SCS CSSSHB 294(FIN) am S: "An Act establishing the Alaska Marine Transportation Advisory Board and setting out its powers and duties; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE CS FOR CS FOR SS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 294(FIN) am S 01 "An Act establishing the Alaska Marine Transportation Advisory Board and setting out 02 its powers and duties; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective 03 date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 19.65.011 is amended to read: 06 Sec. 19.65.011. Comprehensive long-range plan. The Department of 07 Transportation and Public Facilities, in consultation with the Alaska Marine 08 Transportation Advisory Board, shall prepare a comprehensive long-range plan for 09 the development and improvement of the Alaska marine highway system and shall, in 10 consultation with the Alaska Marine Transportation Advisory Board, revise and 11 update the plan at least every five years. The department shall submit the 12 comprehensive long-range plan and revisions and updates of the plan to the 13 legislature. 14 * Sec. 2. AS 19.65 is amended by adding new sections to read:
01 Article 3. Alaska Marine Transportation Advisory Board. 02 Sec. 19.65.110. Alaska Marine Transportation Advisory Board. There is 03 established in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities the Alaska 04 Marine Transportation Advisory Board. 05 Sec. 19.65.120. Board composition. (a) The board consists of 11 members 06 appointed by the governor. Each member must be a resident of the state. The board 07 shall be composed of the following members: 08 (1) one member who has a significant level of experience in the private 09 sector or local government, specializing in financing or economic development or 10 marketing, from each of the following districts: 11 (A) northern southeast Alaska, representing Haines, Juneau, 12 and Skagway; 13 (B) central southeast Alaska, representing Petersburg, Sitka, 14 and Wrangell; 15 (C) southeast Alaska, representing the cities of Angoon, 16 Hoonah, Kake, Pelican, and Tenakee Springs; 17 (D) the Prince William Sound and Kenai Peninsula areas, 18 representing the cities of Cordova, Valdez, and Whittier, the City and Borough 19 of Yakutat, and the communities of Chenega Bay and Tatitlek; and 20 (E) southwest Alaska, representing the cities of Akutan, 21 Chignik, Cold Bay, False Pass, Homer, King Cove, Kodiak, Port Lions, Sand 22 Point, Seldovia, and Unalaska, including Dutch Harbor; 23 (2) one retired marine captain or marine engineer who is not affiliated 24 with the Alaska marine highway system; 25 (3) one representative, who may be retired, of a recognized union that 26 represents employees of the Alaska marine highway system; 27 (4) one business owner who has experience interacting with the Alaska 28 marine highway system; 29 (5) one travel agent or tourism specialist familiar with various Alaska 30 marine highway reservation systems available to the public; and 31 (6) two members of the public at large.
01 (b) For members being appointed under (a)(2) - (6) of this section, there shall 02 be at least one resident of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough and at least two members 03 who are residents of areas not directly served by the Alaska marine highway system. 04 (c) The members of the board shall serve staggered three-year terms. If a 05 vacancy arises on the board, the governor shall, within 30 days after the vacancy 06 arises, appoint a person to serve the balance of the unexpired term. A person appointed 07 to fill the balance of an unexpired term shall serve on the board from the date of 08 appointment until the expiration of the term. 09 (d) Board members serve at the pleasure of the governor. In addition, a 10 majority of the membership of the board may remove a member if that member misses 11 more than two meetings in a calendar year and has not been previously excused. 12 Sec. 19.65.130. Officers and quorum. The members of the board shall select 13 a chair and a vice-chair from among the members of the board each year. The vice- 14 chair presides over meetings in the absence of the chair. A majority of the members of 15 the board constitutes a quorum. A vacancy in the board does not impair the right of a 16 quorum to exercise all the powers and perform all the duties of the board. 17 Sec. 19.65.140. Meetings. The board shall meet at least four times each year. 18 Meetings may be called by the chair or by a majority of the members of the board. At 19 least one meeting each year must be attended by the board members in person, but all 20 other meetings may be conducted by teleconference. All meetings are open to the 21 public unless an executive session is called based on the criteria in AS 44.62.310(b). 22 Sec. 19.65.150. Per diem and expenses. Members of the board do not receive 23 a salary, but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and 24 commissions under AS 39.20.180. 25 Sec. 19.65.160. Records. Records of the board are subject to inspection and 26 copying under AS 40.25.110. 27 Sec. 19.65.170. Legal assistance. The Department of Law shall provide all 28 legal services for the board. 29 Sec. 19.65.180. Powers, duties, and functions. (a) After the commissioner of 30 transportation and public facilities has considered one or more candidates for the 31 position of director or deputy commissioner of the Alaska marine highway system, the
01 commissioner shall confer with the board regarding that candidate or those candidates 02 before making an appointment to that position. The selection of those candidates shall 03 be without regard to political affiliation. 04 (b) The board may establish volunteer regional advisory committees. The 05 purpose of the advisory committees is to provide recommendations to the board 06 regarding concerns from the region whose members constitute the advisory 07 committee. 08 (c) The board may issue reports and recommendations and shall, in 09 cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, prepare and 10 submit to the department and the governor for review a strategic plan that includes the 11 mission, core values, objectives, initiatives, and performance goals of the Alaska 12 marine highway system. 13 (d) The board may receive information from the department as the board 14 considers necessary to carry out its duties. 15 Sec. 19.65.190. Staff. The department shall provide staff for the board. 16 Sec. 19.65.195. Definition. In AS 19.65.100 - 19.65.195, "board" means the 17 Alaska Marine Transportation Advisory Board. 18 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 19 read: 20 INITIAL APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ALASKA MARINE 21 TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD. (a) Notwithstanding AS 19.65.120(c), added by 22 sec. 2 of this Act, and AS 39.05.055, the initially appointed members of the Alaska Marine 23 Transportation Advisory Board shall be appointed by the governor to terms as follows: 24 (1) three members shall serve one-year terms; 25 (2) four members shall serve two-year terms; and 26 (3) four members shall serve three-year terms. 27 (b) The governor may designate a member of the Marine Transportation Advisory 28 Board, created by Administrative Order No. 233, who is serving as an advisory board member 29 on the day before the effective date of this Act, as a member of the initial Alaska Marine 30 Transportation Advisory Board under (a) of this section, if the member meets the 31 requirements set by AS 19.65.120, added by sec. 2 of this Act. Nothing in this subsection
01 prevents the governor from appointing members to the board that do not serve on the Marine 02 Transportation Advisory Board as authorized by this subsection. 03 * Sec. 4. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).