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SB183 • 2026

POWERS: LB&A COMMITTEE; LEGISLATIVE AUDIT

An Act relating to hindering the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee; relating to the powers of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee and the legislative audit division; and providing for an effective date.

Budget Crime Housing Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
SENATE RULES
Last action
2025-08-19
Official status
CHAPTER 1 FSSLA 25
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

While the bill text states it 'takes effect immediately,' the provided metadata lists a specific future date (8/3/25) for effectiveness. The summary reflects the immediate language in the official text but notes the applicability clause.

Strengthening Powers for Alaska's Legislative Budget and Audit Committee

This law makes it a crime to intentionally block the work of state auditors, requires government agencies to provide information in specific formats, mandates annual audits of three corporations, and allows disciplinary action against employees who refuse to cooperate.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new crime called hindering the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee for anyone who intentionally blocks access to requested records or data without a reasonable belief that their actions were legally justified.
  • Requires all state officials and agencies to fully cooperate with auditors by providing information in the exact form or format requested.
  • Confirms the committee's power to issue subpoenas, hold public hearings, administer oaths, and compel witnesses to appear or produce documents.
  • Mandates annual post-audits of three specific organizations: the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority.
  • Allows state employees who intentionally refuse to cooperate with auditors without a legal justification to face dismissal or other disciplinary action.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State officials and government agencies that must provide information in requested formats to the committee.
  • The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, which enforces cooperation rules and conducts reviews.
  • The legislative audit division staff who conduct audits of state funds and programs.
  • Specific corporations including Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Alaska Aerospace Corporation, and Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority.

Terms To Know

Legislative Budget and Audit Committee
A group of lawmakers that reviews how the state spends money and checks if agencies follow rules.
Subpoena
An official order requiring a person to appear at a hearing or provide documents.
Post-audit
A review of how an organization used its money after the work is finished.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not define exactly what counts as a 'reasonable belief' that blocking information was legally justified.
  • The new crime applies only to actions taken on or after the effective date of this Act, which takes effect immediately upon passage.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-19 1443

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 8/3/25

  2. 2025-08-19 1443

    (S) ASSIGNED CHAPTER 1 FSSLA 25

  3. 2025-08-02 1436

    (S) TO LEGAL SERVICES

  4. 2025-08-02 1434

    (S) GOVERNOR VETO OVERRIDDEN Y43 N16 E1

  5. 2025-08-02 1433

    (S) MOTION TO OVERRIDE VETO

  6. 2025-07-30 1416

    (S) ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION OF VETO LETTER

  7. 2025-07-30 1414

    (S) VETOED BY GOVERNOR 6/11/25

  8. 2025-07-30 1391

    (S) 3:45 P.M. 5/27/25 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR

  9. 2025-05-12 1159

    (H) VERSION: SB 183

  10. 2025-05-12 1159

    (H) RETURN TO (S), TRANSMIT TO GOV NEXT

  11. 2025-05-12 1159

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  12. 2025-05-12 1158

    (H) PASSED ON RECONSIDERATION Y30 N10

  13. 2025-05-12 1158

    (H) RECON TAKEN UP - IN THIRD READING

  14. 2025-05-10 1128

    (H) COSTELLO NOTICE OF RECONSIDERATION

  15. 2025-05-10 1128

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  16. 2025-05-10 1127

    (H) PASSED Y31 N7 E2

  17. 2025-05-10 1127

    (H) READ THE THIRD TIME SB 183

  18. 2025-05-09 1076

    (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/10 CALENDAR

  19. 2025-05-09 1076

    (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  20. 2025-05-09 1076

    (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/9/2025

  21. 2025-05-09 1072

    (H) FN2: ZERO(LEG)

  22. 2025-05-09 1072

    (H) FN1: INDETERMINATE(GOV)

  23. 2025-05-09 1072

    (H) AM: COSTELLO, TILTON

  24. 2025-05-09 1072

    (H) NR: VANCE

  25. 2025-05-09 1072

    (H) DP: EDGMON, KOPP, SCHRAGE, STUTES

  26. 2025-05-09 1072

    (H) RLS RPT 4DP 1NR 2AM

  27. 2025-05-08 Min

    (H) Minutes (HRLS)

  28. 2025-05-08 Text

    (H) Moved SB 183 Out of Committee

  29. 2025-05-08 Text

    (H) RULES at 09:00 AM GRUENBERG 120

  30. 2025-05-07 1031

    (H) RLS

  31. 2025-05-07 1031

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  32. 2025-05-05 1134

    (S) VERSION: SB 183

  33. 2025-05-05 1134

    (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)

  34. 2025-05-05 1126

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  35. 2025-05-05 1126

    (S) PASSED Y19 N- E1

  36. 2025-05-05 1126

    (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SB 183

  37. 2025-05-02 1091

    (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/5 CAL

  38. 2025-05-02 1091

    (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  39. 2025-05-02 1091

    (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/2/2025

  40. 2025-05-02 1088

    (S) FN2: ZERO(LEG)

  41. 2025-05-02 1088

    (S) FN1: INDETERMINATE(GOV)

  42. 2025-05-02 1088

    (S) DP: WIELECHOWSKI, HOFFMAN, STEDMAN, STEVENS, SHOWER

  43. 2025-05-02 1088

    (S) RLS RPT 5DP

  44. 2025-04-30 Min

    (S) Minutes (SRLS)

  45. 2025-04-30 Text

    (S) Moved SB 183 Out of Committee

  46. 2025-04-30 Text

    (S) RULES at 12:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  47. 2025-04-23 933

    (S) RLS

  48. 2025-04-23 933

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

POWERS: LB&A COMMITTEE; LEGISLATIVE AUDIT
An Act relating to hindering the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee; relating to the powers of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee and the legislative audit division; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Enrolled SB 183
LAWS OF ALASKA

2025

Source Chapter No.
SB 183 _______

AN ACT

Relating to hindering the Legislative Budget and Audit Committe e; relating to the powers of
the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee and the legislative audit division; and providing
for an effective date.

_______________

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1

-1- Enrolled SB 183

AN ACT

Relating to hindering the Legislative Budget and Audit Committe e; relating to the powers of 1
the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee and the legislative audit division; and providing 2
for an effective date. 3
_______________ 4
* Section 1. AS 11.56.845(a) is amended to read: 5
(a) A person commits the offense of hindering the Legislative Budget and 6
Audit Committee if the person intentionally (1) fails to give, or (2) directs, orders, 7
threatens, restrains, coerces, fo rces, or prevents another pers on from giving, full 8
cooperation to the legislative a uditor or the legislative fisca l analyst in assembling , 9
generating, or furnishing requested information in the form or format requested to 10
the committee or its staff, and the person did not reasonably b elieve that the action or 11
failure to act was legally justified. 12
* Sec. 2. AS 24.20.201(a) is amended to read: 13
(a) The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee has the power to 14

Enrolled SB 183 -2-
(1) organize, adopt rules for the conduct of its business, and prescribe 1
procedures for the comprehensive fiscal analysis, budget review , and post-audit 2
functions; 3
(2) hold public hearings, administer oaths, issue subpoenas, compel the 4
attendance of witne sses and production of papers, books, accoun ts, documents, and 5
testimony, and have the deposition of witnesses taken in a mann er prescribed by court 6
rule or law for taking depositions in civil actions; 7
(3) require all state officials and agencies of state governme nt to give 8
full cooperation to the committee or its staff in assembling, generating, and furnishing 9
requested information , including assembling, ge nerating, or furnishing 10
information in the form or format requested by the committee or the committee's 11
staff; 12
(4) review revenue projections, state agency appropriation requests, the 13
expenditure of state funds, incl uding the relationship between state agency program 14
accomplishments and legislative intent, and the fiscal policies and procedures of state 15
government; 16
(5) review and approve proposed changes to agency authorized 17
budgets as provided in AS 37.07 (Executive Budget Act); 18
(6) make recommendations concerning appropriations, their 19
expenditure, and the fiscal policies and procedures of state government to the governor 20
when appropriate, and to the legislature; 21
(7) prepare and distribute reports, memoranda, or other necess ary 22
materials; 23
(8) sue in the name of the legislature during the interim betw een 24
sessions if authorized by majority vote of the full membership of the committee; 25
(9) [REPEALED 26
(10)] make recommendations to the legislature and to agencies of the 27
state that perform lending or i nvestment functions concerning t he structure and 28
operating practices of the agencies; 29
(10) [(11)] enter into and enforce all contracts necessary or desir able 30
for the functions of the committee; 31

-3- Enrolled SB 183
(11) [(12)] provide for annual post audits of the Alaska Housing 1
Finance Corporation, the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, and the Alaska Industrial 2
Development and Export Authority. 3
* Sec. 3. AS 24.20.271 is amended to read: 4
Sec. 24.20.271. Powers and duties. The legislative audit division shall 5
(1) conduct a performance post-audit of boards and commissions 6
designated in AS 44.66.010 and make t he audit, together with a written report, 7
available to the legislature not later than the first day of th e regular session of the 8
legislature convening in each year set out with reference to bo ards and commissions 9
whose activities are subject to termination as prescribed in AS 44.66; the division shall 10
notify the legislature that the audit and report are available; 11
(2) [REPEALED 12
(3)] audit at least once every three years the books and accou nts of all 13
custodians of public funds and all disbursing officers of the state; 14
(3) [(4)] at the direction of the Legislative Budget and Audit 15
Committee, conduct performance post-audits on any agency of state government; 16
(4) [(5)] cooperate with state age ncies by offering advice and 17
assistance as requested in establishing or improving the accoun ting systems used by 18
state agencies; 19
(5) [(6)] require the assistance and cooperation of all state officials and 20
other state employees in the ins pection, examination, and audit of state agency books 21
and accounts; the legislative audit division m ay require a state official or other 22
state employee to assemble, genera te, or furnish information in the form or 23
format requested by the division; 24
(6) [(7)] have access at all times to the books, accounts, reports , or 25
other records, whether confidential or not, of every state agency; 26
(7) [(8)] ascertain, as necessary for audit verification, the amou nt of 27
agency funds on deposit in any bank as shown on the books of th e bank; no bank may 28
be held liable for making infor mation required under this parag raph available to the 29
legislative audit division; 30
(8) [(9)] complete studies and prepare reports, memoranda, or othe r 31

Enrolled SB 183 -4-
materials as directed by the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee; 1
(9) [(10)] have direct access to any information related to the 2
management of the University of Alaska and have the same right of access as exists 3
with respect to every other state agency. [; 4
(11) REPEALED 5
(12) REPEALED] 6
* Sec. 4. AS 39.25.160(l) is amended to read: 7
(l) A state employee may not intentionally (1) fail to give, or (2) direct, order, 8
threaten, restrain, coerce, for ce, or prevent another person fr om giving, full 9
cooperation to the legislative a uditor or the legislative fisca l analyst in assembling , 10
generating, or furnishing requested information in the form or format requested to 11
the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee or its staff if the person did not 12
reasonably believe that the acti on or failure to act was legall y justified. Violation of 13
this subsection constitutes just cause for dismissal or other a ppropriate disciplinary 14
action. 15
* Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 16
read: 17
APPLICABILITY. AS 11.56.845(a), as amended by sec. 1 of this Ac t, applies to 18
offenses committed on or after the effective date of this Act. 19
* Sec. 6. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 20