02/21/2026 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

                  HB 290-DELIVERY OF RESOLUTIONS                                                                            
         HCR 10-UNIFORM RULES: RESOLUTION DISTRIBUTION                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:27:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK announced that the  next order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO.  290, "An Act relating to  delivery of resolutions                                                               
by  the  governor"  and  HOUSE   CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION  NO.  10,                                                               
Proposing an amendment  to the Uniform Rules of  the Alaska State                                                               
Legislature relating to resolutions.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND,  as prime sponsor  of HB 290 and  HCR 10,                                                               
said  that  the  two  actions together  are  about  timely  joint                                                               
resolutions.    Currently,  there are  specific  timeframes  when                                                               
joint resolutions  are fully transmitted and  set in legislation.                                                               
Last year, resolutions about the  fire season were transmitted in                                                               
the fall.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
AYDEN  NICHOL, staff,  Representative  Ky  Holland, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature  presented  on  HB  290  and  HCR  10  on  behalf  of                                                               
Representative Holland,  prime sponsor.   He said this is  a pair                                                               
of  companion measures  about the  timely  transmittals of  joint                                                               
resolutions.  All resolutions from  last session were sent out on                                                               
an extreme delay such as the one that missed the fire season.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:31:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  NICHOLS presented  a PowerPoint,  titled  "HB 290  & HCR  10                                                               
Transmittal  of Joint  Resolutions," [hard  copy included  in the                                                               
committee file].   The current  distribution process  is reviewed                                                               
on  slide 2.    He stated  there  is no  timeline  set for  these                                                               
resolutions.   On slide  3, he outlined  issues with  the current                                                               
process.  Delays are an issue  as fall was the earliest date that                                                               
resolutions were  distributed.   A sectional  analysis of  HB 290                                                               
including 15  days for transmittal  while in session and  20 days                                                               
outside of session was outlined on  slide 4.  On slide 5, showing                                                               
a  sectional  analysis of  HCR  10,  the resolution  changes  the                                                               
distribution  to  the  Office  of   the  Chief  Clerk  or  Senate                                                               
Secretary's Office,  with a  timeline of  within fifteen  days of                                                               
the  resolution being  returned by  the governor.   Additionally,                                                               
the notification of the sponsor  is required when a resolution is                                                               
distributed.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:35:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE  asked whether resolutions were  hung up in                                                               
the Office of the Governor or the legislature.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. NICOLS  replied there were delays  in both the Office  of the                                                               
Governor and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE  asked again about  whether it was  held up                                                               
in the legislature.  He asked if  the sponsor would be open to an                                                               
amendment  that  bills   need  to  be  transmitted   out  of  the                                                               
legislature in a timely manner.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. NICOL replied that it would be a reasonable amendment.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOLLAND  replied  that   he  would  be  happy  to                                                               
investigate it.   There  was a  great deal  of difference  in the                                                               
timeline.   All the resolutions  were released  on July 16.   The                                                               
amount of  time spent  in the executive  office varied  until the                                                               
resolutions were all  released.  He would  investigate a timeline                                                               
to put into the initial transmittal.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:38:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE  commented about  the separation  of powers.                                                               
She  remarked that  resolutions are  different from  bills.   She                                                               
asked  whether   legislative  resolutions   need  to   touch  the                                                               
executive branch.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. NICOL  replied that the office  has sought an answer  to that                                                               
question but has not received an answer.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE  asked,  "How  do other  states  deal  with                                                               
this?"   It touches on the  separation of powers.   She explained                                                               
that she  wants to  protect the  power of  the legislature.   She                                                               
expressed  concerns   about  cutting   out  the  Office   of  the                                                               
Lieutenant Governor.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  NICOL  replied that  the  role  of the  lieutenant  governor                                                               
wasn't  clarified.   He said  the lieutenant  governor is  tasked                                                               
with many recordkeeping duties.   The lieutenant governor thought                                                               
this change may ease the tension  with the legislature.  He noted                                                               
that the separation of powers is an important part.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE  asked whether HCR  10 and any  amendment to                                                               
the Uniform Rules must be taken  up by a joint session and passed                                                               
by two-thirds of the legislature.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. NICOL confirmed it was by two-thirds of the legislature.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:42:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK said  that she requested a bill  be transmitted and                                                               
it wasn't  transmitted for five  months.  She asked  whether this                                                               
only relates to resolutions.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. NICOL replied  that Chair Carrick raised  an excellent point.                                                               
The scope of the measures is  limited to resolutions.  He said he                                                               
would discuss it with the bill sponsor.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:44:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY   said  she   was  pleased  to   have  this                                                               
information as she  was unaware of this large gap.   Her question                                                               
has to do with  bills and resolutions.  A bill  must be looked at                                                               
legally and  have conforming  changes.   She cautioned  about the                                                               
timeline needed  to have a legal  review.  She asked  whether the                                                               
sponsor did  not receive an explanation  of why it takes  so long                                                               
to get out.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  NICOL   replied  that  the   sponsor  did  not   receive  an                                                               
explanation  from the  Office of  the Governor.   The  lieutenant                                                               
governor walked  through the process  with the  sponsor's office.                                                               
The workload  is heavy  as many of  these resolutions  have large                                                               
numbers of recipients.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked whether this is the correct timeline.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. NICOL replied that this timeline  was picked in part with the                                                               
constitutional timelines of  bills.  There was no  input from the                                                               
Office of the  Governor.  Legislative Legal  Services, the Office                                                               
of the  Chief Clerk,  and Senate  Secretary's Office  agreed that                                                               
the timeline was reasonable.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:47:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT  asked for  a review of  the differences                                                               
between   a   resolution,   joint   resolution   and   concurrent                                                               
resolution.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. NICOL replied that a joint  resolution is most formal type of                                                               
resolution  and can  have the  governor's signature.   All  other                                                               
resolutions  go  through  the Legislative  Affairs  Agency  which                                                               
falls  to  the   Office  of  the  Chief  Clerk   and  the  Senate                                                               
Secretary's Office.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT  asked, "How  does one decide  which one                                                               
to use?"                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR.  NICOL said  an issue  of national  politics or  constitution                                                               
that  must  be  done  through a  joint  resolution.    Concurrent                                                               
resolutions  are  used  to  express  concerns  to  the  executive                                                               
office.  House  or Senate special resolution express  the will of                                                               
one body.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:50:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK opened public testimony on HB 290.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
ED  MARTIN, representing  self,  stated support  for  HB 290  and                                                               
commended Representative  Holland for bringing forward  the bill.                                                               
He  thanked  him  for  trying  to  fix  the  bureaucracy  of  the                                                               
legislature.  Last year, he sent  a letter to the House Judiciary                                                               
Standing Committee  in mid-March  with a sample  resolution about                                                               
an investigation of  Alaska's judiciary.  He  asked the committee                                                               
to refer to the letter.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:53:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK after ascertaining  there was no further testimony,                                                               
she closed public testimony on HB 290.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:53:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK opened public testimony on HCR 10.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MARTIN  testified in  support  of  HCR  10.   He  asked  for                                                               
increased efficiency in the legislature.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:54:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK after ascertaining  there was no further testimony,                                                               
she closed public testimony on HCR 10.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOLLAND  thanked  fellow  committee  members  for                                                               
their time considering HB 290 and HCR  10.  He said he is looking                                                               
forward to the follow-up.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:55:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK announced both HCR 10 and HB 290 were held over.