HB 233: "An Act establishing the Alaska Climate Change Commission; and relating to the powers and duties of the Alaska Climate Change Commission."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 233 01 "An Act establishing the Alaska Climate Change Commission; and relating to the 02 powers and duties of the Alaska Climate Change Commission." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 44.19 is amended by adding new sections to read: 05 Sec. 44.19.650. Establishment of commission; composition. (a) The Alaska 06 Climate Change Commission is established in the Office of the Governor. 07 (b) The commission consists of nine members as follows: 08 (1) the commissioner of fish and game or the commissioner's designee; 09 (2) the commissioner of environmental conservation or the 10 commissioner's designee; 11 (3) the commissioner of natural resources or the commissioner's 12 designee; 13 (4) the director of the division of community and regional affairs or the 14 director's designee;
01 (5) two climate scientists holding PhDs who are affiliated with an 02 academic or nonprofit institution, at least one of whom is a resident of the state, 03 appointed by the governor; 04 (6) three public members appointed by the governor. 05 (c) Members appointed under (b)(5) and (6) of this section 06 (1) shall serve staggered terms of three years; 07 (2) serve at the pleasure of the governor; and 08 (3) may be reappointed. 09 (d) A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. 10 A person appointed to a vacancy serves for the unexpired portion of the term. 11 (e) The commission shall, by majority vote of the membership, elect a chair 12 and other officers it considers necessary from among its membership to serve on a 13 yearly basis. 14 (f) The member agencies shall provide staff and administrative support to the 15 commission. 16 Sec. 44.19.652. Compensation. Members of the commission serve without 17 compensation but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards 18 and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 19 Sec. 44.19.654. Meetings. A majority of the members constitutes a quorum for 20 conducting business and exercising the powers of the commission. The commission 21 shall meet at least quarterly, at the call of the chair, at the request of the majority of the 22 members, or at a regularly scheduled time as determined by a majority of the 23 members. The commission shall keep a record of its proceedings and make these 24 records available for public inspection. 25 Sec. 44.19.656. Powers and duties of the commission. (a) The commission 26 shall advise the Office of the Governor on the preparation and implementation of a 27 statewide climate change strategy. The commission shall make recommendations for 28 building the state's knowledge of the actual and foreseeable effects of climate change 29 in the state, developing appropriate measures and policies to prepare communities in 30 the state for the anticipated effects of climate change, and providing guidance 31 regarding the state's participation in regional and national efforts addressing the causes
01 and effects of climate change. To accomplish this purpose, the commission shall 02 (1) assemble scientific research, modeling, and mapping information in 03 ways that will help the public and policymakers understand the actual and projected 04 effects of climate change in the state, including the time frames in which those effects 05 are likely to take place; 06 (2) prioritize climate change research in the state to best meet the 07 needs of the public and policymakers; 08 (3) develop the most effective means of informing, and generating a 09 dialogue with, the public regarding climate change in the state; 10 (4) develop an early assessment and action plan addressing climate 11 change effects on coastal and other vulnerable communities in the state; 12 (5) develop policies and measures to reduce the likelihood or 13 magnitude of damage to infrastructure in the state from the effects of climate change; 14 (6) provide recommendations that address foreseeable changes to the 15 marine environment, the quantity, quality, and location of fish and game in the state, 16 and the productivity of forests and agricultural land in the state related to climate 17 change; 18 (7) evaluate and recommend responses to the risks of new or 19 increasing disease and pests related to climate change in the state; 20 (8) identify federal and state mechanisms for financing climate change 21 activities in the state, including research and adaptation projects; 22 (9) describe the potential benefits of state participation in regional, 23 national, and international climate policy agreements and greenhouse gas registries; 24 (10) identify opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 25 in-state sources, including the expanded use of alternative fuels, energy conservation, 26 energy efficiency, renewable energy, land use management, and transportation 27 planning, provided that the identified opportunities do not cause appreciable adverse 28 effects on fish and wildlife habitat; 29 (11) support aggressive efforts toward development of an in-state 30 natural gas pipeline to commercialize clean-burning, low-carbon natural gas reserves; 31 (12) identify opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
01 the operations of state government; 02 (13) identify opportunities for the state to participate in carbon-trading 03 markets, including the offering of carbon sequestration; 04 (14) identify economic opportunities for the state that might emerge as 05 a result of the growing response to the global challenge of climate change; and 06 (15) identify other policies and measures that the commission 07 considers helpful to achieve the objectives of this section. 08 (b) The commission may 09 (1) recommend legislative and administrative action on climate change 10 strategy; and 11 (2) select and retain the services of consultants as necessary. 12 Sec. 44.19.658. Annual report and recommendations. The commission shall 13 submit to the governor and the legislature an annual report of its guidance developed 14 under AS 44.19.656 for the previous calendar year that includes any recommendations 15 for legislative and administrative action. The commission shall submit a report 16 provided under this section not later than February 1 of each year. The commission 17 shall deliver the report to the senate secretary and the chief clerk of the house of 18 representatives and notify the legislature that the report is available. 19 Sec. 44.19.660. Definition. In AS 44.19.650 - 44.19.660, "commission" means 20 the Alaska Climate Change Commission. 21 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 22 read: 23 ALASKA CLIMATE CHANGE COMMISSION; STAGGERED TERMS. 24 Notwithstanding AS 39.05.055, the governor shall appoint the initial public and scientist 25 members of the Alaska Climate Change Commission established under AS 44.19.650 to 26 staggered terms as follows: 27 (1) one public member and one scientist member shall be appointed to serve 28 three years; 29 (2) one public member and one scientist member shall be appointed to serve 30 two years; and 31 (3) one public member shall be appointed to serve one year.
01 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 02 read: 03 TRANSITION: WRITTEN INFORMATION FROM CLIMATE CHANGE SUB- 04 CABINET. The governor shall provide all written reports, recommendations, and research 05 developed by the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet established under Administrative Order No. 06 238 to the Alaska Climate Change Commission established under AS 44.19.650 within 30 07 days after the effective date of this Act.