Alaska § 39.23.540 - Duties of the commission.

§ 39.23.540. Duties of the commission.

 (a) The commission shall review the salaries, benefits, and allowances of members of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each principal executive department head and prepare a report on its findings at least once every two years, but not more frequently than every year. The commission shall notify the legislature that the report is available.

 (b) The commission may request reports or studies from any state agency as to the rate and form of compensation, benefits, and allowances for legislators, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each executive department head. A state agency from which a report or a study is requested shall furnish it within a period of time prescribed by the commission.

 (c) By November 15, the commission shall prepare its preliminary findings and recommendations for compensation of state officers that is reasonable and equitable. The commission shall give reasonable public notice of its preliminary findings and recommendations, solicit public comments, and give due regard to the public comments, before submitting a final report under (d) of this section.

 (d) The commission shall make available to the governor and presiding officers of each house of the legislature a final report of its findings and recommendations as to the rate and form of compensation, benefits, and allowances for legislators, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each principal executive department head during the first 10 days of a legislative session. Subject to AS 24.10.130 (b) and (g) of this section, and unless a bill disapproving all the recommendations for all officers listed in this section is enacted into law within 60 days after the recommendations are submitted to the governor and presiding officers of each house of the legislature, a recommendation as to the compensation, benefits, and allowances for        (1) a legislator has the force of law and becomes effective on the first day of the next regular legislative session; and

 (2) the governor, the lieutenant governor, and each principal executive department head has the force of law and becomes effective on the first day of the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the recommendation is submitted.

 (e) The commission may prepare amendments to the report submitted under (d) of this section and notify the legislature that the amendments are available.

 (f) A commission member who does not concur in the proposed or final recommendations may attach written objections to the commission's report of its findings and recommendations.

 (g) A recommendation under this section increasing the compensation, benefits, and allowances of a public officer is not effective unless all recommended increases included in the final report under (d) of this section are fully funded by appropriations.