CSSB 39(STA): "An Act relating to voting and elections; relating to voter registration; relating to ballots and a system of tracking and accounting for ballots; relating to retention of election data; designating as a class A misdemeanor the collection of ballots from other voters; designating as a class C felony intentionally opening or tampering with a sealed ballot, certificate, or package of ballots without authorization from the director of the division of elections; designating as a class C felony breaching, hacking, altering, or tampering with election data or ballots; designating as a class B felony election fraud; designating as a class C felony sharing election data results before the close of the polls on election day; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 39(STA) 01 "An Act relating to voting and elections; relating to voter registration; relating to ballots 02 and a system of tracking and accounting for ballots; relating to retention of election 03 data; designating as a class A misdemeanor the collection of ballots from other voters; 04 designating as a class C felony intentionally opening or tampering with a sealed ballot, 05 certificate, or package of ballots without authorization from the director of the division 06 of elections; designating as a class C felony breaching, hacking, altering, or tampering 07 with election data or ballots; designating as a class B felony election fraud; designating 08 as a class C felony sharing election data results before the close of the polls on election 09 day; and providing for an effective date." 10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 11 * Section 1. AS 15.07.060(a) is amended to read: 12 (a) Each applicant who requests registration or reregistration shall supply the
01 following information: 02 (1) the applicant's name and sex; 03 (2) if issued, the applicant's State of Alaska driver's license number or 04 State of Alaska identification card number, or the last four digits of the applicant's 05 social security number; 06 (3) the applicant's date of birth; 07 (4) the applicant's Alaska residence address; 08 (5) a statement of whether the applicant has previously been registered 09 to vote in another jurisdiction, and, if so, the jurisdiction and the address of the 10 previous registration; 11 (6) a declaration that the applicant will be 18 years of age or older 12 within 90 days after the date of registration; 13 (7) a statement [DECLARATION] that the applicant is a citizen of the 14 United States, certified under penalty of perjury as prescribed in AS 09.63.020; 15 (8) the date of application; 16 (9) the applicant's signature or mark; 17 (10) any former name under which the applicant was registered to vote 18 in the state; 19 (11) an attestation that the information provided by the applicant in (1) 20 - (10) of this subsection is true; and 21 (12) a certification that the applicant understands that a false statement 22 on the application may make the applicant subject to prosecution for a misdemeanor 23 under this title or AS 11. 24 * Sec. 2. AS 15.07.060(c) is amended to read: 25 (c) Each applicant who requests registration in person before a registration 26 official shall exhibit one form of identification to the official, including a driver's 27 license, state identification card, current and valid photo identification, birth 28 certificate, tribal identification card, or passport [, OR HUNTING OR FISHING 29 LICENSE]. A registration official who knows the identity of the applicant may waive 30 the identification requirement. 31 * Sec. 3. AS 15.07.060(e) is amended to read:
01 (e) For an applicant requesting initial registration by mail, by a form of 02 [FACSIMILE OR OTHER] electronic transmission approved by the director under 03 AS 15.07.050, or by completing a permanent fund dividend application, the director 04 shall verify the information provided in compliance with (a)(2) and (3) of this section 05 through state agency records described in AS 15.07.055(e). If the applicant cannot 06 comply with the requirement of (a)(2) of this section because the applicant has not 07 been issued any of the listed numbers, the applicant may instead submit a copy of one 08 of the following forms of identification: a driver's license, state identification card, 09 current and valid photo identification, birth certificate, tribal identification card, or 10 passport [, OR HUNTING OR FISHING LICENSE]. 11 * Sec. 4. AS 15.07.070(a) is amended to read: 12 (a) The director 13 (1) shall [MAY] adopt regulations under AS 44.62 (Administrative 14 Procedure Act) relating to the registration of voters consistent with the requirements of 15 this section and federal law, including 42 U.S.C. 1973gg (National Voter Registration 16 Act of 1993); and 17 (2) shall adopt regulations under AS 44.62 (Administrative 18 Procedure Act) providing for 19 (A) the use of the most functional application of distributed 20 ledger technology, which may include blockchain, Hashgraph, DAG, 21 Holochain, or Tempo, to protect election data; 22 (B) development of a voter authentication system that 23 (i) assigns digital multi-factor authentication 24 security identifiers to all registered voters; 25 (ii) ensures a qualitative voter authentication 26 method for voters voting at a location other than a polling place; 27 and 28 (iii) includes an alternative authentication process 29 for voters unable to use digital multi-factor authentication. 30 * Sec. 5. AS 15.07.070(d) is amended to read: 31 (d) Qualified voters may register in person before a registration official or
01 through a voter registration agency at any time throughout the year, except that a 02 person registering within 30 days preceding an election is not eligible to vote at that 03 election. Upon receipt and approval of the registration forms, the director or the 04 election supervisor shall forward to the voter an acknowledgment in the form of a 05 registration card, and the voter's name shall immediately be placed on the master 06 register. The director or election supervisor shall explain to a newly registered 07 voter the process for obtaining the voter's digital multi-factor authentication 08 security identifiers and the process for a voter unable to use digital multi-factor 09 authentication. Names of persons registering 30 or more days before an election shall 10 be placed on the official registration list for that election. 11 * Sec. 6. AS 15.07.070(k) is amended to read: 12 (k) Upon receipt of the registration information, the director shall, as soon as 13 practicable and in accordance with a schedule established by the director by rule, 14 process the registration information received and notify, by United States mail and 15 any other means authorized by the director, each applicant not already registered to 16 vote at the address provided in the applicant's application 17 (1) of the processes to 18 (A) decline to be registered as a voter; 19 (B) maintain an existing voter registration or be newly 20 registered at a valid place of residence not provided in the applicant's 21 application; and 22 (C) adopt a political party affiliation; and 23 (2) that failure to respond to the notification shall constitute the 24 applicant's consent to cancel any registration to vote in another jurisdiction. 25 * Sec. 7. AS 15.07.130 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 26 (g) The division shall use nationally recognized best practices and develop a 27 system of protocols to review voter registration records and update the master register. 28 The protocols must include reviews for deceased voters, persons convicted of a felony 29 involving moral turpitude, persons not qualified to vote under AS 15.05, persons 30 registered to vote in another state, whether the number of registered voters on the 31 master register exceeds the number of eligible voters in the state, and voter registration
01 information data breaches. When reviewing voter registration records, the division 02 shall review available records and databases, which should include United States 03 Postal Service forwarding databases, the Electronic Registration Information Center, 04 the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, motor vehicle records, 05 Department of Corrections records, property and sales tax records, Social Security 06 Administration databases, United States Department of Homeland Security records, 07 jury duty records, Help America Vote Act records, and National Change of Address 08 records. 09 (h) The division shall, in consultation with an external, nationally recognized 10 subject-matter expert, biennially audit the master register. The division shall consider 11 the subject-matter expert's recommendations. By February 1 of each year of a general 12 election, the division shall publish a report describing the most recent biennial audit 13 and expert recommendations, identifying protocols used under (g) of this section, 14 providing election information, including the number of voters on the master register 15 and the total population eligible to vote, and highlighting voting data problems, 16 irregularities, errors, and vulnerabilities identified in the audit. The division shall 17 submit the report to the senate secretary and the chief clerk of the house of 18 representatives and notify the legislature that the report is available on or before the 19 date the report is published. 20 (i) The Department of Law and the division may share the state's master 21 register and voter registration data with other state, municipal, and tribal governments. 22 * Sec. 8. AS 15.07.195(a) is amended to read: 23 (a) The following information set out in state voter registration records is 24 confidential and is not open to public inspection: 25 (1) the voter's age or date of birth; 26 (2) the voter's social security number, or any part of that number; 27 (3) the voter's driver's license number; 28 (4) the voter's voter identification number; 29 (5) the voter's place of birth; 30 (6) the voter's signature; 31 (7) the voter's digital multi-factor authentication security
01 identifiers. 02 * Sec. 9. AS 15.07 is amended by adding a new section to read: 03 Sec. 15.07.205. Process to cancel registration. The director shall develop a 04 process to allow a voter to cancel the voter's registration. The director shall 05 prominently display instructions for a voter to cancel the voter's registration on every 06 ballot envelope and at every polling location. 07 * Sec. 10. AS 15.15.030 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 08 (18) The director shall by regulation adopted under AS 44.62 09 (Administrative Procedure Act) require that an official ballot include a watermark, 10 seal, or other identifier. Unless the director provides for a limited exception in 11 regulation, the division may not count a ballot that does not include the identifier. The 12 division shall, in the report published under AS 15.07.130(h), identify the limited 13 exceptions provided by the director. 14 * Sec. 11. AS 15.15.032(b) is amended to read: 15 (b) Software for voting by use of electronically generated ballots must 16 [SHALL] be 17 (1) open-source; 18 (2) developed entirely in the United States by a company 19 beneficially owned by residents of the United States using routers and servers in 20 the United States and best practice cyber security; and 21 (3) tested and certified under AS 15.20.900. 22 * Sec. 12. AS 15.15.032 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 23 (d) If the director provides for voting by use of electronically generated 24 ballots, the director shall provide for the use of digital multi-factor authentication to 25 ensure sufficient chain-of-custody protections. 26 * Sec. 13. AS 15.15 is amended by adding a new section to read: 27 Sec. 15.15.055. Ballot security and chain of custody. (a) The director shall 28 provide by regulation for a system for ballot security and chain of custody to account 29 for the original of each used and unused ballot, absentee ballot certificate and 30 envelope, and the paper record of an electronically generated ballot under 31 AS 15.15.032 through a redundant, secure, and sealed system that accounts for the
01 location and entity that has custody of a ballot or record from the time the ballot is 02 printed or paper record produced, until 22 months after the applicable election is 03 certified under AS 15.15.450. The system must include digital multi-factor 04 authentication to access voter data and verify voter identity and, for each ballot that 05 leaves the division's immediate custody, an envelope-based barcode or other 06 mechanism sufficient to account for ballot chain of custody at all times the ballot is 07 outside division custody. The division shall continually update the system adopted 08 under this section to ensure that state election practices and procedures are consistent 09 with best practices and procedures and protect the integrity of state elections held 10 under this title. 11 (b) The system established in (a) of this section must provide that 12 (1) each ballot, absentee ballot certificate and envelope, and paper 13 record of an electronically generated ballot under AS 15.15.032 for an election is 14 accounted for at all times through a chain-of-custody protocol; 15 (2) each ballot, absentee ballot certificate and envelope, and paper 16 record of an electronically generated ballot under AS 15.15.032 for an election is 17 returned to a single point of receipt at a designated division location; 18 (3) immediately after the polls close, digital reports from an electronic 19 voting machine are printed in paper form and accounted for under this section; 20 (4) each voting machine or ballot tabulator is disconnected from the 21 Internet for a period beginning 24 hours before the polls open on the day of an election 22 and ending after the division has 23 (A) transferred all election data from the machine or tabulator 24 onto not fewer than two separate secure electronic storage devices; and 25 (B) uploaded the data from one of the electronic storage 26 devices to a master server protected by the most functional application of 27 distributed ledger technology, which may include blockchain, Hashgraph, 28 DAG, Holochain, or Tempo; 29 (5) an electronic storage device containing election data is retained for 30 22 months, as required under AS 15.15.470. 31 (c) Before certifying an election under AS 15.15.450, the director shall
01 account for the original of each used or unused ballot, absentee ballot certificate and 02 envelope, and the paper record of an electronically generated ballot under 03 AS 15.15.032. If unable to account for each ballot, the director shall provide to the 04 attorney general, the lieutenant governor, the senate president, the speaker of the house 05 of representatives, each affected candidate, each affected organization or organized 06 group that sponsors or opposes an initiative, referendum, or recall, and the public a 07 detailed description explaining why the ballots did not reconcile. The state ballot 08 counting review board shall audit and certify the ballot accounting under this 09 subsection in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. When the 10 director is unable to account for each ballot, the director may not certify an election 11 under AS 15.15.450 unless the director has disclosed the detailed description 12 explaining why the ballots did not reconcile. 13 (d) If, under the system established in (a) of this section, the original of a used 14 or unused ballot, absentee ballot certificate and envelope, or the paper record of an 15 electronically generated ballot under AS 15.15.032 is not accounted for, there is a 16 break in the scheduled chain of custody, there is a lapse in system security, or the 17 director has reason to anticipate a break in the scheduled chain of custody or lapse in 18 system security before an election is certified under AS 15.15.450, the director shall 19 notify the attorney general, the lieutenant governor, the senate president, the speaker 20 of the house of representatives, each affected candidate, each affected organization or 21 organized group that sponsors or opposes an initiative, referendum, or recall, and the 22 public. The director shall provide an affected candidate or affected organization or 23 organized group a minimum of 24 hours' notice to appoint a watcher under 24 AS 15.10.170 and ensure the watcher is present before any further ballots in the 25 election are counted or collected. 26 (e) The director shall by regulation adopted under AS 44.62 (Administrative 27 Procedure Act) develop a process to, following the closing of the polls, void all 28 unused ballots, spoiled ballots, and unopened packs of ballots without mutilating or 29 destroying the forensic integrity of the unused ballots, spoiled ballots, or unopened 30 packs of ballots. 31 (f) An election official or watcher who has reasonable cause to believe that a
01 voting machine, election ballot, physical or digital record, certificate, or package of 02 ballots has been opened or otherwise tampered with, or that another irregularity 03 relating to election materials has occurred, shall immediately notify the director and 04 call for an inspection of the affected election materials following the closing of the 05 polls. If an election official or watcher at a precinct calls for an inspection under this 06 subsection, the director shall require an inspection of the affected election materials 07 before the materials are returned under AS 15.15.370. 08 * Sec. 14. AS 15.15.210 is amended to read: 09 Sec. 15.15.210. Questioning of voter [VOTERS OF SUSPECT] 10 qualification. Every election official, [SHALL QUESTION, AND EVERY] watcher, 11 and any other person qualified to vote in the precinct may question [,] a person 12 attempting to vote if the person attempting to vote has also received an absentee 13 ballot or if the questioner has good reason to suspect that the questioned person is not 14 qualified under AS 15.05. All questions regarding a person's qualifications to vote 15 shall be made in writing setting out the reason the person has been questioned. A 16 questioned person shall, before voting, subscribe to a declaration in a form provided 17 by the director attesting to the fact that in each particular the person meets all the 18 qualifications of a voter, is not disqualified, and has not voted at the same election, 19 and certifying that the person understands that a false statement on the declaration may 20 subject the person to prosecution for a felony [MISDEMEANOR] under this title or 21 AS 11. After the questioned person has executed the declaration, the person may vote. 22 If the questioned person refuses to execute the declaration, the person may not vote. 23 * Sec. 15. AS 15.15.215(a) is amended to read: 24 (a) A voter who casts a questioned ballot shall vote the ballot in the same 25 manner as prescribed for other voters. The voter shall insert the ballot into a secrecy 26 sleeve and put the secrecy sleeve into an envelope on which the statement the voter 27 previously signed is located. Unless the voter is unable to use digital multi-factor 28 authentication, the voter shall provide the voter's digital multi-factor 29 authentication security identifiers. The envelope shall be sealed and deposited in the 30 ballot box. When the ballot box is opened, the envelopes shall be segregated, counted, 31 compared to the voting list, and delivered to the official or body supervising the
01 election. The merits of the question shall be determined by this official or body in 02 accordance with the procedure prescribed for questioned votes in AS 15.20.207. 03 * Sec. 16. AS 15.15.225(a) is amended to read: 04 (a) Before being allowed to vote, each voter shall exhibit to an election official 05 (1) one form of identification, including 06 (A) [(1)] an official voter registration card, driver's license, 07 state identification card, current and valid photo identification, birth certificate, 08 tribal identification card, or passport [, OR HUNTING OR FISHING 09 LICENSE]; or 10 (B) [(2)] an original or a copy of a current utility bill, bank 11 statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document; an 12 item exhibited under this paragraph must show the name and current address of 13 the voter; and 14 (2) the voter's digital multi-factor authentication security 15 identifiers, unless the voter is unable to use digital multi-factor authentication. 16 * Sec. 17. AS 15.15.250 is amended to read: 17 Sec. 15.15.250. Spoiled ballots [DISPOSITION OF SPOILED BALLOT]. 18 If a voter improperly marks, damages, or otherwise spoils a ballot, the voter may 19 request and the election board shall provide another ballot, with a maximum of two 20 [THREE]. The board shall record on the precinct register that there was a spoiled 21 ballot, mark or punch the spoiled ballot as void while maintaining chain-of- 22 custody protocols, and seal [DESTROY] the spoiled ballot immediately without 23 examining it. 24 * Sec. 18. AS 15.15.250 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 25 (b) The director may prescribe a mechanism to mark or punch a spoiled ballot 26 as void that preserves the forensic value of the ballot. 27 * Sec. 19. AS 15.15.300 is amended to read: 28 Sec. 15.15.300. Prohibiting the count of exhibited ballots. An election 29 official may not allow a ballot to be placed in the ballot box that the official knows to 30 have been unlawfully exhibited by the voter. A ballot unlawfully exhibited shall be 31 recorded as a spoiled ballot and marked or punched as void, maintaining chain-of-
01 custody protocols [DESTROYED]. 02 * Sec. 20. AS 15.15.350(a) is amended to read: 03 (a) The director shall [MAY] adopt regulations prescribing the manner in 04 which the precinct ballot count is accomplished so as to ensure accuracy in the count 05 and to expedite the process. The election board shall account for all ballots by 06 completing a ballot statement containing (1) the number of official ballots received; 07 (2) the number of official ballots voted; (3) the number of official ballots spoiled; (4) 08 the number of official ballots unused and [EITHER DESTROYED OR] returned 09 [FOR DESTRUCTION] to the elections supervisor or the election supervisor's 10 designee. The board shall count the number of questioned ballots and compare that 11 number to the number of questioned voters in the register. Discrepancies shall be 12 noted and the numbers included in the certificate prescribed by AS 15.15.370. The 13 election board, in hand-count precincts, shall count the ballots in a manner that allows 14 watchers to see the ballots when opened and read. A person handling the ballot after it 15 has been taken from the ballot box and before it is placed in the envelope for mailing 16 may not have a marking device in hand or remove a ballot from the immediate vicinity 17 of the polls. 18 * Sec. 21. AS 15.15 is amended by adding a new section to read: 19 Sec. 15.15.374. Voter qualification system. The director shall adopt 20 regulations to maintain an accurate master register and create a best practices 21 qualification system. If a voter's vote is not counted because the voter is not qualified 22 under AS 15.05.010(3), the director shall notify the voter immediately by reasonably 23 available means. The director shall investigate to determine whether the voter 24 knowingly violated AS 11.56.210(a) or another provision of law when registering to 25 vote or applying for an absentee ballot, and shall refer such a voter to law 26 enforcement. A voter shall be given a reasonable opportunity to validate the voter's 27 voting eligibility if it is in question and may authenticate the voter's vote by 5:00 p.m. 28 on the third day after election day. 29 * Sec. 22. AS 15.15.450 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 30 (b) The director or lieutenant governor may not certify the results of an 31 election under (a) of this section
01 (1) until each original ballot and paper record is accounted for under 02 AS 15.15.055(c); or 03 (2) if an accounting irregularity cannot be reconciled and a ballot is not 04 accounted for, until the lieutenant governor 05 (A) refers the irregularity to the attorney general; 06 (B) informs affected candidates and sponsors, the president of 07 the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives; and 08 (C) provides public notice of the irregularities. 09 * Sec. 23. AS 15.15.470 is amended to read: 10 Sec. 15.15.470. Preservation and destruction of election ballots, papers, 11 and materials. The director shall preserve all precinct election certificates, tallies, 12 election data on an electronic storage device, and registers for 22 months [FOUR 13 YEARS] after the election. All ballots and stubs for elections [OTHER THAN 14 NATIONAL ELECTIONS] may be destroyed 22 months [30 DAYS] after the 15 certification of the state ballot counting review unless an application for recount has 16 been filed and not completed, or unless their destruction is stayed by an order of the 17 court. All ballots for national elections may be destroyed in accordance with federal 18 law, including 52 U.S.C. sec. 20701. The director may permit the inspection of 19 election materials upon call by the Congress, the state legislature, or a court of 20 competent jurisdiction. The original used and unused ballots and absentee ballot 21 certificates and envelopes and the paper records of electronically generated 22 ballots under AS 15.15.032 must be destroyed at a location designated by the 23 division. The division may designate up to two destruction locations, one in the 24 southcentral region and one in the southeast region of the state. The director or 25 the director's designee shall witness the destruction. The director shall then 26 certify before a notary public that the ballots, absentee ballot certificates and 27 envelopes, and paper records have been destroyed. 28 * Sec. 24. AS 15.15 is amended by adding a new section to read: 29 Sec. 15.15.490. Division support of municipal election. The division shall 30 support a municipal election by providing data, including equipment or the official 31 registration list, unless the municipality
01 (1) uses a system, approved by the director, that requires sufficient 02 digital or nondigital multi-factor authentication and ballot chain-of-custody protocols; 03 (2) agrees to submit any data update or change to the director for 04 approval; 05 (3) does not forward ballots or election information when a voter no 06 longer resides at an address; 07 (4) implements protocols, approved by the director, to update voter 08 registration records; and 09 (5) does not allow a ballot received after the day of the election that is 10 not postmarked or is postmarked after the day of the election to be counted, unless the 11 ballot envelope is marked with a United States Postal Service tracking barcode 12 sufficient to verify that the ballot was mailed on or before the day of the election. 13 * Sec. 25. AS 15.20.061(c) is amended to read: 14 (c) Upon [ON] receipt of an absentee ballot in person, the voter shall proceed 15 to mark the ballot in secret, to provide the voter's digital multi-factor 16 authentication security identifiers, unless the voter is unable to use digital multi- 17 factor authentication, to place the ballot in the secrecy sleeve, to place the secrecy 18 sleeve in the envelope provided, and to sign the voter's certificate on the envelope in 19 the presence of the election official who shall sign as attesting official and date that 20 signature. The election official shall then accept the ballot. 21 * Sec. 26. AS 15.20.066(b) is amended to read: 22 (b) An absentee ballot that is completed and returned by the voter by 23 electronic transmission must 24 (1) contain the following statement: "I understand that, by using 25 electronic transmission to return my marked ballot, I am voluntarily waiving a portion 26 of my right to a secret ballot to the extent necessary to process my ballot, but expect 27 that my vote will be held as confidential as possible," followed by the voter's signature 28 and date of signature; [AND] 29 (2) be accompanied by a statement executed under oath as to the 30 voter's identity; the statement under oath must be witnessed and certified by 31 (A) a commissioned or noncommissioned officer of the armed
01 forces of the United States; 02 (B) an official authorized by federal law or the law of the state 03 in which the absentee ballot is cast to administer an oath; or 04 (C) an individual who is 18 years of age or older, if an 05 individual under (A) or (B) of this paragraph is not available and the 06 voter provides a statement certified, as prescribed in AS 09.63.020, under 07 penalty of perjury, indicating that none of the officials is available; and 08 (3) include the voter's digital multi-factor authentication security 09 identifiers, unless the voter is unable to use digital multi-factor authentication. 10 * Sec. 27. AS 15.20 is amended by adding a new section to read: 11 Sec. 15.20.068. Application for absentee ballot. The division shall provide an 12 absentee ballot application by mail when an eligible voter expressly requests an 13 application. An application may be sent to a voter only by United States mail and only 14 by the division, an officially registered candidate, a recognized political party, or a 15 group sponsoring a ballot measure. An application must prominently display who sent 16 the application and prominently display "Application only/Not a ballot" on the exterior 17 address side of the envelope. 18 * Sec. 28. AS 15.20.081(a) is amended to read: 19 (a) A qualified voter may apply in person, by mail, by electronic mail, or by 20 facsimile, scanning, or other electronic transmission to the director for an absentee 21 ballot under this section. Another individual may apply for an absentee ballot on 22 behalf of a qualified voter if that individual is designated to act on behalf of the voter 23 in a written general power of attorney or a written special power of attorney that 24 authorizes the other individual to apply for an absentee ballot on behalf of the voter. 25 The application must include the address or, if the application requests delivery of an 26 absentee ballot by electronic transmission, the [TELEPHONE] electronic mail 27 address [TRANSMISSION NUMBER,] to which the absentee ballot is to be returned, 28 the applicant's full Alaska residence address, [AND] the applicant's signature, and, 29 unless the voter is unable to use digital multi-factor authentication, digital multi- 30 factor authentication security identifiers to verify the identity of the qualified 31 voter. However, a person residing outside the United States and applying to vote
01 absentee in federal elections in accordance with AS 15.05.011 shall provide a 02 physical residence address and electronic or telephone contact information 03 [NEED NOT INCLUDE AN ALASKA RESIDENCE ADDRESS IN THE 04 APPLICATION]. A person may supply to a voter an absentee ballot application form 05 with a political party or group affiliation indicated only if the voter is already 06 registered as affiliated with the political party or group indicated. The application must 07 be made on a form prescribed or approved by the director. The voter or registration 08 official shall submit the application directly to the division of elections. For purposes 09 of this subsection, "directly to the division of elections" means that an application may 10 not be submitted to any intermediary that could control or delay the submission of the 11 application to the division or gather data on the applicant from the application form. 12 However, nothing in this subsection is intended to prohibit a voter from giving a 13 completed absentee ballot application to a friend, relative, or associate for transfer to 14 the United States Postal Service or a private commercial delivery service for delivery 15 to the division. 16 * Sec. 29. AS 15.20.081(b) is amended to read: 17 (b) An application requesting delivery of an absentee ballot to the applicant by 18 mail must be received by the division of elections not less than 14 [10] days before the 19 election for which the absentee ballot is sought. An application for an absentee ballot 20 for a state election from a qualified voter requesting delivery of an absentee ballot to 21 the applicant by electronic transmission must be received by the division of elections 22 not later than 5:00 p.m. Alaska time on the day before the election for which the 23 absentee ballot is sought. An absentee ballot application submitted by mail under this 24 section must permit the person to register to vote under AS 15.07.070 and to request 25 an absentee ballot for each state election held within that calendar year for which the 26 voter is eligible to vote. An absentee ballot application submitted by electronic 27 transmission under this section may not include a provision that permits a person to 28 register to vote under AS 15.07.070. 29 * Sec. 30. AS 15.20.081(d) is amended to read: 30 (d) Upon receipt of an absentee ballot by mail, the voter, in the presence of 31 and after providing sufficient identification to a notary public, commissioned
01 officer of the armed forces [INCLUDING THE NATIONAL GUARD], district judge 02 or magistrate, United States postal official, registration official, or other person 03 qualified to administer oaths, may proceed to mark the ballot in secret, to place the 04 ballot in the secrecy sleeve, to place the secrecy sleeve in the envelope provided, to 05 provide, unless the voter is unable to use digital multi-factor authentication, the 06 voter's digital multi-factor authentication security identifiers, and to sign the 07 voter's certificate on the envelope in the presence of an official listed in this subsection 08 who shall sign as attesting official and shall date the signature. If none of the officials 09 listed in this subsection is reasonably accessible, an absentee voter shall provide a 10 written statement on the voter's certificate indicating that none of the officials is 11 available, certify, as prescribed in AS 09.63.020, under penalty of perjury, that 12 the statements in the voter's certificate are true, and sign the voter's certificate in 13 the presence of an individual who is 18 years of age or older, who shall sign as a 14 witness. The witness shall provide a written statement on the voter's certificate 15 indicating that none of the officials listed is available, certify, as prescribed in 16 AS 09.63.020, under penalty of perjury, that the voter is known to the individual 17 and that none of the officials listed is available, and attest to the date on which the 18 voter signed the certificate in the individual's presence [, AND, IN ADDITION, THE 19 VOTER SHALL CERTIFY, AS PRESCRIBED IN AS 09.63.020, UNDER 20 PENALTY OF PERJURY, THAT THE STATEMENTS IN THE VOTER'S 21 CERTIFICATION ARE TRUE]. The division may not count a ballot that is not 22 signed by an official unless the ballot includes a voter's certificate providing the 23 written statements and certifications. The voter and attesting official or witness 24 shall legibly print their name, physical address, mailing address, and digital or 25 telephone contact information on the space provided on the voter's certificate. 26 * Sec. 31. AS 15.20.081(e) is amended to read: 27 (e) An absentee ballot must be marked on or before the date of the election. 28 Except as provided in (h) of this section, a voter who returns the absentee ballot by 29 mail, whether provided to the voter by mail or by electronic transmission, shall use a 30 mail service at least equal to first class and mail the ballot not later than the day of the 31 election to the election supervisor for the house district in which the voter seeks to
01 vote. Except as provided in AS 15.20.480, the ballot may not be counted unless it is 02 received by the close of business on the seventh [10TH] day after the election. [IF 03 THE BALLOT IS POSTMARKED, IT MUST BE POSTMARKED ON OR BEFORE 04 ELECTION DAY.] After the day of the election, ballots may not be accepted unless 05 received by mail. A ballot received after the day of the election that is not 06 postmarked or is postmarked after the day of the election may not be accepted 07 unless the ballot envelope is marked with a United States Postal Service tracking 08 barcode sufficient to verify that the ballot was mailed on or before the day of the 09 election. 10 * Sec. 32. AS 15.20.081(f) is amended to read: 11 (f) The director shall require a voter casting an absentee ballot by mail to 12 provide proof of identification or other information to aid in the establishment of the 13 voter's identity, including, unless the voter is unable to use digital multi-factor 14 authentication, the voter's digital multi-factor authentication security identifiers 15 as prescribed by regulations adopted under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act). 16 If the voter is a first-time voter who initially registered by mail or by facsimile or other 17 electronic transmission approved by the director under AS 15.07.050 and has not met 18 the identification requirements set out in AS 15.07.060, the voter must provide one of 19 the following forms of proof of identification: 20 (1) a copy of a driver's license, state identification card, current and 21 valid photo identification, birth certificate, tribal identification card, or passport [, 22 OR HUNTING OR FISHING LICENSE]; or 23 (2) a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, 24 government check, or other government document; an item provided under this 25 paragraph must show the name and current address of the voter. 26 * Sec. 33. AS 15.20.081 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 27 (m) An absentee ballot application must include an option for a qualified voter 28 to choose to receive absentee ballots by mail for future regularly scheduled state 29 elections. The division may not require a voter who chooses this option to reapply for 30 an absentee ballot by mail unless 31 (1) the voter has not voted an absentee ballot for a period of four years;
01 or 02 (2) the voter's previous absentee ballot sent under this section was 03 returned to the division as undeliverable. 04 * Sec. 34. AS 15.20.201(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) Not [NO] less than seven days preceding the day of election, the election 06 supervisor, in the presence and with the assistance of the district absentee ballot 07 counting board, shall review all voter certificates and envelopes of absentee ballots 08 received by that date. The review of absentee ballots shall continue at times designated 09 by the election supervisor until completed. 10 * Sec. 35. AS 15.20.201(b) is amended to read: 11 (b) Counting of absentee ballots that have been reviewed shall begin not 12 fewer than seven days preceding [AT 8:00 P.M., LOCAL TIME, ON] the day of the 13 election at places designated by each election supervisor and shall continue until all 14 absentee ballots reviewed and eligible for counting have been counted. The counting 15 teams shall report the first count of absentee ballots to the district absentee ballot 16 counting board not later than [. AN ELECTION SUPERVISOR OR AN ELECTION 17 OFFICIAL MAY NOT COUNT ABSENTEE BALLOTS BEFORE] 8:00 p.m., local 18 time, on the day of the election. Counting of the absentee ballots shall continue at 19 times designated by the election supervisor until all absentee ballots are counted. 20 * Sec. 36. AS 15.20.203(b) is amended to read: 21 (b) An absentee ballot may not be counted if 22 (1) the voter has failed to properly execute the certificate; 23 (2) an official or the witnesses authorized by law to attest the voter's 24 certificate fail to execute the certificate, except that an absentee ballot cast in person 25 and accepted by an absentee voting official or election supervisor may be counted 26 despite failure of the absentee voting official or election supervisor to properly sign 27 and date the voter's certificate as attesting official as required under AS 15.20.061(c); 28 (3) the ballot is not attested on or before the date of the election; 29 (4) the ballot envelope, if delivered by mail after the day of the 30 election [POSTMARKED], 31 (A) is not postmarked on or before the date of the election; or
01 (B) does not have a United States Postal Service tracking 02 barcode sufficient to verify that the ballot was mailed on or before the day 03 of the election; 04 (5) after the day of election, the ballot was delivered by a means other 05 than mail; [OR] 06 (6) the voter voted 07 (A) in person and is a 08 (i) first-time voter who initially registered by mail or by 09 facsimile or other electronic transmission approved by the director 10 under AS 15.07.050, has not provided the identification required by 11 AS 15.15.225(a), was not eligible for waiver of the identification 12 requirement under AS 15.15.225(b), and has not provided the 13 identifiers required in AS 15.07.060(a)(2) and (3) that can be verified 14 through state agency records described in AS 15.07.055(e); or 15 (ii) voter other than one described in (i) of this 16 subparagraph, did not provide identification described in 17 AS 15.15.225(a), was not personally known by the election official, 18 and has not provided the identifiers required in AS 15.07.060(a)(2) and 19 (3); or 20 (B) by mail or electronic transmission, is a first-time voter who 21 initially registered by mail or by facsimile or other electronic transmission 22 approved by the director under AS 15.07.050 to vote, has not met the 23 identification requirements set out in AS 15.07.060, and does not submit with 24 the ballot a copy of a 25 (i) driver's license, state identification card, current and 26 valid photo identification, birth certificate, tribal identification card, 27 or passport [, OR HUNTING OR FISHING LICENSE]; or 28 (ii) current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, 29 government check, or other government document; an item described 30 in this sub-subparagraph must show the name and current address of 31 the voter;
01 (7) the voter's certificate is not signed by a notary public, 02 commissioned officer of the armed forces, judge or magistrate, United States 03 postal official, registration official, or other person qualified to administer oaths, 04 and the voter does not provide a written statement on the voter's certificate 05 indicating that none of the listed officials was available; 06 (8) the voter voted in person on the day of the election at a polling 07 place and also voted an absentee ballot; or 08 (9) the voter is able to use digital multi-factor authentication and 09 has not provided the voter's digital multi-factor authentication security 10 identifiers. 11 * Sec. 37. AS 15.20.203(e) is amended to read: 12 (e) If an absentee ballot is not rejected, the envelope shall be opened and the 13 secrecy sleeve containing the absentee ballot shall be placed in a container and mixed 14 with other secrecy sleeves. The ballot may not be separated from the envelope 15 before the division determines that the voter is qualified to vote and has not voted 16 more than one time in the election. 17 * Sec. 38. AS 15.20.203(i) is amended to read: 18 (i) The director shall immediately make a reasonable effort to contact each 19 absentee voter whose absentee ballot has been rejected under this section, explain 20 why the ballot has been rejected and how it may be cured, and mail the materials 21 described in (h) of this section to the voter [NOT LATER THAN 22 (1) 10 DAYS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE REVIEW OF 23 BALLOTS BY THE STATE REVIEW BOARD FOR A PRIMARY ELECTION OR 24 A SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION UNDER AS 15.40.140; 25 (2) 60 DAYS AFTER CERTIFICATION OF THE RESULTS OF A 26 GENERAL ELECTION OR SPECIAL ELECTION OTHER THAN A SPECIAL 27 PRIMARY ELECTION DESCRIBED IN (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION]. The 28 director shall provide an absentee voter whose ballot is rejected under this 29 section a reasonable opportunity, until 5:00 p.m. on the third day after election 30 day, to cure a rejected ballot. 31 * Sec. 39. AS 15.20.203 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
01 (k) If, under (b)(8) of this section, a voter's absentee ballot is not counted and 02 the director determines that the voter did not intend to have two votes counted, the 03 division shall count the voter's in-person ballot. 04 * Sec. 40. AS 15.20.207(b) is amended to read: 05 (b) A questioned ballot may not be counted if the voter 06 (1) has failed to properly execute the certificate; 07 (2) is a first-time voter who initially registered by mail or by facsimile 08 or other electronic transmission approved by the director under AS 15.07.050, has not 09 provided the identification required by AS 15.15.225(a), was not eligible for waiver of 10 the identification requirement under AS 15.15.225(b), and has not provided the 11 identifiers required in AS 15.07.060(a)(2) and (3) that can be verified through state 12 agency records described in AS 15.07.055(e); [OR] 13 (3) is a voter other than one described in (2) of this subsection, did not 14 provide identification described in AS 15.15.225(a), was not personally known by the 15 election official, and has not provided the identifiers required in AS 15.07.060(a)(2) 16 and (3); or 17 (4) is able to use digital multi-factor authentication and has not 18 provided the voter's digital multi-factor authentication security identifiers. 19 * Sec. 41. AS 15.20.207(i) is amended to read: 20 (i) The director shall immediately make a reasonable effort to contact each 21 voter whose questioned ballot has been rejected under this section, explain why 22 the ballot has been rejected and how it may be cured, and mail the materials 23 described in (h) of this section to the voter [NOT LATER THAN 24 (1) 10 DAYS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE REVIEW OF 25 BALLOTS BY THE STATE REVIEW BOARD FOR A PRIMARY ELECTION OR 26 A SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION UNDER AS 15.40.140; 27 (2) 60 DAYS AFTER CERTIFICATION OF THE RESULTS OF A 28 GENERAL OR SPECIAL ELECTION, OTHER THAN A SPECIAL PRIMARY 29 ELECTION DESCRIBED IN (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION]. The director shall 30 provide a voter whose ballot is rejected under this section a reasonable 31 opportunity, until 5:00 p.m. on the third day after election day, to cure a rejected
01 ballot. 02 * Sec. 42. AS 15.20.220(a) is amended to read: 03 (a) When the director and appointed party representatives have completed the 04 review of ballots cast at the voting precincts, they shall proceed to review the absentee 05 and questioned ballot votes certified by the district counting boards. The review of the 06 absentee and questioned ballot vote certified by the district counting boards shall be 07 accomplished by reviewing the tallies of the recorded vote to check for mathematical 08 error, comparing the identifier data on each ballot and envelope to ensure that 09 each voter has voted only once in the election, and [BY] comparing the totals with 10 the election certificate of results. 11 * Sec. 43. AS 15.20.540 is amended to read: 12 Sec. 15.20.540. Grounds for election contest. A defeated candidate or 10 13 qualified voters may contest the nomination or election of any person or the approval 14 or rejection of any question or proposition upon one or more of the following grounds: 15 (1) malconduct, fraud, or corruption on the part of an election official 16 sufficient to change the result of the election; 17 (2) when the person certified as elected or nominated is not qualified 18 as required by law; 19 (3) any corrupt practice as defined by law sufficient to change the 20 results of the election; 21 (4) a breach of voter registration data that reveals voters' digital 22 multi-factor authentication or other security identifiers sufficient to change the 23 results of an election; 24 (5) ballot accounting irregularities sufficient to change the results 25 of an election. 26 * Sec. 44. AS 15.20.540 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 27 (b) The division's failure to contact an absentee voter whose ballot is rejected 28 under AS 15.20.203 or a voter whose questioned ballot is rejected under AS 15.20.207 29 is not grounds to contest an election. 30 * Sec. 45. AS 15.20.800(a) is amended to read: 31 (a) The director may conduct an election by mail
01 (1) in an unorganized community with a population of 750 or less 02 if the director determines that facilitating organized in-person voting in the 03 community is unreasonable; 04 (2) in a second class city with a population of 1,000 or less, upon 05 the governing body's request; 06 (3) in a second class borough with a population of 3,000 or less, 07 upon the governing body's request; 08 (4) in an area affected or threatened by a disaster while a disaster 09 declaration under AS 26.23.020 is in effect if the governor declares the emergency 10 because of 11 (A) an incident described in AS 26.23.900(2)(A); 12 (B) an outbreak of disease or a credible threat of an 13 imminent outbreak of disease; or 14 (C) an enemy or terrorist attack or a credible threat of an 15 imminent enemy or terrorist attack; or 16 (5) if it is held at a time other than when the general, party primary, or 17 municipal election is held. 18 * Sec. 46. AS 15.20.800(b) is amended to read: 19 (b) If the director conducts an election under (a) of this section by mail, the 20 director shall send a ballot for each election described in (a) of this section to each 21 person whose name appears on the official registration list prepared under 22 AS 15.07.125 for that election. Before conducting an election by mail, the director 23 shall update the master register and adopt a system protected by the most 24 functional application of distributed ledger technology, which may include 25 blockchain, Hashgraph, DAG, Holochain, or Tempo, that provides for strict 26 digital multi-factor authentication and ballot chain-of-custody protocols. The 27 director shall send ballots by first class, nonforwardable mail. The ballot shall be sent 28 to the address stated on the official registration list unless 29 (1) the voter has notified the director or an election supervisor of a 30 different address to which the ballot should be sent; or 31 (2) the address on the official registration list has been identified as
01 being an undeliverable address. 02 * Sec. 47. AS 15.20.900 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 03 (c) The division shall conduct a routine forensic examination of each precinct 04 tabulator before and after each election. 05 (d) Precinct tabulators may not be connected to the Internet from 24 hours 06 before the polls open on election day until 14 days after the polls close. During this 07 time, all tabulator data shall be loaded from the tabulator onto a separate storage 08 device and transmitted from a computer that is not connected to the tabulator. 09 (e) The division shall develop and apply strict chain-of-custody protocols for 10 precinct tabulators. 11 * Sec. 48. AS 15.56.035(a) is amended to read: 12 (a) A person commits the crime of unlawful interference with voting in the 13 second degree if the person 14 (1) has an official ballot in possession outside of the voting room 15 unless the person is an election official or other person authorized by law or local 16 ordinance, or by the director or chief municipal elections official in a local election; 17 (2) makes, or knowingly has in possession, a counterfeit of an official 18 election ballot; 19 (3) knowingly solicits or encourages, directly or indirectly, a registered 20 voter who is no longer qualified to vote under AS 15.05.010, to vote in an election; 21 (4) as a registration official 22 (A) knowingly refuses to register a person who is entitled to 23 register under AS 15.07.030; or 24 (B) accepts a fee from an applicant applying for registration; 25 (5) violates AS 15.20.081(a) by knowingly supplying or encouraging 26 or assisting another person to supply to a voter an absentee ballot application form 27 with a political party or group affiliation indicated if the voter is not already registered 28 as affiliated with that political party or group; 29 (6) knowingly designs, marks, or encourages or assists another person 30 to design or mark an absentee ballot application in a manner that suggests choice of 31 one ballot over another as prohibited by AS 15.20.081(a); [OR]
01 (7) knowingly submits or encourages or assists another person to 02 submit an absentee ballot application to an intermediary who could control or delay 03 the submission of the application to the division of elections or who could gather data 04 from the application form as prohibited by AS 15.20.081(a); or 05 (8) knowingly collects a ballot from a voter unless 06 (A) the voter expressly requested that the person collect the 07 ballot; 08 (B) the person did not solicit the ballot; and 09 (C) the person did not collect more than six ballots voted in 10 a single election. 11 * Sec. 49. AS 15.56.035 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 12 (d) In this section, "collects" means the action of gaining possession or control 13 of a ballot. 14 * Sec. 50. AS 15.56.040(a) is amended to read: 15 (a) A person commits the crime of voter misconduct in the first degree if the 16 person 17 (1) votes or attempts to vote in the name of another person, including 18 another person who is cognitively unable to express their vote, or in a name other 19 than the person's own; 20 (2) votes or attempts to vote more than once at the same election with 21 the intent that the person's vote be counted more than once; 22 (3) intentionally makes a false affidavit, swears falsely, or falsely 23 affirms under an oath required by this title; 24 (4) knowingly votes or solicits a person to vote after the polls are 25 closed with the intent that the vote be counted. 26 * Sec. 51. AS 15.56.060(a) is amended to read: 27 (a) A person commits the crime of unlawful interference with an election if 28 the person 29 (1) induces or attempts to induce an election official to fail in the 30 official's duty by force, threat, intimidation, or offers of reward; 31 (2) intentionally changes, attempts to change, or causes to be changed
01 an official election document including ballots, tallies, and returns; 02 (3) intentionally delays, attempts to delay, or causes to be delayed the 03 sending of the certificate, register, ballots, or other materials whether original or 04 duplicate, required to be sent by AS 15.15.370; [OR] 05 (4) intentionally opens or tampers with a sealed absentee ballot 06 certificate, absentee ballot envelope, or package of ballots without express 07 authorization from the director; 08 (5) intentionally breaches, hacks, alters, or tampers with election 09 machinery, including a tabulator machine, a program, a system, a server, or 10 software used to verify identity, count, or tabulate, or manage or control any 11 election function; or 12 (6) is contracted or employed by the state to print or reproduce in any 13 manner an official ballot, and the person knowingly 14 (A) personally appropriates, or gives or delivers to, or permits 15 to be taken by anyone other than a person authorized by the director, official 16 ballots; or 17 (B) prints or reproduces or has printed or reproduced official 18 ballots in a form or with a content other than that prescribed by law or as 19 directed by the director. 20 * Sec. 52. AS 15.56 is amended by adding a new section to read: 21 Sec. 15.56.065. Election fraud. (a) A person commits the crime of election 22 fraud if the person violates AS 15.56.060 and causes the outcome of an election to 23 change. 24 (b) Election fraud is a class B felony. 25 * Sec. 53. AS 15.56.070(a) is amended to read: 26 (a) A person commits the crime of election official misconduct in the first 27 degree if while an election official, the person 28 (1) intentionally fails to perform an election duty or knowingly does an 29 unauthorized act with the intent to affect an election or its results; 30 (2) knowingly permits or makes or attempts to make a false count of 31 election returns; [OR]
01 (3) intentionally conceals, withholds, destroys, or attempts to conceal, 02 withhold, or destroy election returns; or 03 (4) knowingly discloses, shares, or reports, to a person who is not 04 an election official, election results, returns, or any confidential election data 05 before the polls close on election day. 06 * Sec. 54. AS 15.80 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07 Sec. 15.80.001. Authority of the legislature. Throughout this title, the power 08 of the legislature to prescribe the time, place, and manner of an election under the 09 Constitution of the United States and methods of voting under art. V, sec. 3, 10 Constitution of the State of Alaska, is paramount. The judicial branch may not usurp 11 this power without the legislature's express consent. The division shall consider any 12 judicial decision contrary to this section advisory, and the division may not comply 13 with such a decision unless the legislature provides express consent. 14 * Sec. 55. AS 15.80 is amended by adding a new section to read: 15 Sec. 15.80.006. Electronic signature prohibited. An election official may not 16 accept an electronic signature in lieu of a voter's signature unless a notarized signature 17 verification accompanies the electronic signature. 18 * Sec. 56. AS 15.80 is amended by adding a new section to read: 19 Sec. 15.80.009. Notification of security breach. The lieutenant governor shall 20 immediately notify the legislature and the public of a security breach of a voter 21 registration record or a voting machine. 22 * Sec. 57. AS 15.80.010(38) is amended to read: 23 (38) "signature" or "subscription" includes a mark made by a person 24 who cannot write, with the name of that person written near the mark by a 25 witness who writes the witness's own name near the name of the person who 26 cannot write [INTENDED AS A SIGNATURE OR SUBSCRIPTION]; 27 * Sec. 58. AS 18.65.240(a) is amended to read: 28 (a) A person may not be appointed as a police officer, except on a 29 probationary basis, unless the person (1) has satisfactorily completed a basic program 30 of police training approved by the council, which includes at least 12 hours of 31 instruction regarding domestic violence, as that term is defined in AS 18.66.990,
01 [AND] at least 12 hours of instruction regarding sexual assault, as that term is 02 [THOSE TERMS ARE] defined in AS 18.66.990, and at least four hours of 03 instruction in detecting and investigating election fraud; and (2) possesses other 04 qualifications the council has established for the employment of police officers, 05 including minimum age, education, physical and mental standards, citizenship, moral 06 character, and experience. The council shall prescribe the means of presenting 07 evidence of fulfillment of these requirements. 08 * Sec. 59. AS 43.23.015(b) is amended to read: 09 (b) The department shall prescribe and furnish an application form for 10 claiming a permanent fund dividend. The application must include 11 (1) notice of the penalties provided for under AS 43.23.270; 12 (2) a statement of eligibility and a certification of residency; 13 (3) the means for an applicant eligible to vote under AS 15.05, or a 14 person authorized to act on behalf of the applicant, to furnish information required by 15 AS 15.07.060(a)(1) - (4) and (7) - (9), identify the house district the applicant has 16 been a resident of for the last 30 days, and attest [AN ATTESTATION] that such 17 information is true. 18 * Sec. 60. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 19 read: 20 FIRST BIENNIAL AUDIT OF MASTER REGISTER. The division shall, in 21 consultation with an external, nationally recognized subject-matter expert, conduct the first 22 audit of the master register under AS 15.07.130(h), enacted by sec. 7 of this Act, within 90 23 days after the effective date of sec. 7 of this Act. The division shall publish the report and 24 submit the report to the senate secretary and the chief clerk of the house of representatives not 25 later than 150 days after the effective date of sec. 7 of this Act. 26 * Sec. 61. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 27 read: 28 APPLICABILITY. AS 15.56.035(a)(8), enacted by sec. 48 of this Act, 29 AS 15.56.040(a)(1), as amended by sec. 50 of this Act, AS 15.56.060(a)(4) and (5), enacted 30 by sec. 51 of this Act, AS 15.56.065, enacted by sec. 52 of this Act, and AS 15.56.070(a)(4), 31 enacted by sec. 53 of this Act, apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of
01 secs. 48 and 50 - 53 of this Act. 02 * Sec. 62. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 03 read: 04 TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. The Department of Revenue and the division of 05 elections may adopt regulations necessary to implement the changes made by this Act. The 06 regulations take effect under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), but not before the 07 effective date of the law implemented by the regulation. 08 * Sec. 63. Section 62 of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 09 * Sec. 64. Except as provided in sec. 63 of this Act, this Act takes effect January 1, 2022.