00 HOUSE BILL NO. 546 01 "An Act relating to the Commission on the Constitution." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. The legislature finds there is a need to 04 improve and expand procedures for introduction and consideration of proposed amendments 05 to the state constitution. There should be substantially increased opportunities for citizen 06 involvement in these procedures. To accomplish these goals, there should be created a citizen 07 commission on the constitution to make continuing studies of the needs, from time to time, 08 for constitutional change, and to provide the legislature with carefully considered 09 recommendations for such proposals. 10 * Sec. 2. AS 24.08.060(b) is amended to read: 11  (b) Bills introduced by the legislative council shall be delivered with a letter 12 of explanation to the rules committee of either house and bear the inscription "Rules 13 Committee by Request of the Legislative Council"; bills introduced by the 14 Administrative Regulation Review Committee shall be delivered with a letter of 01 explanation to the rules committee of either house and bear the inscription "Rules 02 Committee by Request of the Administrative Regulation Review Committee"; bills 03 introduced by the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee shall be delivered with a 04 letter of explanation to the rules committee of either house and bear the inscription 05 "Rules Committee by Request of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee." Joint 06 resolutions proposing amendments to the state constitution offered by the 07 Commission on the Constitution shall be delivered with a letter of explanation to 08 the rules committee of either house during a first regular session or during the 09 first 30 days of a second regular session and bear the inscription "Rules 10 Committee by Request of the Commission on the Constitution." Bills presented 11 by the governor shall be delivered with a letter to the rules committee of either house 12 and bear the inscription "Rules Committee by Request of the Governor"; bills so 13 presented and inscribed shall be received as bills carrying the approval of the governor 14 as to policy and budget impact. The governor may submit a statement of purpose and 15 effect with each bill and appear personally or through a representative before any 16 committee considering legislation. 17 * Sec. 3. AS 24.20 is amended by adding new sections to read: 18 ARTICLE 5. COMMISSION ON THE CONSTITUTION. 19  Sec. 24.20.650. COMMISSION ON THE CONSTITUTION. (a) A 20 Commission on the Constitution is established in the legislative branch. The 21 commission consists of seven members, with at least one member from each judicial 22 district. No more than three commission members may be registered members of the 23 same political party. An elected state official, a sitting justice, or a sitting judge may 24 not serve on the commission. A commission member serves a six-year term and may 25 be reappointed. A commission member may be removed from office only for cause 26 and only upon the affirmative vote of at least five members of the Commission on the 27 Constitution. 28  (b) Members of the Commission on the Constitution are appointed by a 29 selection committee consisting of one member appointed by the governor, one member 30 appointed by the presiding officer of the senate, one member appointed by the 31 presiding officer of the house of representatives, one member appointed by the chief 01 justice of the supreme court, and one member appointed by the other four members 02 of the selection committee. An elected state official, a sitting justice, or a sitting judge 03 may not serve on the selection committee. A member of the selection committee 04 serves a two-year term and may be reappointed. A vacancy is filled by the appointing 05 authority for the unexpired portion of the term. A person may be appointed to the 06 Commission on the Constitution only upon the approval of at least four members of 07 the selection committee. A vacancy on the commission is filled by the selection 08 committee for the unexpired portion of the term. 09  Sec. 24.20.660. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. The 10 Commission on the Constitution may consider any proposed amendment to the state 11 constitution. During a first regular session and during the first 30 days of a second 12 regular session, the commission may, through the rules committees, introduce one or 13 more joint resolutions proposing amendments to the state constitution. 14 * Sec. 4. Notwithstanding AS 24.20.650(a), as enacted in sec. 2 of this Act, as designated 15 by the selection committee, one member of the first Commission on the Constitution shall be 16 appointed to a three-year term, two members shall be appointed to four-year terms, two 17 members shall be appointed to five-year terms, and two members shall be appointed to six-year terms.