Alaska State Legislature
News From The House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

House Passes Bill Providing Retirement Benefits for VPSOs

Measure Aims to Reduce Turnover and Increase Applicants

For Immediate Release: March 9, 1998 Contact: Rep. Brian Porter sy (907) 465-4930.

Juneau -- The Alaska House of Representatives Monday passed House Bill 206, sponsored by Representative Brian Porter (R-Anchorage). HB 206 provides retirement benefits for Village Public Safety Officers (VPSO) through the State of Alaska's Public Employees Retirement System (PERS).

"Throughout the state the Village Public Safety Officer Program has provided a very important means of maintaining peace and harmony in rural Alaska," Porter said. "Most of these individuals were not covered by retirement programs."

HB 206, which passed the House unanimously (36-0), allows VPSOs to obtain credit for up to 5 years of service in the VPSO Program. Once credit is determined, the individual would have to arrange to buy this time back into the State PERS system.

"The provisions of this bill will help in the recruiting and retention of participants in the VPSO Program," said Porter, a former Anchorage Police Chief. "It should also help us to deal with turnover and a lack of quality applicants, both of which have been historic problems for the VPSO Program," Porter said.

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