (S) STA RPT 2AM 2NR

  13. 2025-05-15 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  14. 2025-05-15 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  15. 2025-05-15 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  16. 2025-04-30 1058

    (S) STA, FIN

  17. 2025-04-30 1058

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  18. 2025-04-28 944

    (H) VERSION: HB 17

  19. 2025-04-28 944

    (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)

  20. 2025-04-28 942

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): SADDLER, BYNUM, NELSON

  21. 2025-04-28 937

    (H) PASSED Y40

  22. 2025-04-28 937

    (H) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 17

  23. 2025-04-28 937

    (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UC

  24. 2025-04-28 937

    (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  25. 2025-04-28 937

    (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 4/28/2025

  26. 2025-04-09 650

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): COSTELLO

  27. 2025-04-09 635

    (H) FN1: INDETERMINATE(ADM)

  28. 2025-04-09 635

    (H) NR: JOSEPHSON

  29. 2025-04-09 635

    (H) SCHRAGE

  30. 2025-04-09 635

    (H) DP: BYNUM, JOHNSON, HANNAN, ALLARD, TOMASZEWSKI, GALVIN, JIMMIE, STAPP, FOSTER,

  31. 2025-04-09 635

    (H) FIN RPT 10DP 1NR

  32. 2025-04-07 Min

    (H) Minutes (HFIN)

  33. 2025-04-07 Text

    (H) Moved HB 17 Out of Committee

  34. 2025-04-07 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  35. 2025-03-19 Min

    (H) Minutes (HFIN)

  36. 2025-03-19 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  37. 2025-03-19 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  38. 2025-03-03 283

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): EISCHEID

  39. 2025-02-26 249

    (H) FN1: INDETERMINATE(ADM)

  40. 2025-02-26 249

    (H) DP: HALL, FIELDS, SADDLER, GRAY, ALLARD, NELSON, EISCHEID

  41. 2025-02-26 249

    (H) MLV RPT 7DP

  42. 2025-02-25 Min

    (H) Minutes (HMLV)

  43. 2025-02-25 Text

    (H) Moved HB 17 Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change --

  44. 2025-02-25 Text

    (H) MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS at 11:15 AM BARNES 124

  45. 2025-02-18 Min

    (H) Minutes (HMLV)

  46. 2025-02-18 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  47. 2025-02-18 Text

    (H) MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS at 10:15 AM BARNES 124

  48. 2025-01-22 35

    (H) MLV, FIN

  49. 2025-01-22 35

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  50. 2025-01-22 35

    (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/10/25

Official Summary Text

DISABLED VETERANS: RETIREMENT BENEFITS
An Act relating to retirement benefits and military service.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0017a -1- HB 17
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0233\A

HOUSE BILL NO. 17

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVES RAUSCHER, Eischeid, Costello, Saddler, Bynum, Nelson

SENATOR Rauscher

Introduced: 1/22/25
Referred: House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to retirement benefits and military service." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 39.35.370(a) is amended to read: 3
(a) Subject to AS 39.35.450, a terminated employee is eligible for a normal 4
retirement benefit 5
(1) [AT AGE 60] with at least five years of credited service 6
(A) at age 60; or 7
(B) at any age if the terminated employee is a veteran rated 8
by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as permanently and 9
totally disabled for a service-connected condition; 10
(2) with at least 20 years of credited service as a peace officer or 11
firefighter; or 12
(3) with at least 30 years of credited service for all other employees. 13
* Sec. 2. AS 39.35.340(d), 39.35.340(i), and 39.35.541(b) are repealed. 14