2025-04-09                     Senate Journal                      Page 0747
SB 166                                                                                                                        
SENATE BILL NO. 166 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                               
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
             "An Act relating to notice requirements for certain                                                               
          state actions."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Resources                                                         
Committees.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
 Fiscal Note No. 1, zero, Department of Environmental                                                                           
          Conservation                                                                                                          
 Fiscal Note No. 2, zero, Department of Natural Resources                                                                       
                                                                                                                                

2025-04-09                     Senate Journal                      Page 0748
Governor's transmittal letter dated April 8:                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Stevens:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18 of the Alaska                                                                    
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill relating to public notice                                                                
requirements.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
This bill would amend public notice requirements for state entities,                                                            
including notices issued by the Department of Environmental                                                                     
Conservation and the Department of Natural Resources related to land                                                            
and water use, as well as general notice requirements under the                                                                 
Administrative Procedure Act. The intent is to modernize public notice                                                          
practices without changing the underlying processes.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Under the bill, public notices could be posted on the Alaska Online                                                             
Public Notice System, with newspaper publication made discretionary.                                                            
It would also remove requirements for repeated or region-specific                                                               
newspaper publications, allowing state agencies to determine if                                                                 
additional advertising is necessary after initial publication.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
By prioritizing the use of the widely accessible Online Public Notice                                                           
System, this bill aims to reduce costs and streamline the public notice                                                         
process.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                                   
Governor