(a) Once each year, the administrator shall increase disability benefits and retirement benefits elected by disabled peace officers or firefighters under AS 39.35.890(h)(2). The amount of the increase is a percentage of the current disability benefit or retirement benefit equal to the lesser of 75 percent of the increase in the cost of living in the preceding calendar year or nine percent.
(b) If a disabled member was not receiving a benefit during the entire preceding calendar year, the increase in the benefit under this section shall be adjusted by multiplying it by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months for which the benefit was received in the preceding calendar year and the denominator of which is 12.
(c) If a disabled peace officer or firefighter elects to receive a retirement benefit in the amount calculated under AS 39.35.890(h)(2), the administrator shall, at the time the disabled peace officer or firefighter is appointed to retirement, increase the retirement benefit by a percentage equal to the total cumulative percentage that has been applied to the disabled peace officer's or firefighter's disability benefit under this section.
(d) An increase in benefit payments under this section is effective July 1 of each year and is based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers for Anchorage, Alaska, during the previous calendar year, as determined by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(e) Benefit adjustments under this section shall terminate the last day of the month following the date on which a disabled member is no longer receiving a disability benefit under AS 39.35.890, unless the member is a disabled peace officer or firefighter and has chosen a retirement benefit under AS 39.35.890(h)(2).