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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 source material does not provide specific details about the impact on non-disabled veterans or employees outside of Alaska.

Disabled Veterans: Retirement Benefits

This act modifies retirement benefit rules to allow disabled veterans who have served in the military to retire earlier than other employees if they meet certain criteria.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the age requirement for retired veterans with disabilities from 60 years old to any age if they are rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected condition.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Disabled veterans who have served in the military and are rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • Employees working for the state of Alaska who meet retirement requirements.

Terms To Know

Credited service
The amount of time an employee has worked that counts towards their retirement benefits.
Service-connected condition
An injury or illness that happened because of military service or was made worse by it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how many disabled veterans will be affected by this change.
  • The bill does not specify when the changes to retirement benefits will take effect.

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