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HOUSE BILL NO. 3
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY REPRESENTATIVES G.NELSON, Rauscher, Underwood, Saddler, Tilton, McCabe, Elam, Tomaszewski
Introduced: 1/22/25
Referred: Community and Regional Affairs, State Affairs, Finance
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act relating to convening the legislature in Anchorage; relating to the regulation of 1
lobbying; relating to annual student guests of the legislature; relating to locations of 2
sessions of the legislature; relating to the Legislative Ethics Act; relating to the 3
relocation of functions of state government; and providing for an effective date." 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 5
* Section 1. AS 15.13.072(d) is amended to read: 6
(d) While the legislature is convened in a regular or special legislative session, 7
a legislator or legislative employee may not solicit or accept a contribution to be used 8
for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election under this chapter unless 9
(1) it is an election in which the legislator or legislative employee is a 10
candidate and the contribution is for that legislator's or legislative employee's 11
campaign; 12
(2) the solicitation or acceptance occurs during the 90 days 13
immediately preceding that election; and 14
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(3) the solicitation or acceptance occurs in a place other than the 1
Municipality of Anchorage during a regular session [CAPITAL CITY] or a 2
municipality in which the legislature is convened in special session if the legislature is 3
convened in a municipality other than the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL 4
CITY]. 5
* Sec. 2. AS 15.13.072(g) is amended to read: 6
(g) A candidate or an individual who has filed with the commission the 7
document necessary to permit that individual to incur election-related expenses under 8
AS 15.13.100 for election or reelection to the office of governor or lieutenant governor 9
may not solicit or accept a contribution in the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL 10
CITY] while the legislature is convened in a regular or special legislative session. 11
* Sec. 3. AS 24.05.090 is amended to read: 12
Sec. 24.05.090. Duration of legislature; sessions. The legislature shall 13
convene in the Municipality of Anchorage [AT THE CAPITAL] each year on the 14
third Tuesday in January at 1:00 p.m. Each legislature has a duration of two years and 15
consists of a "First Regular Session" that meets in the odd-numbered years, and a 16
"Second Regular Session" that meets in the even-numbered years, and any special 17
session that the governor or legislature calls. 18
* Sec. 4. AS 24.05.100(b) is amended to read: 19
(b) A special session may be held at any location in the state. If a special 20
session called under (a)(1) of this section is to be convened at a location other than in 21
the Municipality of Anchorage [AT THE CAPITAL], the governor shall designate 22
the location in the proclamation. If a special session called under (a)(2) of this section 23
is to be convened at a location other than in the Municipality of Anchorage [AT 24
THE CAPITAL], the presiding officers shall agree to and designate the location in the 25
poll conducted of the members of both houses. 26
* Sec. 5. AS 24.10.030 is amended to read: 27
Sec. 24.10.030. Chief clerk and senate secretary. Each house shall select 28
from outside its membership a person of known stenographic and administrative 29
ability to serve as chief administrative clerk; a chief clerk in the house of 30
representatives and a secretary in the senate. When nominated and elected in 31
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conformity with the uniform rules, they continue to serve for the duration of the 1
legislature at the pleasure of the house to which assigned. Pending the organization of 2
a new legislature, they may continue to serve at the request and direction of the 3
legislative council until their respective houses formally reappoint or replace them. 4
The chief clerk and senate secretary are responsible for the performance of duties 5
provided for by law, the uniform rules, and orders of the house. They may be 6
requested to report to the legislative council for duty for a period not to exceed two 7
weeks immediately preceding the convening of the session and shall remain at the 8
location of the session [CAPITAL] until the completion of their work relating to 9
that session [IS DETERMINED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL]. 10
* Sec. 6. AS 24.10.130(a) is amended to read: 11
(a) A member of the legislature may be entitled to reimbursement for the 12
expenses of moving between the member's place of residence and the Municipality of 13
Anchorage [CAPITAL CITY] for the purpose of attending a regular session of the 14
legislature. 15
* Sec. 7. AS 24.45.041(b) is amended to read: 16
(b) The registration form prescribed by the commission must include 17
(1) the lobbyist's full name and complete permanent residence and 18
business address and telephone number, as well as any temporary residential and 19
business address and telephone number in the location of the session [STATE 20
CAPITAL] during a legislative session; 21
(2) the full name and complete address of each person by whom the 22
lobbyist is retained or employed; 23
(3) whether the person from whom the lobbyist receives compensation 24
employs the person solely as a lobbyist or whether the person is a regular employee 25
performing other services for the employer that include but are not limited to the 26
influencing of legislative or administrative action; 27
(4) the nature or form of the lobbyist's compensation for engaging in 28
lobbying, including salary, fees, or reimbursement for expenses received in 29
consideration for, or directly in support of or in connection with, the influencing of 30
legislative or administrative action; 31
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(5) a general description of the subjects or matters on which the 1
registrant expects to lobby or to engage in the influencing of legislative or 2
administrative action; 3
(6) the full name and complete address of the person, if other than the 4
registrant, who has custody of the accounts, books, papers, bills, receipts, and other 5
documents required to be maintained under this chapter; 6
(7) the identification of a legislative employee or public official to 7
whom the lobbyist is married or who is the domestic partner of the lobbyist; 8
(8) a sworn affirmation by the lobbyist that the lobbyist has completed 9
the training course administered by the commission under AS 24.45.031(a) within the 10
12-month period preceding the date of registration or registration renewal under this 11
chapter, except that this paragraph does not apply to a person who is a representational 12
lobbyist as defined under regulations of the commission; 13
(9) a sworn affirmation by the lobbyist that the lobbyist has not been 14
previously convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude; in this paragraph, "felony 15
involving moral turpitude" has the meaning given in AS 15.80.010, and includes 16
convictions for a violation of the law of this state or a violation of the law of another 17
jurisdiction with elements similar to a felony involving moral turpitude in this state. 18
* Sec. 8. AS 24.45.041(e) is amended to read: 19
(e) Within 15 days after the convening of each regular session of the 20
legislature, the commission shall publish a directory of registered lobbyists, containing 21
the information prescribed in (b) of this section for each lobbyist and the photograph, 22
if any, furnished by a lobbyist under (c) of this section. From time to time thereafter, 23
the commission shall publish those supplements to the directory that in the 24
commission's judgment may be necessary. The directory shall be made available to 25
public officials and to the public at the following locations: a public place adjacent to 26
the legislative chambers in the Municipality of Anchorage [STATE CAPITOL 27
BUILDING], the office of the lieutenant governor, the legislative reference library of 28
the Legislative Affairs Agency, and the commission's central office. 29
* Sec. 9. AS 24.50.010 is amended to read: 30
Sec. 24.50.010. Annual student guests. The legislature may each year while 31
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in session serve as host to one member of each high school in the state for a stay of 1
one week in the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL] to observe and learn the 2
legislative process. 3
* Sec. 10. AS 24.50.040 is amended to read: 4
Sec. 24.50.040. Essay contest. Before leaving the location of the session 5
[STATE CAPITAL], each legislative guest hosted under AS 24.50.010 shall prepare 6
and submit to the director of the Legislative Affairs Agency a paper of not less than 7
1,000 words entitled "The Legislature Should . . . . . . . . . .". Each paper shall be 8
examined and judged as to content by the governor, the president of the senate, the 9
speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the senate, and the 10
minority leader of the house. The author of the paper determined best by majority vote 11
shall receive a one-year scholarship to the University of Alaska. 12
* Sec. 11. AS 24.60.030(a) is amended to read: 13
(a) A legislator or legislative employee may not 14
(1) solicit, agree to accept, or accept a benefit other than official 15
compensation for the performance of public duties; this paragraph may not be 16
construed to prohibit 17
(A) lawful solicitation for and acceptance of campaign 18
contributions; 19
(B) solicitation or acceptance of contributions for a charity 20
event, as defined in AS 24.60.080(a)(2)(B); 21
(C) the acceptance of a gift under AS 24.60.075 or 24.60.080; 22
or 23
(D) a legislator from accepting reasonable, ordinary, and 24
customary travel and hospitality primarily for the purpose of solemnizing a 25
marriage under AS 25.05.261(a)(4); 26
(2) use public funds, facilities, equipment, services, or another 27
government asset or resource for a nonlegislative purpose, for involvement in or 28
support of or opposition to partisan political activity, or for the private benefit of the 29
legislator, legislative employee, or another person; this paragraph does not prohibit 30
(A) limited use of state property and resources for personal 31
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purposes if the use does not interfere with the performance of public duties and 1
either the cost or value related to the use is nominal or the legislator or 2
legislative employee reimburses the state for the cost of the use; 3
(B) the use of mailing lists, computer data, or other information 4
lawfully obtained from a government agency and available to the general 5
public for nonlegislative purposes; 6
(C) the legislative council, notwithstanding AS 24.05.190, from 7
designating a public facility for use by legislators and legislative employees for 8
health or fitness purposes; when the council designates a facility to be used by 9
legislators and legislative employees for health or fitness purposes, it shall 10
adopt guidelines governing access to and use of the facility; the guidelines may 11
establish times in which use of the facility is limited to specific groups; 12
(D) a legislator from using the legislator's private office [IN 13
THE CAPITAL CITY] during a legislative session, and for the 10 days 14
immediately before and the 10 days immediately after a legislative session, for 15
nonlegislative purposes if the use does not interfere with the performance of 16
public duties and if there is no cost to the state for the use of the space and 17
equipment, other than utility costs and minimal wear and tear, or the legislator 18
promptly reimburses the state for the cost; an office is considered a legislator's 19
private office under this subparagraph if it is the primary space in the location 20
of the session [CAPITAL CITY] reserved for use by the legislator, whether or 21
not it is shared with others; 22
(E) a legislator from use of legislative employees to prepare 23
and send out seasonal greeting cards; 24
(F) a legislator from using state resources to transport 25
computers or other office equipment owned by the legislator but primarily used 26
for a state function; 27
(G) use by a legislator of photographs of that legislator; 28
(H) reasonable use of the Internet by a legislator or a legislative 29
employee except if the use is for election campaign purposes; 30
(I) a legislator or legislative employee from soliciting, 31
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accepting, or receiving a gift on behalf of a recognized, nonpolitical charitable 1
organization in a state facility; 2
(J) a legislator from sending any communication in the form of 3
a newsletter to the legislator's constituents, except a communication expressly 4
advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or a newsletter or material in a 5
newsletter that is clearly only for the private benefit of a legislator or a 6
legislative employee; or 7
(K) full participation in a charity event approved in advance by 8
the Alaska Legislative Council; 9
(3) knowingly seek, accept, use, allocate, grant, or award public funds 10
for a purpose other than that approved by law, or make a false statement in connection 11
with a claim, request, or application for compensation, reimbursement, or travel 12
allowances from public funds; 13
(4) require a legislative employee to perform services for the private 14
benefit of the legislator or employee at any time, or allow a legislative employee to 15
perform services for the private benefit of a legislator or employee on government 16
time; it is not a violation of this paragraph if the services were performed in an 17
unusual or infrequent situation and the person's services were reasonably necessary to 18
permit the legislator or legislative employee to perform official duties; 19
(5) use or authorize the use of state funds, facilities, equipment, 20
services, or another government asset or resource for the purpose of political fund 21
raising or campaigning; this paragraph does not prohibit 22
(A) limited use of state property and resources for personal 23
purposes if the use does not interfere with the performance of public duties and 24
either the cost or value related to the use is nominal or the legislator or 25
legislative employee reimburses the state for the cost of the use; 26
(B) the use of mailing lists, computer data, or other information 27
lawfully obtained from a government agency and available to the general 28
public for nonlegislative purposes; 29
(C) storing or maintaining, consistent with (b) of this section, 30
election campaign records in a legislator's office; 31
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(D) a legislator from using the legislator's private office [IN 1
THE CAPITAL CITY] during a legislative session, and for the 10 days 2
immediately before and the 10 days immediately after a legislative session, for 3
nonlegislative purposes if the use does not interfere with the performance of 4
public duties and if there is no cost to the state for the use of the space and 5
equipment, other than utility costs and minimal wear and tear, or the legislator 6
promptly reimburses the state for the cost; an office is considered a legislator's 7
private office under this subparagraph if it is the primary space in the location 8
of the session [CAPITAL CITY] reserved for use by the legislator, whether or 9
not it is shared with others; or 10
(E) use by a legislator of photographs of that legislator. 11
* Sec. 12. AS 24.60.031(a) is amended to read: 12
(a) A legislative employee may not 13
(1) on a day when either house of the legislature is in regular or special 14
session, solicit or accept a contribution or a promise or pledge to make a contribution 15
for a campaign for state or municipal office; however, a legislative employee may, 16
except in the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL CITY] or in the municipality in 17
which the legislature is convened in special session if the legislature is convened in a 18
municipality other than the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL CITY], solicit or 19
accept a contribution, promise, or pledge for a campaign for state or municipal office 20
that occurs during the 90 days immediately preceding the election for that office; or 21
(2) accept money from an event held on a day when either house of the 22
legislature is in regular or special session if a substantial purpose of the event is to 23
raise money on behalf of the legislative employee for political purposes; however, this 24
paragraph does not prohibit a legislative employee from accepting money from an 25
event held in a place other than the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL CITY] or 26
a municipality in which the legislature is convened in special session if the legislature 27
is convened in a municipality other than the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL 28
CITY] during the 90 days immediately preceding an election for state or municipal 29
public office in which the legislative employee is a candidate. 30
* Sec. 13. AS 24.60.031(b) is amended to read: 31
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(b) A legislator may not 1
(1) on a day when either house of the legislature is in regular or special 2
session, solicit or accept a contribution or a promise or pledge to make a contribution 3
(A) for the legislator's own campaign for state or municipal 4
public office, unless the solicitation, acceptance, promise, or pledge occurs in a 5
place other than the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL CITY] or a 6
municipality in which the legislature is convened in special session if the 7
legislature is convened in a municipality other than the Municipality of 8
Anchorage [CAPITAL CITY] during the 90 days immediately preceding the 9
election in which the legislator is a candidate; 10
(B) for another candidate in an election for municipal, state, or 11
federal office; 12
(C) to influence a state ballot proposition or question; or 13
(D) for a political party; 14
(2) accept money from an event held on a day when either house of the 15
legislature is in regular or special session if a substantial purpose of the event is to 16
raise money on behalf of the legislator's campaign for state or municipal public office; 17
however, this paragraph does not prohibit a legislator from accepting money from an 18
event held in a place other than the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL CITY] or 19
a municipality in which the legislature is convened in special session if the legislature 20
is convened in a municipality other than the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL 21
CITY] during the 90 days immediately preceding a state or municipal election in 22
which the legislator is a candidate; or 23
(3) in a campaign for state or municipal office, expend money that was 24
raised on a day when either house of the legislature was in a legislative session by or 25
on behalf of a legislator under a declaration of candidacy or a general letter of intent to 26
become a candidate for public office; however, this paragraph does not apply to 27
money raised in a place other than the Municipality of Anchorage [CAPITAL CITY] 28
or a municipality in which the legislature is convened in special session if the 29
legislature is convened in a municipality other than the Municipality of Anchorage 30
[CAPITAL CITY] during the 90 days immediately preceding an election in which the 31
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legislator is a candidate. 1
* Sec. 14. AS 24.60.080(c) is amended to read: 2
(c) Notwithstanding (a)(1) of this section, it is not a violation of this section 3
for a person who is a legislator or legislative employee to accept 4
(1) hospitality, other than hospitality described in (4) of this 5
subsection, 6
(A) with incidental transportation at the residence of a person; 7
however, a vacation home located outside the state is not considered a 8
residence for the purposes of this subparagraph; or 9
(B) at a social event or meal; 10
(2) discounts that are available 11
(A) generally to the public or to a large class of persons to 12
which the person belongs; or 13
(B) when on official state business, but only if receipt of the 14
discount benefits the state; 15
(3) food or foodstuffs indigenous to the state that are shared generally 16
as a cultural or social norm; 17
(4) travel and hospitality primarily for the purpose of obtaining 18
information on matters of legislative concern; 19
(5) gifts from the immediate family of the person; in this paragraph, 20
"immediate family" means 21
(A) the spouse of the person; 22
(B) the person's domestic partner; 23
(C) a child, including a stepchild and an adopted child, of the 24
person or of the person's domestic partner; 25
(D) a parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt, or uncle of the person; 26
(E) a parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt, or uncle of the person's 27
spouse or the person's domestic partner; and 28
(F) a stepparent, stepsister, stepbrother, step-grandparent, step-29
aunt, or step-uncle of the person, the person's spouse, or the person's domestic 30
partner; 31
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(6) gifts that are not connected with the recipient's legislative status; 1
(7) a discount for all or part of a legislative session, including time 2
immediately preceding or following the session, or other gift to welcome a legislator 3
or legislative employee who is employed on the personal staff of a legislator or by a 4
standing or special committee to the location of the session [CAPITAL CITY] or in 5
recognition of the beginning of a legislative session if the gift or discount is available 6
generally to all legislators and the personal staff of legislators and staff of standing and 7
special committees; this paragraph does not apply to legislative employees who are 8
employed by the Legislative Affairs Agency, the office of the chief clerk, the office of 9
the senate secretary, the legislative budget and audit committee, the office of victims' 10
rights, or the office of the ombudsman; 11
(8) a gift of legal services in a matter of legislative concern and a gift 12
of other services related to the provision of legal services in a matter of legislative 13
concern; 14
(9) a gift of transportation from a legislator or a legislative employee to 15
a legislator or a legislative employee if the transportation takes place in the state on or 16
in an aircraft, boat, motor vehicle, or other means of transport owned or under the 17
control of the donor; this paragraph does not apply to travel described in (4) of this 18
subsection or travel for political campaign purposes; or 19
(10) a contribution to a charity event, a ticket to a charity event, or a 20
gift in connection with a charity event; in this paragraph, "charity event" has the 21
meaning given in (a)(2)(B) of this section. 22
* Sec. 15. AS 44.99.007 is amended to read: 23
Sec. 44.99.007. Emergency transfer of seat of government. When, due to an 24
emergency resulting from the effects of enemy attack or an imminent enemy attack, it 25
becomes imprudent, inexpedient, or impossible to conduct the affairs of state 26
government at the normal location of the state capital or to hold a legislative session 27
in the Municipality of Anchorage, the governor shall, as often as the exigencies of 28
the situation require, declare by proclamation an emergency temporary location or 29
locations for the seat of government or for the session at a place or places, inside or 30
outside the state, that would not normally be considered military target sites and that 31
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the governor may consider advisable under the circumstances. The governor shall take 1
[SUCH] action and issue [SUCH] orders as may be necessary for an orderly transition 2
to the emergency temporary location or locations. The temporary location or locations 3
shall remain the emergency seat of government or location of the legislative session 4
until the emergency is declared to be ended by the governor and the seat of 5
government or session is returned to its normal location. 6
* Sec. 16. AS 44.06.050, 44.06.055, and 44.06.060 are repealed. 7
* Sec. 17. This Act takes effect January 1, 2027. 8