00CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 479(L&C)                                                                                        
01 "An Act relating to recognition of employers who hire Alaskans."                                                        
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03    * Section 1.  AS 23.05 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                 
04 Article 6.  Recognition of Employers Who Hire Alaskans.                                                               
05  Sec. 23.05.400.  Certificates and identification seals in recognition of                                             
06 employers who hire Alaskans.  (a)  The department shall issue an Alaska hire                                           
07 certificate and identification seal to an employer who                                                                  
08   (1)  applies to the department for the certificate and seal;                                                         
09   (2)  pays the application fee established under (d) of this section; and                                             
10   (3)  meets the employment standard established under (b) of this section.                                            
11  (b)  An employer is entitled to a certificate and seal under this section if the                                      
12 employer's work force consists of at least 80 percent state residents as determined by                                  
13 the department.  The department may consider an employee to be a state resident for                                     
14 purposes of this subsection only if the employee is included in both the most recent                                    

01 permanent fund dividend file maintained by the Department of Revenue and the most                                       
02 recent wage file maintained by the Department of Labor.                                                                 
03  (c)  An employer who does not meet standards established by this section may                                          
04 not display the certificate or use the identification seal.                                                             
05  (d)  The application fee for an Alaska hire certificate and identification seal is                                    
06 $30.  The department shall periodically review the amount of the fee to ensure that the                                 
07 cost of operating the program to the state is offset by the amount received in applicant                                
08 fees.  If the amount received by the state is substantially different from the cost of                                  
09 operating the program, the department shall adjust the fee by regulation so that the                                    
10 amount anticipated to be received will approximately equal the anticipated cost.                                        
11 Money collected under this section shall be deposited into the general fund and                                         
12 separately accounted for under AS 37.05.142.  The annual estimated balance in the                                       
13 account maintained under AS 37.05.142 for fees collected under this section may be                                      
14 appropriated by the legislature for the department's cost in operating this program or                                  
15 for any other lawful purpose.  Nothing in this subsection creates a dedicated fund.                                     
16  (e)  The department shall, by regulation, establish the design of the Alaska hire                                     
17 certificate and identification seal.  A certificate or seal awarded under this section shall                            
18 state the year for which it is awarded.                                                                                 
19  (f)  The department shall adopt regulations under AS 44.62 (Administrative                                            
20 Procedure Act) to implement this section.