HB 392: "An Act establishing the Alaska Commission for Women and Girls to promote economic, social, legal, and political equality for women and girls in the state."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 392 01 "An Act establishing the Alaska Commission for Women and Girls to promote 02 economic, social, legal, and political equality for women and girls in the state." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 44.19 is amended by adding new sections to read: 05 Article 4A. Alaska Commission for Women and Girls. 06 Sec. 44.19.628. Creation and membership of the commission. (a) The 07 Alaska Commission for Women and Girls is established in the Office of the Governor. 08 (b) The commission consists of 16 members, as follows: 09 (1) four members of the legislature who shall serve as ex officio 10 members, as follows: 11 (A) two members of the senate, appointed by the president of 12 the senate, one of whom shall be a member of the majority and one of whom 13 shall be a member of the minority; 14 (B) two members of the house of representatives, appointed by
01 the speaker of the house of representatives, one of whom shall be a member of 02 the majority and one of whom shall be a member of the minority; and 03 (2) 12 members, appointed by the governor, as follows: 04 (A) an attorney licensed by the Alaska Bar Association; 05 (B) an attorney who works at the University of Alaska; 06 (C) the commissioner of labor and workforce development or 07 the commissioner's designee; 08 (D) the commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's 09 designee; 10 (E) a member of the Alaska State Commission on Human 11 Rights; 12 (F) a member of the Anchorage Women's Commission; 13 (G) an appointee from the Alaska Federation of Natives; 14 (H) an appointee from an organization supporting victims of 15 domestic violence and sexual assault; 16 (I) a young woman between 15 and 21 years of age; 17 (J) three women appointees representing rural areas of the state. 18 (c) The commission shall elect one of its members as chair to serve for a term 19 of two years. 20 (d) The term of office of a member of the commission is two years for 21 legislators and three years for public members. Terms shall be staggered. A member 22 may not serve more than six consecutive years. 23 (e) A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. 24 A person appointed to a vacancy serves for the unexpired portion of the vacated term. 25 (f) Public members of the commission do not receive compensation for their 26 services but are entitled to per diem and travel allowances authorized by law for other 27 boards and commissions. Members of ad hoc committees established under 28 AS 44.19.631 may not receive compensation. 29 (g) Executive branch members of the commission are entitled to 30 reimbursement of travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under 31 AS 39.20.180.
01 (h) Members shall meet in person at the call of the chair not more than twice 02 annually. Additional teleconferenced meetings may be held at the call of the chair. 03 Sec. 44.19.629. Purpose; duties. (a) The purpose of the commission is to 04 promote economic, social, legal, and political equality for women by 05 (1) advocating on behalf of women with the governor, legislature, and 06 other public policymakers; 07 (2) educating the public in the areas of economic equality, violence 08 against women, educational equity, and other areas identified by the commission. 09 (b) To accomplish the purpose in (a) of this section, the commission may 10 (1) analyze the employment policies and practices of public and 11 private employers to promote equal pay, equal opportunities, and equal treatment for 12 women in employment; 13 (2) evaluate the development of measures, including nontraditional job 14 opportunities, child care, job sharing, flextime, and part-time employment, to provide 15 greater employment options for women; 16 (3) examine measures to develop greater employment opportunity and 17 potential for women with particular consideration for the needs of minority women, 18 refugees, older women, rural women, and displaced homemakers; 19 (4) analyze public safety policies and practices to stop violence against 20 women; 21 (5) educate women and girls about their legal rights and 22 responsibilities; 23 (6) evaluate the progress of providing equal educational opportunities 24 for women and girls as mandated under state and federal law; 25 (7) assist in efforts to educate women and girls about nontraditional 26 education and employment opportunities; 27 (8) promote the elimination of sexist and racist barriers in the 28 educational process; 29 (9) promote the recognition of contributions women make, whether 30 those contributions occur in the home, as volunteers, or in the labor market; 31 (10) promote the valuation of work in the home at a level comparable
01 to work outside the home; 02 (11) encourage and recommend women and girls to serve on 03 appointive boards and commissions and encourage them to seek elective office; 04 (12) identify and address issues unique to underrepresented groups of 05 women. 06 Sec. 44.19.630. Biennial report. The commission shall prepare a biennial 07 report making recommendations for state laws that need to be changed to promote 08 economic, social, legal, and political equality for women and girls in the state and 09 further identifying the programs, projects, and activities the commission plans to 10 undertake to address those issues. The commission shall provide the governor, speaker 11 of the house of representatives, and president of the senate with copies of the report by 12 the 15th day of November before the first regular session of each legislature. 13 Sec. 44.19.631. Special study committees. (a) The commission may establish 14 ad hoc committees to study specific areas and make periodic reports to the 15 commission. 16 (b) Chairs of ad hoc committees shall be appointed by the chair of the 17 commission, subject to approval by the commission. 18 (c) The chair may appoint members of ad hoc committees who are not 19 members of the commission. 20 (d) The commission shall determine the duration of an ad hoc committee at 21 the time of the committee's creation according to the nature of the study and project 22 undertaken. 23 (e) Members of an ad hoc committee shall be designated as consultants to the 24 full commission. 25 Sec. 44.19.632. Commission for women and girls account. (a) The 26 commission for women and girls account is created in the general fund. The account 27 consists of money appropriated to it and donations and grants to the commission. The 28 commission may expend money in the account for the purposes of AS 44.19.631 29 without further appropriation. 30 Sec. 44.19.633. Definition. In AS 44.19.628 - 44.19.632, "commission" means 31 the Alaska Commission for Women and Girls.
01 * Sec. 2. AS 44.19.608 is repealed. 02 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 03 read: 04 MEETING. The first meeting of the Alaska Commission for Women and Girls shall 05 be convened at the call of the governor following the appointment of all the members of the 06 commission.