AK
Alaska Senate Bill SB120

Alaska 2025-2026 Regular Session

Alaska Senate Bill SB120 Compare Versions

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10-CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 120(STA)
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11+ SENATE BILL NO. 120
1112
1213 IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
1314
1415 THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
1516
16-BY THE SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
17+BY SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON
1718
18-Offered: 4/18/25
19-Referred: Finance
19+Introduced: 3/5/25
20+Referred: State Affairs, Finance
2021
21-Sponsor(s): SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON
22+
2223 A BILL
2324
2425 FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
2526
2627 "An Act establishing the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response Commission; 1
2728 and relating to the powers and duties of the Alaska Climate Change Emergency 2
2829 Response Commission." 3
2930 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
3031 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 5
3132 to read: 6
3233 FINDINGS. The legislature finds that a state of emergency exists because of the threat 7
3334 climate change poses on communities in the state, the state economy, traditional ways of life, 8
3435 fish and game populations, and natural ecosystems. 9
3536 * Sec. 2. AS 44.19 is amended by adding new sections to read: 10
3637 Article 6. Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response Commission. 11
3738 Sec. 44.19.651. Commission established. The Alaska Climate Change 12
3839 Emergency Response Commission is established in the Office of the Governor. 13
39-Sec. 44.19.653. Composition of commission. (a) The commission consists of 14 34-LS0073\N
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40+Sec. 44.19.653. Composition of commission. (a) The commission consists of 14 34-LS0073\A
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43-16 members, six of whom are departmental representatives who serve by virtue of 1
44-office, and 10 of whom are municipal representatives. 2
44+15 members, six of whom are departmental representatives who serve by virtue of 1
45+office, and nine of whom are municipal representatives. 2
4546 (b) The following departmental representatives shall serve by virtue of office: 3
4647 (1) the commissioner of fish and game; 4
4748 (2) the commissioner of environmental conservation; 5
4849 (3) the commissioner of natural resources; 6
4950 (4) the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic 7
5051 development; 8
5152 (5) the commissioner of transportation and public facilities; 9
5253 (6) the director of the division in the Department of Commerce, 10
5354 Community, and Economic Development responsible for community and regional 11
5455 affairs. 12
55-(c) The governor shall appoint 10 municipal representatives to the 13
56+(c) The governor shall appoint nine municipal representatives to the 13
5657 commission. Each municipal representative must be a mayor or member of an 14
5758 assembly or council of a municipality. The governor shall appoint one municipal 15
5859 representative from each of the following general regions: 16
5960 (1) Northwest Alaska, including, generally, the area of the North Slope 17
6061 Borough and the Northwest Arctic Borough; 18
6162 (2) Bering Strait area, including, generally, the area of the Bering Strait 19
6263 regional educational attendance area; 20
6364 (3) Southwest Alaska, including, generally, the area within the Lower 21
6465 Yukon, Lower Kuskokwim, and Southwest regional educational attendance areas and 22
6566 the Lake and Peninsula and Bristol Bay Boroughs; 23
6667 (4) Kodiak-Aleutians area, including the area of the Kodiak Island and 24
6768 Aleutians East Boroughs and the Aleutian, Adak, and Pribilof regional educational 25
6869 attendance areas; 26
69-(5) Interior Alaska, including the Fairbanks North Star Borough and 27
70-the Denali Borough; 28
71-(6) Upper Cook Inlet area, including the Municipality of Anchorage 29
72-and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough; 30
73-(7) Lower Cook Inlet area, including, generally, the area within the 31 34-LS0073\N
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70+(5) Upper Cook Inlet area, including the Municipality of Anchorage 27
71+and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough; 28
72+(6) Lower Cook Inlet area, including, generally, the area within the 29
73+Kenai Peninsula Borough; 30
74+(7) Prince William Sound area, including, generally, the area east of 31 34-LS0073\A
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77-Kenai Peninsula Borough; 1
78-(8) Prince William Sound area, including, generally, the area east of 2
79-the Kenai Peninsula Borough to 141 West longitude; 3
80-(9) northern Southeast Alaska, including the area southeast of 141 4
81-degrees West longitude and north of 57 degrees North latitude and the entirety of the 5
82-City and Borough of Sitka; and 6
83-(10) southern Southeast Alaska, including the portion of Southeast 7
84-Alaska not contained in the area described in (9) of this subsection. 8
85-(d) Municipal representatives serve at the pleasure of the governor. Municipal 9
86-representatives serve staggered terms of three years, until reappointed or replaced. A 10
87-municipal representative may be reappointed. If a municipal representative ceases to 11
88-be a mayor, assembly member, or council member in the municipality the governor 12
89-appointed the representative to represent, that representative's seat becomes vacant. If 13
90-a municipal representative's seat becomes vacant for any reason before the expiration 14
91-of that representative's term, the governor shall, within 30 days after the occurrence of 15
92-the vacancy, appoint a municipal representative from the same region to serve the 16
93-unexpired portion of the term. 17
94-(e) The commission shall, by majority vote, elect co-chairs. One co-chair shall 18
95-be a departmental representative member, and one co-chair shall be a municipal 19
96-representative member. 20
97-Sec. 44.19.655. Compensation. Members of the commission serve without 21
98-compensation but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards 22
99-and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 23
100-Sec. 44.19.657. Meetings. Three departmental representative members 24
101-designated under AS 44.19.653(b) and five municipal representative members 25
102-appointed under AS 44.19.653(c) constitute a quorum for conducting business and 26
103-exercising the powers of the commission. The commission shall meet at least 27
104-quarterly, at the call of a co-chair, at the request of the majority of the members, or at a 28
105-regularly scheduled time as determined by a majority of the members. The 29
106-commission shall keep a record of its proceedings and make the record available for 30
107-public inspection. 31 34-LS0073\N
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78+the Kenai Peninsula Borough to 141 West longitude; 1
79+(8) northern Southeast Alaska, including the area southeast of 141 2
80+degrees West longitude and north of 57 degrees North latitude and the entirety of the 3
81+City and Borough of Sitka; and 4
82+(9) southern Southeast Alaska, including the portion of Southeast 5
83+Alaska not contained in the area described in (8) of this subsection. 6
84+(d) Municipal representatives serve at the pleasure of the governor. Municipal 7
85+representatives serve staggered terms of three years, until reappointed or replaced. A 8
86+municipal representative may be reappointed. If a municipal representative ceases to 9
87+be a mayor, assembly member, or council member in the municipality the governor 10
88+appointed the representative to represent, that representative's seat becomes vacant. If 11
89+a municipal representative's seat becomes vacant for any reason before the expiration 12
90+of that representative's term, the governor shall, within 30 days after the occurrence of 13
91+the vacancy, appoint a municipal representative from the same region to serve the 14
92+unexpired portion of the term. 15
93+(e) The commission shall, by majority vote, elect co-chairs. One co-chair shall 16
94+be a departmental representative member, and one co-chair shall be a municipal 17
95+representative member. 18
96+Sec. 44.19.655. Compensation. Members of the commission serve without 19
97+compensation but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards 20
98+and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 21
99+Sec. 44.19.657. Meetings. Three departmental representative members 22
100+designated under AS 44.19.653(b) and four municipal representative members 23
101+appointed under AS 44.19.653(c) constitute a quorum for conducting business and 24
102+exercising the powers of the commission. The commission shall meet at least 25
103+quarterly, at the call of a co-chair, at the request of the majority of the members, or at a 26
104+regularly scheduled time as determined by a majority of the members. The 27
105+commission shall keep a record of its proceedings and make the record available for 28
106+public inspection. 29
107+Sec. 44.19.659. Alternate members. (a) Each member of the commission 30
108+shall have a permanent alternate to serve at meetings of the commission as follows: 31 34-LS0073\A
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111-Sec. 44.19.659. Alternate members. (a) Each member of the commission 1
112-shall have a permanent alternate to serve at meetings of the commission as follows: 2
113-(1) for a municipal representative member appointed under 3
114-AS 44.19.653(c), the governor shall appoint a permanent alternate who, at the time of 4
115-appointment and throughout the period of service as a permanent alternate, is the 5
116-mayor or a member of the assembly or council of a municipality within the region 6
117-from which the permanent member was appointed; in appointing a permanent alternate 7
118-under this paragraph, the governor shall consider the recommendations of the 8
119-permanent member; 9
120-(2) for a departmental representative member designated under 10
121-AS 44.19.653(b)(1) - (5), a deputy commissioner of the relevant department or the 11
122-director of a division of the department; and 12
123-(3) for a departmental representative member designated under 13
124-AS 44.19.653(b)(6), the member's designee within that office. 14
125-(b) A member of the commission who is unable to attend a meeting shall 15
126-advise the permanent alternate, who may attend the meeting and act in the place of the 16
127-member. 17
128-Sec. 44.19.661. Executive director. The commission may employ an 18
129-executive director who serves at the pleasure of the commission. The executive 19
130-director may not be a member of the commission. The executive director may contract 20
131-with or employ personnel or consultants that the executive director considers 21
132-necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the commission. The executive 22
133-director is in the exempt service under AS 39.25 (State Personnel Act). 23
134-Sec. 44.19.663. Powers of the commission. The commission may 24
135-(1) apply for and accept grants, contributions, and appropriations, 25
136-including application for and acceptance of federal, international, or private funds that 26
137-may become available for financing infrastructure adaptation, renewable energy 27
138-technology, community relocation, food and transportation security, education and 28
139-research, or other needs related to climate change; 29
140-(2) contract for necessary services; 30
141-(3) consult and cooperate with
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112+(1) for a municipal representative member appointed under 1
113+AS 44.19.653(c), the governor shall appoint a permanent alternate who, at the time of 2
114+appointment and throughout the period of service as a permanent alternate, is the 3
115+mayor or a member of the assembly or council of a municipality within the region 4
116+from which the permanent member was appointed; in appointing a permanent alternate 5
117+under this paragraph, the governor shall consider the recommendations of the 6
118+permanent member; 7
119+(2) for a departmental representative member designated under 8
120+AS 44.19.653(b)(1) - (5), a deputy commissioner of the relevant department or the 9
121+director of a division of the department; and 10
122+(3) for a departmental representative member designated under 11
123+AS 44.19.653(b)(6), the member's designee within that office. 12
124+(b) A member of the commission who is unable to attend a meeting shall 13
125+advise the permanent alternate, who may attend the meeting and act in the place of the 14
126+member. 15
127+Sec. 44.19.661. Executive director. The commission may employ an 16
128+executive director who serves at the pleasure of the commission. The executive 17
129+director may not be a member of the commission. The executive director may contract 18
130+with or employ personnel or consultants that the executive director considers 19
131+necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the commission. The executive 20
132+director is in the exempt service under AS 39.25 (State Personnel Act). 21
133+Sec. 44.19.663. Powers of the commission. The commission may 22
134+(1) apply for and accept grants, contributions, and appropriations, 23
135+including application for and acceptance of federal, international, or private funds that 24
136+may become available for financing infrastructure adaptation, renewable energy 25
137+technology, community relocation, food and transportation security, education and 26
138+research, or other needs related to climate change; 27
139+(2) contract for necessary services; 28
140+(3) consult and cooperate with 29
141+(A) public or private persons, organizations, and groups 30
142+interested in, affected by, or concerned with climate change effects and 31 34-LS0073\A
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146-(A) public or private persons, organizations, and groups 1
147-interested in, affected by, or concerned with climate change effects and 2
148-response; 3
149-(B) climate scientists holding doctorate degrees who are 4
150-affiliated with an academic or nonprofit institution; and 5
151-(C) agents and officials in the different regions of the state and 6
152-federal and state agencies concerned with or having jurisdiction over climate 7
153-change effects and response; 8
154-(4) establish the duties of the executive director of the commission; 9
155-(5) assess fees for grant writing and other assistance; and 10
156-(6) take any reasonable action necessary to carry out the provisions of 11
157-AS 44.19.651 - 44.19.672. 12
158-Sec. 44.19.665. Duties of the commission. The commission shall 13
159-(1) prepare a strategic response plan to address climate change threats 14
160-that includes 15
161-(A) identification of areas in the state and sectors of the state 16
162-economy that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change; 17
163-(B) options for assisting communities and sectors of the 18
164-economy identified as being particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate 19
165-change; and 20
166-(C) identification of specific threats posed by climate change 21
167-on areas in the state and sectors of the state economy and a course of action to 22
168-address the identified threats; 23
169-(2) provide grant writing and general assistance to governmental and 24
170-nongovernmental entities in the state on climate change response issues, prioritizing 25
171-assistance to rural governments, nonprofits serving rural areas, and tribal 26
172-organizations; 27
173-(3) develop a program for the distribution of funds to assist local 28
174-governments to respond to climate change effects; 29
175-(4) establish continuing coordination among state agencies to facilitate 30
176-the development and implementation of the climate change response strategy; 31 34-LS0073\N
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146+response; 1
147+(B) climate scientists holding doctorate degrees who are 2
148+affiliated with an academic or nonprofit institution; and 3
149+(C) agents and officials in the different regions of the state and 4
150+federal and state agencies concerned with or having jurisdiction over climate 5
151+change effects and response; 6
152+(4) establish the duties of the executive director of the commission; 7
153+(5) assess fees for grant writing and other assistance; and 8
154+(6) take any reasonable action necessary to carry out the provisions of 9
155+AS 44.19.651 - 44.19.672. 10
156+Sec. 44.19.665. Duties of the commission. The commission shall 11
157+(1) prepare a strategic response plan to address climate change threats 12
158+that includes 13
159+(A) identification of areas in the state and sectors of the state 14
160+economy that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change; 15
161+(B) options for assisting communities and sectors of the 16
162+economy identified as being particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate 17
163+change; and 18
164+(C) identification of specific threats posed by climate change 19
165+on areas in the state and sectors of the state economy and a course of action to 20
166+address the identified threats; 21
167+(2) provide grant writing and general assistance to governmental and 22
168+nongovernmental entities in the state on climate change response issues, prioritizing 23
169+assistance to rural governments, nonprofits serving rural areas, and tribal 24
170+organizations; 25
171+(3) develop a program for the distribution of funds to assist local 26
172+governments to respond to climate change effects; 27
173+(4) establish continuing coordination among state agencies to facilitate 28
174+the development and implementation of the climate change response strategy; 29
175+(5) coordinate with the University of Alaska in efforts to seek out 30
176+grants or other aid for climate change education and research; 31 34-LS0073\A
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180-(5) coordinate with the University of Alaska in efforts to seek out 1
181-grants or other aid for climate change education and research; 2
182-(6) inform the public of available assistance for responding to climate 3
183-change effects, including an outreach program to rural governments, nonprofits 4
184-serving rural areas, and tribal organizations; 5
185-(7) advance the implementation of technology that provides for 6
186-renewable energy, local food systems, and adaptive infrastructure in the state by 7
187-recommending legislation and policies to incentivize its development; 8
188-(8) monitor and report on the effects of climate change on existing 9
189-infrastructure, ecosystems, geophysical features, and communities in the state; 10
190-(9) identify opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from in-11
191-state sources, including the expanded use of alternative fuels, energy conservation, 12
192-energy efficiency, renewable energy, land use management, and transportation 13
193-planning; and 14
194-(10) recommend legislative and administrative action to implement the 15
195-climate change response strategy. 16
196-Sec. 44.19.667. Fees. The commission shall adopt regulations under AS 44.62 17
197-(Administrative Procedure Act) to establish fees for grant writing or other assistance 18
198-provided to a client by the commission. The fees must be based on a sliding scale 19
199-formula that takes into account the client's need. A client that is a governmental or 20
200-tribal entity may not be charged a fee. 21
201-Sec. 44.19.669. Annual report and recommendations. The commission shall 22
202-submit to the governor and the legislature an annual report of the activities of the 23
203-commission for the previous calendar year that includes a list of threats identified by 24
204-the commission, an assessment of progress in addressing the threats, an assessment of 25
205-compliance with the strategic response plan, and any recommendations for legislative 26
206-and administrative action. The commission shall submit a report under this section not 27
207-later than February 1 of each year and shall deliver the report to the senate secretary 28
208-and the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the 29
209-report is available. 30
210-Sec. 44.19.672. Definition. In AS 44.19.651 - 44.19.672, "commission" means 31 34-LS0073\N
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180+(6) inform the public of available assistance for responding to climate 1
181+change effects, including an outreach program to rural governments, nonprofits 2
182+serving rural areas, and tribal organizations; 3
183+(7) advance the implementation of technology that provides for 4
184+renewable energy, local food systems, and adaptive infrastructure in the state by 5
185+recommending legislation and policies to incentivize its development; 6
186+(8) monitor and report on the effects of climate change on existing 7
187+infrastructure, ecosystems, geophysical features, and communities in the state; 8
188+(9) identify opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from in-9
189+state sources, including the expanded use of alternative fuels, energy conservation, 10
190+energy efficiency, renewable energy, land use management, and transportation 11
191+planning; and 12
192+(10) recommend legislative and administrative action to implement the 13
193+climate change response strategy. 14
194+Sec. 44.19.667. Fees. The commission shall adopt regulations under AS 44.62 15
195+(Administrative Procedure Act) to establish fees for grant writing or other assistance 16
196+provided to a client by the commission. The fees must be based on a sliding scale 17
197+formula that takes into account the client's need. A client that is a governmental or 18
198+tribal entity may not be charged a fee. 19
199+Sec. 44.19.669. Annual report and recommendations. The commission shall 20
200+submit to the governor and the legislature an annual report of the activities of the 21
201+commission for the previous calendar year that includes a list of threats identified by 22
202+the commission, an assessment of progress in addressing the threats, an assessment of 23
203+compliance with the strategic response plan, and any recommendations for legislative 24
204+and administrative action. The commission shall submit a report under this section not 25
205+later than February 1 of each year and shall deliver the report to the senate secretary 26
206+and the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the 27
207+report is available. 28
208+Sec. 44.19.672. Definition. In AS 44.19.651 - 44.19.672, "commission" means 29
209+the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response Commission. 30
210+ * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 31 34-LS0073\A
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214-the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response Commission. 1
215- * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 2
216-read: 3
217-TERMS OF INITIAL MEMBERS OF THE ALASKA CLIMATE CHANGE 4
218-EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMISSION. Notwithstanding AS 39.05.055, the governor 5
219-shall appoint the initial members of the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response 6
220-Commission under AS 44.19.653(c) to staggered terms as follows: 7
221-(1) three members shall be appointed to serve three years; 8
222-(2) four members shall be appointed to serve two years; and 9
223-(3) three members shall be appointed to serve one year. 10
224- * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 11
225-read: 12
226-TRANSITION: WRITTEN INFORMATION FROM CLIMATE CHANGE SUB-13
227-CABINET. The governor shall provide all written reports, recommendations, and research 14
228-developed by the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet established under Administrative Order No. 15
229-238 to the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response Commission established under 16
230-AS 44.19.651 within 30 days after the effective date of this Act. 17
214+read: 1
215+TERMS OF INITIAL MEMBERS OF THE ALASKA CLIMATE CHANGE 2
216+EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMISSION. Notwithstanding AS 39.05.055, the governor 3
217+shall appoint the initial members of the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response 4
218+Commission under AS 44.19.653(c) to staggered terms as follows: 5
219+(1) three members shall be appointed to serve three years; 6
220+(2) three members shall be appointed to serve two years; and 7
221+(3) three members shall be appointed to serve one year. 8
222+ * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 9
223+read: 10
224+TRANSITION: WRITTEN INFORMATION FROM CLIMATE CHANGE SUB-11
225+CABINET. The governor shall provide all written reports, recommendations, and research 12
226+developed by the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet established under Administrative Order No. 13
227+238 to the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response Commission established under 14
228+AS 44.19.651 within 30 days after the effective date of this Act. 15