HB 348: "An Act establishing a minimum veto amount for purposes of applying art. II, sec. 15, Constitution of the State of Alaska; relating to an appropriation limit; relating to the statutory budget reserve fund; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 348 01 "An Act establishing a minimum veto amount for purposes of applying art. II, sec. 15, 02 Constitution of the State of Alaska; relating to an appropriation limit; relating to the 03 statutory budget reserve fund; and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 37.05.540(a) is amended to read: 06 (a) There is established as a separate fund in the state treasury the budget 07 reserve fund. The budget reserve fund consists of appropriations to the fund. 08 [MONEY RECEIVED BY THE STATE THAT IS SUBJECT TO THE 09 APPROPRIATION LIMIT UNDER (b) OF THIS SECTION AND THAT EXCEEDS 10 THAT LIMIT, MAY BE APPROPRIATED TO THE BUDGET RESERVE FUND.] 11 * Sec. 2. AS 37.07 is amended by adding a new section to read: 12 Sec. 37.07.105. Minimum veto amount. (a) For purposes of applying art. II, 13 sec. 15, Constitution of the State of Alaska, the governor shall, by veto, strike or 14 reduce items in an appropriation bill in the amount necessary to ensure appropriations
01 made from the state treasury for a fiscal year do not exceed an amount equal to 02 appropriations made for the preceding fiscal year plus five percent, plus the change in 03 population and inflation since the beginning of the preceding fiscal year. 04 (b) For purposes of calculating the minimum veto amount under this section, 05 (1) the determination of the change in population is based on an annual 06 estimate of population by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development; 07 (2) the determination of the change in inflation is based on the 08 Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for urban Alaska prepared by the 09 Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor; and 10 (3) appropriations required by the federal government for state 11 participation in federal programs and appropriations to an account or fund existing on 12 the date of ratification of art. IX, sec. 7, Constitution of the State of Alaska, are 13 excluded from the calculation in this section. 14 (c) The legislative finance division shall 15 (1) calculate the minimum veto amount under this section not later 16 than the first day of each regular session of the legislature; and 17 (2) if requested by the finance committee of either house of the 18 legislature, report to the finance committee the minimum veto amount calculated 19 under this section and the method used to calculate the amount. 20 * Sec. 3. AS 37.05.540(b), 37.05.540(c), and 37.05.540(e) are repealed. 21 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 22 read: 23 APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to appropriations made for the fiscal year ending 24 June 30, 2026, and thereafter. 25 * Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 26 read: 27 CONDITIONAL EFFECT. This Act takes effect only if constitutional amendments 28 are passed by the legislature and adopted by the voters before July 1, 2025, 29 (1) amending art. II, sec. 15, Constitution of the State of Alaska, requiring the 30 governor to veto a minimum amount of appropriations made for a fiscal year; and 31 (2) repealing art. IX, sec. 16, Constitution of the State of Alaska.
01 * Sec. 6. If this Act takes effect, it takes effect on the day after the date the constitutional 02 amendments described in sec. 5 of this Act become effective.