HB 175

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                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 175
                   IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
                    THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
 BY REPRESENTATIVE BURKE
 Introduced: 4/9/25
 Referred: Labor and Commerce, Resources
                                           A BILL
                                   FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
1 "An Act relating to the term of the chair of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; and
2 relating to the qualifications of members of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska."
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
4  * Section 1. AS 42.04.010(b) is amended to read:
5(b) The commission shall annually elect one of its members to serve as chair
6for the following fiscal year. When a vacancy occurs in the office of chair, the
7commission shall elect one of its members to serve the remaining term as chair. The
8term as chair is one year. A member of the commission may not continue to serve
9as chair after the member's term of office as a commissioner expires, even if the
10member continues to hold office under AS 42.04.020(b) until a successor is
11appointed and qualified. The chair may be elected to not more than three successive
12terms as chair. After a year of not serving as chair, the commissioner is eligible for
13election as chair again.
14  * Sec. 2. AS 42.04.020(a) is amended to read:
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1(a) The commission consists of five commissioners appointed by the governor
2and confirmed by the legislature in joint session. At least one member of the
3commission must, at the time of appointment, reside in a rural community served
4by an electric utility that receives power cost equalization under AS 42.45.100 -
542.45.150. To qualify for appointment as a commissioner, a person must
6(1) be a member in good standing of the Alaska Bar Association with
7at least five years of actual experience in the practice of law;
8(2) be a professional engineer registered under AS 08.48; or
9(3) have a degree from an accredited college or university with a major
10in finance, economics, accounting, business administration, or public administration
11and at least five years of actual experience in the field associated with the degree.
12  * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
13 read:
14TRANSITION: REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA MEMBERS. An
15 individual who is a member of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska on the day before the
16 effective date of this Act continues to serve on the Regulatory Commission of Alaska until the
17 member's term expires and a successor is appointed and qualified. The governor shall make
18 appointments for vacancies that occur on or after the effective date of this Act in accordance
19 with AS 42.04.020(a), as amended by sec. 2 of this Act.
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