00SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5                                                                                           
01 Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to                                             
02 legislative action on bills and resolutions and legislative caucuses.                                                   
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04    * Section 1.  Article II, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended by adding new                              
05 sections to read:                                                                                                       
06  SECTION 22.  REFERRAL AND ACTION ON BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS.                                                            
07 (a)  No bill may become law unless it is referred to at least one committee in each                                     
08 house for consideration upon its merits and is reported back to the house by that                                       
09 committee.                                                                                                              
10  (b)  Every bill or resolution referred to a committee shall be considered by the                                      
11 committee at a public hearing held within appropriate deadlines established by the                                      
12 legislature.  A motion by a committee member to report the bill or resolution to the                                    
13 house is always in order.  Each bill or resolution reported by the last committee it is                                 
14 referred to for consideration upon its merits shall be calendared and considered by the                                 

01 house.  A bill or resolution shall be calendared in the order it is reported by the last                                
02 committee it is referred to for consideration upon its merits.                                                          
03  (c)  A bill or resolution adopted in violation of this section is void.                                               
04  SECTION 23.  CAUCUSES.  (a)  No legislator may be required or committed,                                              
05 through a caucus vote or similar procedure, to vote in favor of or against any matter                                   
06 coming before the legislature or a house of the legislature.                                                            
07  (b)  Notwithstanding (a) of this section, a legislator may vote in a caucus on                                        
08 matters relating to selection of officers of the caucus or organization of the legislature.                             
09  (c)  Action taken in violation of this section is void.                                                               
10    * Sec. 2.  The amendments proposed by this resolution shall be placed before the voters of                           
11 the state at the next general election in conformity with art. XIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the                        
12 State of Alaska, and the election laws of the state.