00                            SENATE BILL NO. 299                                                                         
01 "An Act relating to the establishment of an additional southcentral panel to the Alaska                                 
02 Workers' Compensation Board and to appointments to that panel; and providing for an                                     
03 effective date."                                                                                                        
04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
05    * Section 1.  AS 23.30.005(a) is amended to read:                                                                  
06            (a)  The Alaska Workers' Compensation Board consists of a southern panel of                                  
07       three members sitting for the first judicial district, a northern panel of three members                          
08       sitting for the second and fourth judicial districts, four [THREE] southcentral panels                        
09       of three members each sitting for the third judicial district, and one panel of three                             
10       members that may sit in any judicial district.  Each panel must include the                                       
11       commissioner of labor and workforce development or the designated representative of                               
12       the commissioner, a representative of industry, and a representative of labor.  The                               
13       latter two members of each panel shall be appointed by the governor and are subject to                            
14       confirmation by a majority of the members of the legislature in joint session.                                    

01    * Sec. 2.  The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                         
02 read:                                                                                                                   
03       TERMS AND INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.  (a)  The governor shall expeditiously                                            
04 make initial appointments to the new southcentral panel of the Alaska Workers'                                          
05 Compensation Board, authorized by sec. 1 of this Act.  The appointments made under this                                 
06 subsection may not take effect before July 1, 2002.                                                                     
07       (b)  Notwithstanding AS 23.30.005(c) and AS 39.05.055, the terms of the initially                                 
08 appointed members of the new panel who are representatives of labor or industry shall be set                            
09 by the governor as follows:                                                                                             
10            (1)  the member who is the representative of labor shall serve a term of two                                 
11 years;                                                                                                                  
12            (2)  the member who is the representative of industry shall serve a term of                                  
13 three years.                                                                                                            
14    * Sec. 3.  Section 2 of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).                                   
15    * Sec. 4.  Except as provided in sec. 3 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2002.