Senator Donald Olson Member: Senate Finance Committee Staff: Brix Hahn (Nome) Sierra Smyth (Golovin) Contact Information: Toll Free Year Round: 1-800-597-3707 Interim: May-December: P.O. Box 1630 Nome, AK 99762 (907) 465-3707 LEGISLATURE ON THE WEB: WWW.LEGIS.STATE.AK.US LEGISLATURE ON TV: GAVELALASKA.ORG CONTACT STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICIALS: Senator Dan Sullivan Anchorage Office: 907-271-5915 * U.S. Congress Anchorage Office: 907-271-5978 * Senator Lisa Murkowski Anchorage Office: 907-271-3735 * Office of the Governor Anchorage Office: 907-269-7450 August 2022 New VPSO Legislation Signed into Law I have worked on VPSO legislation for the past several years. Using the 2019 VPSO Working Group Report Recommendations and Findings, I collaborated with Native and Village Corporations, community leaders, the Department of Public Safety, Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky, and countless others across Alaska to improve VPSO laws, regulations, and recruitment and retention efforts. On June 29, my Senate Bill was signed law by the Governor. Rep. Zulkosky, Governor Dunleavy, and me This new law enacts the working group's recommendations: Recommendation 1 Update the VPSO statutes to provide a clear law enforcement and public safety vision and mission for the program and provide VPSO personnel clear law enforcement duties and powers. Recommendation 2 Create more financial flexibility for the VPSO grantee organizations in the updated VPSO statutes. Recommendation 3 Restore VPSO funding levels to Fiscal Year 2018 levels. Recommendation 4 Fund unfunded mandates. Recommendation 5 (Related to Recommendation 4) In an updated VPSO statute, mandate that grant awards pay grantee organization their full indirect costs. Recommendation 6 Move financial grant management to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Note: This recommendation was removed from the bill in the last committee referral thanks for the vastly improved working relationship between the Department of Public Safety and the VPSO coordinators. Recommendation 7 Maintain operational advisory, training, and experience requirement oversight at the Department of Public Safety. Recommendation 8 In statute, create a Tribal/Grantee organization consultation process before the Department can change training and experience requirements. Recommendation 9 Is a revision of current VPSO regulations that need to be placed in statute to operationalize the VPSO program and to facilitate the grant management move to the Department of Commerce. Quyanaq to my friends and neighbors for your continued support. It is my honor to serve you in the Senate. Senator Donald Omilak Olson Toll free: 1.800.597.3707 Email: [email protected] ‌ Alaska Senate Democrats | Capitol Building, 4th Avenue & Main Street, Juneau, AK 99801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]