AS Title 24, Chapter 10: Officers, Employees, and Compensation

Article 1. Officers of the Legislature. Chapter 10. Officers, Employees, and Compensation. Sec. 24.10.010. Legislative officers. The senate shall elect from its membership a presiding officer who shall be called the “President of the Senate” and the house of representatives shall elect from its membership a presiding officer who shall be called the “Speaker of the House of Representatives.” The presiding officer of each house shall have such powers, duties, and prerogatives as may be assigned them under the rules of the legislature and by law. Sec. 24.10.020. Presiding officers pro tempore. The majority leader of each house serves as the presiding officer pro tempore of that house if the elected presiding officer resigns, becomes incapacitated, or dies. The presiding officer pro tempore is authorized to perform the duties of that office until the house elects a regular presiding officer, and the election shall be made the order of business of the house at the earliest appropriate hour. Sec. 24.10.030. Chief clerk and senate secretary. Each house shall select from outside its membership a person of known stenographic and administrative ability to serve as chief administrative clerk; a chief clerk in the house of representatives and a secretary in the senate. When nominated and elected in conformity with the uniform rules, they continue to serve for the duration of the legislature at the pleasure of the house to which assigned. Pending the organization of a new legislature, they may continue to serve at the request and direction of the legislative council until their respective houses formally reappoint or replace them. The chief clerk and senate secretary are responsible for the performance of duties provided for by law, the uniform rules, and orders of the house. They may be requested to report to the legislative council for duty for a period not to exceed two weeks immediately preceding the convening of the session and shall remain at the capital until the completion of their work is determined by the director of the council. Sec. 24.10.040. Legislative fiscal officer. The fiscal officer of the Legislative Affairs Agency serves as the fiscal officer of the legislature. Sec. 24.10.050. Other officers. Provision for the election or appointment of other officers for either or both houses may be made in the rules. Article 2. Employees. Sec. 24.10.060. Legislative employees. (a) The house and senate employees of the legislature are hired for the duration of each session upon the recommendation of the rules committee of each house. During the interim, house and senate employees are hired with the approval of the president of the senate or the speaker of the house of representatives, as appropriate. (b) Employees assigned to the duplicating, distributing, mailing, and other centralized services are under the immediate supervision of the Legislative Affairs Agency. (c) Except as provided in (e) of this section for hourly employees, all employees of the legislature are employed subject to (1) classification and wage plans based on the merit principle and adapted to the special needs of the legislature; and (2) the general state laws regarding leave and retirement. (d) During sessions, all employees of the legislature are employed with the understanding that they will work as many hours as may be required by their supervisors. All employees are on call for duty every day of the session. (e) The permanent interim committees of the legislature, the rules committees, the president of the senate, or the speaker of the house of representatives, as appropriate, may authorize the employment of hourly employees. Hourly employees are subject to the salary schedule set out in AS 39.27.011 and general state laws regarding retirement but are not entitled to receive leave benefits. (f) An employee of the legislative branch of state government who is employed under a personal services contract is not entitled to membership in the public employees' retirement system ( AS 39.35 ) for employment under the contract. The employee shall be compensated under the state salary schedule set out in AS 39.27.011 (a). The employee is entitled to receive leave benefits and employee health coverage unless the personal services contract provides to the contrary. Article 3. Compensation of Legislators. Sec. 24.10.100. Salary of legislators. Legislators shall receive a monthly salary under AS 39.23 . The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives may receive additional compensation under AS 39.23 during tenure of office. Sec. 24.10.101. Compensation of legislators. [Effective date repealed, § 27 ch 21 SLA 2008; see also § 18 ch 21 SLA 2008.] Sec. 24.10.105. Legislative per diem. [Repealed, § 79 ch 63 SLA 1993.] Sec. 24.10.110. Additional allowances. In addition, each member of the legislature is entitled to an annual allowance prescribed in accordance with AS 39.23 for postage, stationery, stenographic services, and other expenses. Sec. 24.10.120. Method of payment. (a) Salaries, per diem, travel expenses, relocation expenses, and additional allowances for members of the legislature shall be paid as approved by the legislative fiscal officer. The legislative fiscal officer may not approve payment for a member's travel outside the United States unless the member first provides a report establishing that the travel has a legislative purpose. The legislative fiscal officer shall provide a form on which a report under this subsection must be submitted. (b) The legislative fiscal officer shall file a travel and compensation report with the legislature's fiscal office by January 31 of each year. The report must contain detailed information for the previous calendar year of the salaries, per diem, travel expenses, relocation expenses, and any additional allowances for each legislator and each legislative director. Sec. 24.10.130. Moving expenses and per diem allowance. (a) A member of the legislature may be entitled to reimbursement for the expenses of moving between the member's place of residence and the capital city for the purpose of attending a regular session of the legislature. (b) Legislators and officers and employees of the legislative branch of government may be entitled to a per diem allowance; however, if a bill that fully funds an operating budget has not, within the first 121 consecutive days of a regular legislative session, including the day the legislature first convenes in that regular session, been passed by the legislature, a member of the legislature is not entitled to a daily per diem allowance for a day the legislature is in session after that 121-day period until the first day after a bill that fully funds an operating budget is passed by the legislature or the first day of the next regular legislative session, whichever occurs earlier. In this subsection, “passed by the legislature” has the meaning given in AS 01.10.070 . (c) The Alaska Legislative Council shall adopt a policy in accordance with (b) of this section and AS 39.23.540 (d) regarding reimbursement for moving expenses and payment of a per diem allowance. The policy must set conditions for the reimbursement for moving expenses and payment of per diem and prescribe the amounts of reimbursement adapted to the special needs of the legislative branch as determined by the council. Article 4. Compensation of Employees. Sec. 24.10.200. House and senate employees. (a) During the legislative session, house and senate employees of the legislature are compensated under the salary schedule set out in AS 39.27.011 at the rate authorized by the Joint Rules Committee and upon approval of the house and senate. During the interim, house and senate employees are compensated at a rate approved by the president of the senate or the speaker of the house of representatives, as appropriate, consistent with the policies adopted by the Joint Rules Committee and approved by the house and senate. (b) [Repealed, § 11 ch 21 SLA 1987.] Sec. 24.10.210. Employees of legislative agencies. Employees of agencies governed by permanent interim committees of the legislature under AS 24.20 and employees of the committees themselves are compensated under AS 39.27.011 , the general state salary schedule, at levels budgeted and approved by the governing committees in accordance with law. The governing committees shall coordinate with each other on position levels and salary-related policies to every extent possible consistent with the statutory duties and powers of each permanent committee and its agency. Sec. 24.10.220. Bonuses for legislative employees prohibited.