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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 4
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY SENATOR KAUFMAN
Introduced: 1/10/25
Referred: Prefiled
A RESOLUTION
Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to an 1
appropriation limit. 2
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. Article IX, sec. 16, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read: 4
Section 16. Appropriation Limit. Except for appropriations for Alaska 5
permanent fund dividends, appropriations to the Alaska permanent fund,
6
appropriations of revenue bond and general obligation bond proceeds, 7
appropriations required to pay the principal and interest on revenue bonds and 8
general obligation bonds, appropriations to a State account or fund that requires a 9
subsequent appropriation from that account or fund as prescribed by law, 10
appropriations to meet a state of disaster declared by the governor as prescribed 11
by law, and appropriations of money received from a non-State source in trust for a 12
specific purpose, including revenues of a public enterprise or public corporation of the 13
State that issues revenue bonds, appropriations from the treasury made for a fiscal year 14
shall not exceed an amount equal to a percentage of the average of the value of the 15
real gross domestic product of the State as estimated by the federal bureau 16 34-LS0347\A
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responsible for economic analysis according to federal law, expressed in current 1
dollars, for the five calendar years immediately preceding the prior fiscal year. 2
The percentage shall be established by law that is not a law enacted as an 3
appropriation bill or fifteen percent, whichever is less. Upon an affirmative vote 4
of two-thirds of the membership of each house, the legislature may appropriate 5
an additional amount for capital improvements in excess of the limit under this 6
section, except that the total amount appropriated shall not exceed an amount 7
equal to fifteen percent of the average calculated under this section. The value of 8
the real gross domestic product in this section shall not include expenditures for 9
government spending [$2,500,000,000 BY MORE THAN THE CUMULATIVE 10
CHANGE, DERIVED FROM FEDERAL INDICES AS PRESCRIBED BY LAW, IN 11
POPULATION AND INFLATION SINCE JULY 1, 1981. WITHIN THIS LIMIT, 12
AT LEAST ONE-THIRD SHALL BE RESERVED FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS 13
AND LOAN APPROPRIATIONS. THE LEGISLATURE MAY EXCEED THIS 14
LIMIT IN BILLS FOR APPROPRIATIONS TO THE ALASKA PERMANENT 15
FUND AND IN BILLS FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, 16
WHETHER OF BOND PROCEEDS OR OTHERWISE, IF EACH BILL IS 17
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, OR PASSED BY AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF 18
THREE-FOURTHS OF THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATURE OVER A 19
VETO OR ITEM VETO, OR BECOMES LAW WITHOUT SIGNATURE, AND IS 20
ALSO APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AS PRESCRIBED BY LAW. EACH BILL 21
FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS IN EXCESS OF THE LIMIT 22
SHALL BE CONFINED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS OF THE SAME TYPE, AND 23
THE VOTERS SHALL, AS PROVIDED BY LAW, BE INFORMED OF THE COST 24
OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS. NO 25
OTHER APPROPRIATION IN EXCESS OF THIS LIMIT MAY BE MADE 26
EXCEPT TO MEET A STATE OF DISASTER DECLARED BY THE GOVERNOR 27
AS PRESCRIBED BY LAW. THE GOVERNOR SHALL CAUSE ANY 28
UNEXPENDED AND UNAPPROPRIATED BALANCE TO BE INVESTED SO AS 29
TO YIELD COMPETITIVE MARKET RATES TO THE TREASURY]. 30
* Sec. 2. Article XV, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended by adding a new 31 34-LS0347\A
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section to read: 1
Section 30. Application of Appropriation Limit. The 2025 amendment 2
limiting appropriation increases applies to appropriations made for the fiscal year 3
ending June 30, 2028, and thereafter. 4
* Sec. 3. The amendments proposed by this resolution shall be placed before the voters of 5
the state at the next general election in conformity with art. XIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the 6
State of Alaska, and the election laws of the state. 7