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 Taxes

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

The official bill metadata lists the last action as 'Referred to Finance' on March 10, 2026. While the provided status label says 'Passed Legislature,' the text excerpt shows it was offered by a committee and referred for further review, meaning its final passage is not confirmed in this specific document.

Disability Benefits for Court Services Officers, Peace Officers, and Firefighters

This law sets disability benefit payments at 40% of pay for the first year and 75% after that for injured court services officers, peace officers, and firefighters, while changing how retirement contributions are handled.

What This Bill Does

Sets the monthly disability payment at 40 percent of an employee's gross monthly pay during the first 12 months.
Increases the monthly disability payment to 75 percent of gross monthly pay for each month after the first year.
Makes employer retirement contributions fully owned by the member immediately when they are appointed to disability status.
Requires employers to continue making contributions to employee accounts while the worker receives disability benefits.
Prohibits employees from taking money out of their individual contribution account while receiving these disability payments.

Who It Names or Affects

Court services officers assigned by the commissioner of public safety
Peace officers in Alaska
Firefighters in Alaska

Terms To Know

Gross monthly compensation: The total amount an employee earns each month before taxes or other deductions are taken out.
Fully vested: When a worker has complete ownership of the money contributed to their retirement account by their employer and cannot lose it.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not explain how long an employee can receive these benefits before they must stop or change status.
The text defines court services officers but does not list specific job titles for peace officers or firefighters beyond those general names.

Bill History

2026-03-10 1889
(S) REFERRED TO FINANCE
2026-03-10 1889
(S) FN1: ZERO(ADM)
2026-03-10 1889
(S) NR: MERRICK
2026-03-10 1889
(S) DP: BJORKMAN, YUNDT
2026-03-10 1889
(S) L&C RPT CS 2DP 1NR NEW TITLE
2026-03-04 Text
(S) Moved CSSB 205(L&C) Out of Committee
2026-03-04 Text
(S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
2026-02-25 Text
(S) Heard & Held
2026-02-25 Text
(S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
2026-01-23 1522
(S) COSPONSOR(S): GRAY-JACKSON
2026-01-21 1480
(S) L&C, FIN
2026-01-21 1480
(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
2026-01-21 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