AS Title 39, Chapter 15: Official Bonds

Chapter 15. Official Bonds. Sec. 39.15.010. Form, amount, and conditions. The official bond of an officer or employee of the state required by statute or regulation under authority of law shall be in a form joint and several, and made payable to the state in the penal sum and with the conditions required by law. Sec. 39.15.020. Obligation and effect. Bonds of state officers and employees are in force and obligatory upon the principal and sureties for breach of the condition of the bond committed during the time the officer or employee discharges the duties of or holds the office or appointment. Each bond is considered in force and obligatory upon the principal and sureties for the faithful discharge of all duties required of the officer or employee by any law enacted after the execution of the bond and this condition shall be set out in the bond. Sec. 39.15.030. Action on bond. An official bond executed by a state officer or employee is in force and obligatory upon the principal and sureties to and for the state, and for the use and benefit of all persons injured or aggrieved by the wrongful act or default of the officer or employee in the official capacity or employment of the official or employee. A person injured or aggrieved may bring suit on the bond in the person's name. Sec. 39.15.040. Recovery on defective bond. If a bond does not contain the matter or condition required by law, or there is a defect in the approval or filing of the bond, the bond is not void and the obligor and the obligor's sureties are bound to the state or party interested, and the state or party may, by action instituted in any court of competent jurisdiction, suggest the defect and recover a proper and equitable demand from the obligor and surety. Sec. 39.15.050. Procedure when bond becomes insufficient. (a) If a surety on the bond dies, removes from the state, becomes insolvent or insufficient, or the penalty of the bond becomes insufficient, the Department of Administration shall, on its own motion or on the showing of a person supported by an affidavit, summon the officer or employee to appear before it at a stated time, not less than 15 days after service of the summons, and show cause why the officer or employee should not execute a new bond with good and sufficient sureties. (b) If the officer or employee after notice fails to appear at the time appointed, the department shall hear and determine the matter in the absence of the officer or employee. If the department is of the opinion that the bond is insufficient, it shall require a new bond with sureties and in the amount considered necessary. (c) The new bond shall be executed and filed within the time the department orders. If the officer or employee fails to execute and file a new bond within the time prescribed, the office or appointment of the officer or employee becomes vacant as provided by AS 39.15.100 . The new bond has the same force and obligation upon the principal and surety and subjects the officer and the surety to the same liabilities prescribed for an original bond of an officer and employee. Sec. 39.15.060. Number of sureties. Unless expressly provided otherwise, each official bond shall have at least two individual sureties or one corporate surety. Sec. 39.15.070. Justification of sureties. The officer charged with the duty of approving official bonds of officers and employees may not approve a bond unless the surety on the bond is a surety company qualified to do business in the state, or unless each individual surety justifies before an officer authorized to administer oaths that the surety is (1) a resident and freeholder within the state; and (2) worth double the amount for which the surety becomes surety over and above all debts and liabilities in property located in the state that is not exempt from seizure and sale under execution. Sec. 39.15.080. Release of sureties. A surety on an official bond may be released from liability accruing after proceedings are taken under AS 39.15.090 . Sec. 39.15.090. Proceedings for release of sureties. A surety desiring to be released from liability on a bond shall file with the Department of Administration a statement in writing, signed by the surety or someone on the surety's behalf, setting out the name of the principal and the office, position, or appointment of the principal, the amount for which the surety is liable, and the surety's desire to be released from further liability. A notice containing a copy of the statement shall be served personally on the officer or employee. If the officer or employee is not in the state, the notice may be served by publication for 30 days in a newspaper printed at the capital. Sec. 39.15.100. Failure to file new bond. (a) If a state officer or employee fails to file a new bond within 15 days from the date of personal service or within 30 days from the date of the first insertion of a publication, the office becomes vacant and the officer or employee forfeits the office. (b) The office shall be filled as in other cases of vacancy. The person applying for release from liability on the bond is not liable on it after the office becomes vacant.