NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES ON VILLAGE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER PROGRAM IN THE REGULATIONS OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
The Department of Public Safety proposes to adopt regulation changes in 13 AAC.96.010 – 13 AAC.96.900 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with Village Public Safety Officer program. The Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program has drafted new regulations to align the regulations with recent changes to the VPSO governing statute, AS 18.65.670. The revision of the governing statute updated the size of eligible communities, clarified the relationship between the Department of Public Safety and potential grantees. The purpose of the regulation change is to correctly align the regulations to the new governing statute by removing language inconsistent with adopted statutes and removing regulations which now duplicate some of the new statutes.
- 13 AAC 96.010 is proposed to be amended to provide clarifying information regarding grant recipients and spending flexibility to align with the statutory changes made under Senate Bill (SB) 81 for AS 18.65.Clarification was also added regarding the department providing operational oversight to VPSOs for public safety/law enforcement duties.
- 13 AAC 96.020 is proposed to be amended to provide clarification and definition for direct and roving assignments.
- 13 AAC 96.030 is proposed to be repealed and readopted regarding the department agreements with corporations as outlined in AS 18.64.670(d)(1) – (4).
- 13 AAC 96.040 is proposed to be repealed and readopted regarding the administration requirements for a community or village that maintains a VPSO.
- 13 AAC 96.050 is proposed to be amended to add facilities funding to the village agreements and to assure villages, the grantee, and the state understand expectations for VPSO performance.
- 13 AAC 96.060 is proposed to be amended to replace the term ‘will’ with ‘may’ as it relates to termination of a grant and to allow for possible reappropriation of unspent funds, after consultation with a grant recipient, to support other priorities within the program.
- 13 AAC 96.080 is proposed to be repealed and readopted regarding the qualifications for a VPSO as also outlined in AS 18.65.672.
- 13 AAC 96.090 is proposed to be repealed as the information is listed in statute.
- 13 AAC 96.100 is proposed to be repealed as the information is listed in statute.
- 13 AAC 96.105 is proposed to be repealed as the information is listed in statute.
- 13 AAC 96.110 is proposed to be repealed as the information is listed in statute.
- 13 AAC 96.120 is proposed to be repealed as the information is listed in statute.
- 13 AAC 96.900 is proposed to be repealed and readopted listing definitions.
You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Joel Hard at 5700 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507. Additionally, the Department of Public Safety will accept comments by facsimile at 907-269-5079 and by electronic mail at joel.hard@alaska.gov. Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system and using the comment link. The comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on October 1, 2023.
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Joel Hard by electronic mail at joel.hard@alaska.gov, or in person or by US mail to 5700 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99507. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Department of Public Safety will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System.
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Joel Hard at joel.hard@alaska.gov and 907-269-6531 not later than September 25, 2023, to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.
A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Joel Hard at joel.hard@alaska.gov and 907-269-6531.
A copy of material proposed for adoption by reference may be viewed at the agency's office at 5700 E. Tudor Road Anchorage, AK 99507.
After the public comment period ends, the Department of Public Safety will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.
Statutory authority: AS 18.65.670, AS 18.65.672, AS 18.65.674, AS 18.65.676
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 18.65.670, AS 18.65.672, AS 18.65.674, AS 18.65.676
Fiscal information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
Individuals can also signup to receive automated notifications of all State of Alaska notices, including public notice for regulation changes, by subscribing to the Alaska Online Public Notices System: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Default.aspx.
Date: 8/17/2023
Joel Hard
Director, Village Public Safety Officer
Department of Public Safety