Alaska Statutes Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions § 47.12.150. Legal custody, guardianship, and residual parental rights and responsibilities

(a) When a minor is committed to the department under AS 47.12.120(b)(1) or (3) or 47.12.240, detained by the department on behalf of the Department of Corrections under AS 33.30.011 and AS 47.12.105, or released under AS 47.12.120(b)(2) to the minor's parents, guardian, or other suitable person, a relationship of legal custody exists. This relationship imposes on the state and its authorized agents or the parents, guardian, or other suitable person the responsibility of physical care and control of the minor, the determination of where and with whom the minor shall live, the right and duty to protect, train, and discipline the minor, and the duty of providing the minor with food, shelter, education, and medical care. These obligations are subject to any residual parental rights and responsibilities and rights and responsibilities of a guardian if one has been appointed. When a minor is committed to the department and the department places the minor with the minor's parent, the parent has the responsibility to provide and pay for food, shelter, education, and medical care for the minor. When parental rights have been terminated, or there are no living parents and a guardian has not been appointed, the responsibilities of legal custody include those in (b) and (c) of this section. The department or person having legal custody of the minor may delegate any of the responsibilities under this section, except authority to consent to marriage, adoption, and military enlistment may not be delegated. For purposes of this chapter, a person in charge of a placement setting is an agent of the department.

(b) When a guardian is appointed for the minor, the court shall specify in its order the rights and responsibilities of the guardian. The guardian may be removed only by court order. The rights and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, having the right and responsibility of reasonable visitation, consenting to marriage, consenting to military enlistment, consenting to major medical treatment, obtaining representation for the minor in legal actions, and making decisions of legal or financial significance concerning the minor.

(c) When there has been transfer of legal custody or appointment of a guardian and parental rights have not been terminated by court decree, the parents shall have residual rights and responsibilities. These residual rights and responsibilities of the parent include the right and responsibility of reasonable visitation, consent to adoption, consent to marriage, consent to military enlistment, consent to major medical treatment except in cases of emergency or cases falling under AS 25.20.025, and the responsibility for support, except if by court order any residual right and responsibility has been delegated to a guardian under (b) of this section.