(a) The office of public advocacy shall

Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 44.21.410

  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
  • Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
  • state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
(1) perform the duties of the public guardian under Alaska Stat. § 13.26.70013.26.750;
(2) provide guardian ad litem services to children in child protection actions under Alaska Stat. § 47.17.030 (e) and to wards and respondents in guardianship proceedings who will suffer financial hardship or become dependent upon a government agency or a private person or agency if the services are not provided at state expense under Alaska Stat. § 13.26.041;
(3) provide legal representation in cases involving judicial bypass procedures for minors seeking abortions under Alaska Stat. § 18.16.030, in guardianship proceedings to respondents who are financially unable to employ attorneys under Alaska Stat. § 13.26.226 (b), to indigent parties in cases involving child custody in which the opposing party is represented by counsel provided by a public agency, and to indigent parents or guardians of a minor respondent in a commitment proceeding concerning the minor under Alaska Stat. § 47.30.775;
(4) provide legal representation and guardian ad litem services under Alaska Stat. § 25.24.310; in cases arising under Alaska Stat. Chapter 47.15 (Interstate Compact for Juveniles); in cases involving petitions to adopt a minor under Alaska Stat. § 25.23.125 (b) or petitions for the termination of parental rights under Alaska Stat. § 25.23.180 (c)(2); in cases involving petitions to remove the disabilities of a minor under Alaska Stat. § 09.55.590; in children’s proceedings under Alaska Stat. § 47.10.050 (a) or under Alaska Stat. § 47.12.090; in cases involving appointments under Alaska Stat. § 18.66.100 (a) in petitions for protective orders on behalf of a minor; and in cases involving indigent persons who are entitled to representation under Alaska Stat. § 18.85.100 and who cannot be represented by the public defender agency because of a conflict of interests;
(5) develop and coordinate a program to recruit, select, train, assign, and supervise volunteer guardians ad litem from local communities to aid in delivering services in cases in which the office of public advocacy is appointed as guardian ad litem;
(6) Provide guardian ad litem services in proceedings under Alaska Stat. § 12.45.046 or Alaska Stat. § 18.15.35518.15.395;
(7) establish a fee schedule and collect fees for services provided by the office, except as provided in Alaska Stat. § 18.85.120 or when imposition or collection of a fee is not in the public interest as defined under regulations adopted by the commissioner of administration;
(8) provide guardians ad litem in proceedings under Alaska Stat. § 47.30.839;
(9) provide legal representation to an indigent parent of a child with a disability; in this paragraph, “child with a disability” has the meaning given in Alaska Stat. § 14.30.350;
(10) investigate complaints and bring civil actions under fraud and assistance” class=”unlinked-ref” datatype=”S” sessionyear=”2023″ statecd=”AK”>Alaska Stat. § 44.21.415 (a) involving fraud committed against residents of the state who are 60 years of age or older; in this paragraph, “fraud” has the meaning given in Alaska Stat. § 44.21.415.
(b) The commissioner of administration may

(1) adopt regulations that the commissioner considers necessary to implement Alaska Stat. § 44.21.40044.21.470;
(2) report on the operation of the office of public advocacy when requested by the governor or legislature or when required by law;
(3) solicit and accept grants of funds from governments and from persons, and allocate or restrict the use of those funds as required by the grantor.
(c)[Repealed, Sec. 28 ch 90 SLA 1991].