00                            HOUSE BILL NO. 296                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to mergers and consolidations of municipalities."                                                      
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  AS 29.06.100(a) is amended to read:                                                                  
04            (a)  Residents of two or more municipalities may file a merger or consolidation                              
05       petition with the department.  The petition must be signed during a period that does                          
06       not exceed 365 consecutive days by a number of voters of each existing municipality                           
07       equal to at least 25 percent of the number of votes cast in each municipality's last                              
08       regular election.                                                                                                 
09    * Sec. 2.  AS 29.06.140(a) is amended to read:                                                                     
10            (a)  The Local Boundary Commission shall immediately notify the director of                                  
11       elections of its acceptance of a merger or consolidation petition.  Within 30 days after                          
12       notification, the director of elections shall order an election in the area to be included                        
13       in the new municipality to determine whether the voters desire merger or                                          
14       consolidation.  The election shall be held not less than 30 or more than 90 days after                            
15       the election order.  A voter who is a resident of the area to be included in the proposed                         

01       municipality may vote. If a majority of the votes in each of the municipalities                               
02       proposed to be merged or consolidated favors the merger or consolidation, the                                 
03       proposal is approved.                                                                                         
04    * Sec. 3.  AS 29.06.140(b) is amended to read:                                                                     
05            (b)  A question involving a service area required to be submitted to voters                              
06       under AS 29.35.450 or 29.35.490 may not be part of the merger or consolidation                                
07       petition submitted under AS 29.06.100 or part of the merger or consolidation                                  
08       question.  A home rule charter in a merger or consolidation petition submitted under                          
09       AS 29.06.100(b)(5) is part of the merger or consolidation question.  The charter is                               
10       adopted if the voters approve the merger or consolidation.  The director of elections                             
11       shall supervise the election in the general manner prescribed by AS 15 (Election                                  
12       Code).  The state shall pay all election costs.