Non-Standing Committees Focused on Oversight

Legislative Council #

Website #

Membership; bills; and meeting schedule and details available on website.

Purpose/Jurisdiction #

“The legislative council has the power:

1. “to organize and adopt rules for the conduct of its business;
   
2. “to hold public hearings, administer oaths, issue subpoenas, compel the attendance of witnesses and production of papers, books, accounts, documents, and testimony, and to have the deposition of witnesses taken in a manner prescribed by court rule or law for taking depositions in civil actions when consistent with the powers and duties assigned to the council by AS 24.20.010 – 24.20.140;
   
3. “to call upon all state officials, agencies, and institutions to give full cooperation to the council and its executive director by collecting and furnishing information, conducting studies, and making recommendations;
   
4. “in addition to providing the administrative services required for the operation of the legislative branch,
   
   • “(A) to provide the technical staff assistance in research, reporting, drafting, and counseling requested by standing, interim, and special committees and spot research and drafting services for individual members in conformity with law and legislative rules;
     
   • “(B) to conduct a continuing program for the revision and publication of the acts of the legislature;
     
   • “(C) to execute a program for the oversight of the administration and construction of laws by state agencies and the courts through regulations, opinions, and rulings;
     
   • “(D) to operate and maintain the state legislative reference library;
     
   • “(E) to do all things necessary to carry out legislative directives and law, and the duties set out in the uniform rules of the legislature;
     
   • “(F) to sue in the name of the legislature during the interim between sessions if authorized by majority vote of the full membership of the council;
     
5. “to exercise control and direction over all legislative space, supplies, and equipment and permanent legislative help between legislative sessions; the exercise of control over legislative space is subject to AS 36.30.080 (c) if the exercise involves the rent or lease of facilities, and to AS 36.30.085 if the exercise involves the acquisition of facilities by lease-purchase or lease-financing agreement;
   
6. “to produce, publish, distribute, and to contract for the printing of reports, memoranda, and other materials it finds necessary to the accomplishment of its work;
   
7. “to take appropriate action for the preconvening and post-session work of each legislative session including the employment one week in advance of each session of not more than 10 temporary legislative employees; the continuing employment of the temporary legislative employees is subject to legislative approval when the session convenes;
   
8. “to establish a legislative internship program on a cooperative basis with the University of Alaska that will provide for the assignment of interns to standing committees of each house of the legislature during regular sessions of the legislature; and
   
9. “to establish reasonable fees for services and materials provided by the Legislative Affairs Agency to entities outside of the legislative branch of state government and charges for collecting the fees; all fees and charges collected under this paragraph shall be deposited into the general fund” (AK Stat § 24.20.060 (2021)).

Report of Note #

2022 Oversight Report #

“AS24.20.065(a) requires that the Legislative Council annually examine published opinions of state and federal courts and of the Department of Law that rely on state statutes and final decisions adopted under the Administrative Procedure Act (AS 44.62)…”