00SENATE BILL NO. 168                                                                                                     
01 "An Act relating to newspapers of general circulation."                                                                 
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  AS 01.10.060 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:                                             
04   (15)  "newspaper of general circulation" means a publication that                                                    
05   (A)  is published in newspaper format;                                                                              
06   (B)  contains, in at least 25 percent of each issue, editorial                                                      
07 comments and news content that is of general interest in the relevant area, not                                         
08 just to a particular part of the relevant area; has more than an insignificant                                          
09 circulation throughout the relevant area; and for at least two years, has been                                          
10 distributed at least once a week and for at least 50 weeks a year within the                                            
11 relevant area, excluding a period when publication is interrupted by a labor                                            
12 dispute or by a natural disaster, or other casualty that the publisher cannot                                           
13 control; in this subparagraph, "relevant area" means the judicial district,                                             
14 municipality, or other geographical area specified in or otherwise used in the                                          

01 governing statute or regulation to determine where the publication, advertising,                                        
02 or other activity is to be accomplished by using a newspaper of general                                                 
03 circulation;                                                                                                            
04   (C)  holds a second class mailing permit from the United States                                                     
05 Postal Service;                                                                                                         
06   (D)  is not published primarily to distribute advertising;                                                          
07   (E)  is not intended primarily for a particular professional or                                                     
08 occupational group; and                                                                                                 
09   (F)  have a total paid circulation of at least 2,500 bona fide                                                      
10 subscribers.                                                                                                            
11    * Sec. 2.  AS 09.65 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                      
12  Sec. 09.65.160.  ACTION TO ESTABLISH NEWSPAPER STATUS.  A person                                                      
13 who owns a publication may bring an action under AS 22.10.020(g) to establish that                                      
14 the publication is a newspaper of general circulation under AS 01.10.060.