00                             SENATE BILL NO. 73                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to succession to the offices of governor and lieutenant governor in case                               
02 of vacancy; and providing for an effective date."                                                                       
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 44.19.042 is amended to read:                                                                      
05 Sec. 44.19.042. Succession to office. If a vacancy occurs in the office of                                            
06 governor and the regularly elected lieutenant governor succeeds to the office of                                        
07 governor as provided by art. III, sec. 11, of the constitution, or if the office of                                     
08 lieutenant governor otherwise becomes vacant, the person designated as next                                             
09 successor to the office of lieutenant governor as provided in (b) of this section                                   
10 [AS 44.19.040] succeeds to the office of lieutenant governor for the remainder of the                                   
11 term vacated, or until a special election is held. [WHEN THE PERSON APPOINTED                                           
12 UNDER AS 44.19.040 SUCCEEDS TO THE OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT                                                                 
13 GOVERNOR, THE GOVERNOR SHALL APPOINT A PERSON TO SUCCEED TO                                                             
14 THE OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IN CASE OF A SUBSEQUENT                                                               
01       VACANCY.]                                                                                                       
02    * Sec. 2. AS 44.19.042 is amended by adding new subsections to read:                                               
03            (b)  If the office of lieutenant governor becomes vacant, the order of                                     
04       succession is as follows:                                                                                         
05                 (1)  the attorney general;                                                                              
06                 (2)  the commissioner of health and social services;                                                    
07                 (3)  the commissioner of education and early development;                                               
08                 (4)  the commissioner of administration;                                                                
09                 (5)  the adjutant general of the Department of Military and Veterans'                                   
10       Affairs;                                                                                                          
11 (6)  the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic                                                              
12       development;                                                                                                      
13                 (7)  the commissioner of labor and workforce development;                                               
14                 (8)  the commissioner of public safety.                                                                 
15 (c)  If a vacancy occurs in the office of the lieutenant governor and the person                                        
16 next in the order of succession established under (b) of this section declines the                                      
17 appointment, or the office that is next in the order of succession under (b) of this                                    
18 section is vacant, the person holding the office that is next in the order of succession                                
19       under (b) of this section shall succeed to the office of lieutenant governor.                                     
20    * Sec. 3. AS 44.19.044 is amended to read:                                                                         
21 Sec. 44.19.044. Special election in case of second vacancy in office of                                               
22 governor. If the regularly elected lieutenant governor succeeds to the office of                                      
23 governor as provided in the constitution and later [THEREAFTER], during the same                                    
24 regular gubernatorial term, the office of governor again becomes vacant, the person                                 
25 who succeeded to the office of [APPOINTED] lieutenant governor shall succeed                                    
26 [SUCCEEDS] to the office of acting governor until a special election to elect a                                         
27       governor and lieutenant governor is held.                                                                         
28    * Sec. 4. AS 44.19.046 is amended to read:                                                                         
29 Sec. 44.19.046. Simultaneous vacancies. If vacancies in the office of                                                 
30 governor and the office of lieutenant governor occur simultaneously, the person                                         
31 designated as next successor to the office of lieutenant governor as provided in                                    
01       AS 44.19.042(b) [APPOINTED UNDER AS 44.19.040] succeeds directly to the                                       
02       office of acting governor until successors to the respective offices are elected in a                             
03       special election.                                                                                                 
04    * Sec. 5. AS 44.19.040 is repealed.                                                                                
05    * Sec. 6. This Act takes effect on the first Monday in December following the 2022 state                           
06 gubernatorial election.