00                             HOUSE BILL NO. 175                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to the term of the chair of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; and                                   
02 relating to the qualifications of members of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska."                                      
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 42.04.010(b) is amended to read:                                                                   
05 (b)  The commission shall annually elect one of its members to serve as chair                                           
06 for the following fiscal year. When a vacancy occurs in the office of chair, the                                        
07 commission shall elect one of its members to serve the remaining term as chair. The                                     
08 term as chair is one year. A member of the commission may not continue to serve                                     
09 as chair after the member's term of office as a commissioner expires, even if the                                   
10 member continues to hold office under AS 42.04.020(b) until a successor is                                          
11 appointed and qualified. The chair may be elected to not more than three successive                                 
12 terms as chair. After a year of not serving as chair, the commissioner is eligible for                                  
13       election as chair again.                                                                                          
14    * Sec. 2. AS 42.04.020(a) is amended to read:                                                                      
01 (a)  The commission consists of five commissioners appointed by the governor                                            
02 and confirmed by the legislature in joint session. At least one member of the                                       
03 commission must, at the time of appointment, reside in a rural community served                                     
04 by an electric utility that receives power cost equalization under AS 42.45.100 -                                   
05       42.45.150. To qualify for appointment as a commissioner, a person must                                        
06                 (1)  be a member in good standing of the Alaska Bar Association with                                    
07       at least five years of actual experience in the practice of law;                                                  
08                 (2)  be a professional engineer registered under AS 08.48; or                                           
09                 (3)  have a degree from an accredited college or university with a major                                
10 in finance, economics, accounting, business administration, or public administration                                    
11       and at least five years of actual experience in the field associated with the degree.                             
12    * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
13 read:                                                                                                                   
14 TRANSITION: REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA MEMBERS. An                                                                 
15 individual who is a member of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska on the day before the                                 
16 effective date of this Act continues to serve on the Regulatory Commission of Alaska until the                          
17 member's term expires and a successor is appointed and qualified. The governor shall make                               
18 appointments for vacancies that occur on or after the effective date of this Act in accordance                          
19 with AS 42.04.020(a), as amended by sec. 2 of this Act.