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SB205 • 2026

PEACE OFFICERS/FIREFIGHTERS: DISABILITY

An Act relating to occupational disability benefits for peace officers and firefighters; and providing for an effective date.

Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
SENATORS GIESSEL, Gray-Jackson
Last action
2026-03-10
Official status
(S) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Benefits for Police Officers and Firefighters with Occupational Disabilities

This act changes the disability benefits for court services officers, peace officers, and firefighters in Alaska.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the monthly amount of occupational disability benefit to 40% of an employee's gross monthly pay at the time they stop working due to a disability.
  • Increases the monthly benefit to 75% after the first year for court services officers, peace officers, and firefighters.
  • Ensures that employees become fully vested in employer contributions when appointed to disability status.
  • Requires employers to continue making contributions to an employee's individual account while they receive disability benefits.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Court services officers
  • Peace officers
  • Firefighters

Terms To Know

Occupational Disability Benefit
Money given to workers who can't work because of a job-related injury or illness.
Fully Vested
When someone has the right to keep all their retirement benefits, even if they leave their job early.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when it will take effect.
  • It only applies to certain types of workers in Alaska.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-10 1889

    (S) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  2. 2026-03-10 1889

    (S) FN1: ZERO(ADM)

  3. 2026-03-10 1889

    (S) NR: MERRICK

  4. 2026-03-10 1889

    (S) DP: BJORKMAN, YUNDT

  5. 2026-03-10 1889

    (S) L&C RPT CS 2DP 1NR NEW TITLE

  6. 2026-03-04 Text

    (S) Moved CSSB 205(L&C) Out of Committee

  7. 2026-03-04 Text

    (S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  8. 2026-02-25 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  9. 2026-02-25 Text

    (S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  10. 2026-01-23 1522

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): GRAY-JACKSON

  11. 2026-01-21 1480

    (S) L&C, FIN

  12. 2026-01-21 1480

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  13. 2026-01-09 1480

    (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/26

Official Summary Text

PEACE OFFICERS/FIREFIGHTERS: DISABILITY
An Act relating to occupational disability benefits for peace officers and firefighters; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB0205B -1- CSSB 205(L&C)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1200\N

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 205(L&C)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE

Offered: 3/10/26
Referred: Finance

Sponsor(s): SENATORS GIESSEL, Gray-Jackson
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to occupational disability benefits for court services officers, peace 1
officers, and firefighters; and providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 39.35.410(d) is amended to read: 4
(d) The monthly amount of an occupational disability benefit is 40 percent of 5
the disabled employee's gross monthly compensation at the time of termination due to 6
disability. For each month of eligibility after the first 12 months, the monthly 7
benefit amount payable to an employee who is a court services officer, a peace 8
officer, or a firefighter at the time of termination is increased to 75 percent of the 9
employee's gross monthly compensation at the time of termination. In this 10
subsection, "court services officer" means an officer assigned to a court by the 11
commissioner of public safety to serve warrants and court orders, provide court 12
security and judicial protection, and transport prisoners. 13
* Sec. 2. AS 39.35.890(d) is amended to read: 14
34-LS1200\N
CSSB 205(L&C) -2- SB0205B
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(d) The monthly amount of an occupational disability benefit is 40 percent of 1
the disabled employee's gross monthly compensation at the time of termination due to 2
disability. For each month of eligibility after the first 12 months, the monthly 3
benefit amount payable to an employee who is a court services officer, a peace 4
officer, or a firefighter at the time of termination is increased to 75 percent of the 5
employee's gross monthly compensation at the time of termination. 6
Notwithstanding AS 39.35.790(b), at the time a member is appointed to disability, the 7
member becomes fully vested in the employer contributions made under 8
AS 39.35.750(a). A disabled member is fully vested in the contributions to the 9
member's individual account made under this subsection. An employee is not entitled 10
to elect distributions from the employee's individual contribution account under 11
AS 39.35.810 while the employee is receiving disability benefits under this section. 12
While an employee is receiving disability benefits, based on the disabled employee's 13
gross monthly compensation at the time of termination due to disability, the employer 14
shall make contributions both [(1)] to the employee's individual account under 15
AS 39.35.730 on behalf of the employee, without deduction from the employee's 16
disability payments, [;] and [(2)] on behalf of the employee under AS 39.35.750. In 17
this subsection, "court services officer" means an officer assigned to a court by 18
the commissioner of public safety to serve warrants and court orders, provide 19
court security and judicial protection, and transport prisoners. 20
* Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 21