00                            SENATE BILL NO. 169                                                                         
01 "An Act relating to special request registration plates celebrating the arts; and relating                              
02 to the Alaska State Council on the Arts."                                                                               
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 28.10.421(a) is amended to read:                                                                   
05            (a)  Unless otherwise provided by law,                                                                       
06                 (1)  the fees prescribed in this section shall be paid to the department at                             
07       the times provided under AS 28.10.108 and 28.10.111; [AND]                                                        
08                 (2)  an additional fee of $10 shall be added to the registration fee set out                            
09       in this section for registration not conducted by mail, on the department's Internet                              
10       website, or at an emissions inspection station or contract office offering vehicle                                
11       registration services; the department may waive this additional fee for a good cause                              
12       based on criteria established in regulations adopted by the department; and                                   
13                 (3)  an additional fee in an amount not to exceed $50 shall be added                                
14       to the registration fee set out in this section for a vehicle registration plate                              

01 celebrating the arts under AS 28.10.161(b)(1)(C); the Alaska State Council on the                                   
02 Arts shall determine the fee required under this paragraph in regulation; the fee                                   
03 shall be collected only on the first issuance and the replacement of the special                                    
04 request plates; the commissioner of administration shall separately account for                                     
05 the fees received under this paragraph that the department deposits in the                                          
06 general fund; notwithstanding (g) of this section, the annual estimated balance in                                  
07 the account that is in excess of the cost of issuing the vehicle registration plate                                 
08 celebrating the arts may be appropriated by the legislature to the Alaska State                                     
09       Council on the Arts.                                                                                          
10    * Sec. 2. AS 44.27 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                     
11 Sec. 44.27.053. Legal counsel. The attorney general is the legal counsel for the                                      
12 council. The attorney general shall advise the council in legal matters arising in the                                  
13 discharge of the council's duties and represent the council in suits to which the council                               
14 is a party. However, the council may retain additional legal counsel as appropriate at                                  
15       the discretion of the board of trustees.                                                                          
16    * Sec. 3. AS 44.27.055(d) is amended to read:                                                                      
17 (d)  The operating budget of the council is subject to AS 37.07 (Executive                                              
18 Budget Act), except that AS 37.07 does not apply to funds received from private                                     
19 nonprofit organizations. In this subsection, "nonprofit" means an organization                                      
20       that is exempt under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).                                                                     
21    * Sec. 4. AS 44.27.080(a) is amended to read:                                                                      
22 (a)  The council may [SHALL] hold a competition every four years to select a                                        
23 design for the vehicle registration plate celebrating the arts under                                                    
24 AS 28.10.161(b)(1)(C). If the council holds a competition, the [THE] council shall                                  
25 select a panel of judges to judge the submissions for the contest and shall include the                                 
26 previous design winner on the panel. The panel shall select the top submissions, and                                    
27 the council shall conduct a public vote to determine the winner of the competition. The                                 
28 council shall use the winning design when consulting with the commissioner of                                           
29       administration under AS 28.10.161(b)(1)(C).                                                                       
30    * Sec. 5. AS 44.27.080 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:                                              
31 (c)  The council may, in consultation with the Department of Administration,                                            

01       recommend an amount to be appropriated from the annual estimated balance in the                                   
02       account under AS 28.10.421(d)(26) to pay an artist for a winning design.