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SB160 • 2026

MEMBERS LEG COUNCIL; LEG BUDGET & AUDIT

An Act relating to the membership of the legislative council; and relating to the membership of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee.

Budget
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
SENATORS SHOWER, Myers, Hughes, Cronk, Yundt, Kawasaki, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Wielechowski
Last action
2025-05-16
Official status
(S) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is missing from the provided official metadata.

Changes to Legislative Council and Budget Committee Membership

This bill changes how members are chosen for two state groups by requiring at least one member from a minority group in each chamber.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the legislative council to include at least one member from the minority party of each house.
  • Updates the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee rules to require at least one minority member from each house.
  • Removes language requiring representation from 'each of the two major political parties' for these groups.
  • Adds a new definition stating that a 'minority' group must have an elected leader and make up at least 25 percent of the total members in a house.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The legislative council
  • The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee

Terms To Know

Legislative Council
A group made up of the Senate president, six senators appointed by the president, the House speaker, and six representatives appointed by the speaker.
Minority
A group that has organized an elected leader and makes up at least 25 percent of all members in a house.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill text does not state when these changes will officially take effect.
  • The source material does not explain why the definition of 'minority' was changed from two major parties to a percentage-based rule.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  2. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) FN1: ZERO(LEG)

  3. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) NR: BJORKMAN

  4. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) DP: KAWASAKI, GRAY-JACKSON, YUNDT

  5. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) STA RPT 3DP 1NR

  6. 2025-05-15 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  7. 2025-05-15 Text

    (S) Moved SB 160 Out of Committee

  8. 2025-05-15 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  9. 2025-05-05 1132

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): KIEHL, WIELECHOWSKI

  10. 2025-05-02 1103

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): GRAY-JACKSON

  11. 2025-05-01 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  12. 2025-05-01 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  13. 2025-05-01 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  14. 2025-04-09 750

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): MYERS, HUGHES, CRONK, YUNDT, KAWASAKI

  15. 2025-04-09 744

    (S) STA, FIN

  16. 2025-04-09 744

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

MEMBERS LEG COUNCIL; LEG BUDGET & AUDIT
An Act relating to the membership of the legislative council; and relating to the membership of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB0160A -1- SB 160
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

s34-LS0751\A

SENATE BILL NO. 160

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY SENATORS SHOWER, Myers, Hughes, Cronk, Yundt, Kawasaki, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Wielechowski

Introduced: 4/9/25
Referred: State Affairs, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to the membership of the legislative council; and relating to the 1
membership of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 24.20.020 is amended to read: 4
Sec. 24.20.020. Membership. The legislative council is composed of the 5
president of the senate and six other senators appointed by the president, and the 6
speaker of the house of representatives and six other represent atives appointed by the 7
speaker. The membership from each house shall include at least one member from the 8
minority [EACH OF THE TWO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES]. The appointing 9
authority in each house shall make and announce the appointment or reappointment of 10
members of the council within 15 days after the convening of th e first regular session 11
of each legislature. 12
* Sec. 2. AS 24.20.161 is amended to read: 13
Sec. 24.20.161. Membership. The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee is 14
34-LS0751\A
SB 160 -2- SB0160A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

composed of 10 members: the chairs [CHAIRMEN] of the senate and house finance 1
committees, [;] one member selected from each of the senate and house fina nce 2
committees and appointed by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house, 3
respectively, [;] and three members appointed from each house by the respect ive 4
presiding officer. The chair [CHAIRMAN] of the finance committee may choose not 5
to serve on the committee. If this occurs, the presiding office r of the appropriate house 6
shall appoint a replacement from the finance committee. The mem bership from each 7
house shall include at least one member from the minority [EACH OF THE TWO 8
MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES]. The committee shall select its own chair 9
[CHAIRMAN]. 10
* Sec. 3. AS 24.20 is amended by adding a new section to read: 11
Article 4. General Provisions. 12
Sec. 24.20.700. Definition. In this chapter, "minority" means a group of 13
members who have organized and elected a minority leader and who constitute at least 14
25 percent of the total house membership. 15