How are policy decisions made?

Passing a bill through the Alaska Legislature

Step 1: Sponsor

A Senator, House Representative, or Committee sponsors the bill, including budget bills.

Step 2: Committee Process

The committee chair schedules hearings and the public is invited to comment on the proposed legislation.

The committee amends the bill and/or votes on it. The process is repeated with the next committee.

Step 3: Floor Vote

A formal vote is taken by all members of the chamber, whether it starts in the Senate or the House of Representatives.

Step 4: Same Process with Other Chamber

The bill passes to the next chamber, from the Senate to the House or vice versa. The entire process is repeated until there are no more amendments and both the House and Senate pass the bill.

Step 5: Governor Signature

The bill is sent to the governor to sign or veto. Implementation begins under the Executive Branch.

Each year the legislature starts with a recommended budget from the governor which it reviews and amends. Allocations for agencies and programs may be increased or decreased based on perceived needs or legislative priorities. The budget legislation must go through the same committee hearing and floor vote process before being signed by the governor.

A note about budget decisions:
Budget decisions are also made through legislation but the process is slightly different. When a bill is passed it includes a fiscal note, the amount policymakers estimate the program will cost. This amount is included in the larger state budget legislation, a separate bill that must be passed by the legislature every year.

State:

Federal:

How do I track a bill?

Once a bill has been assigned a number, there are several ways you can track its progress through the legislative process.

There are also several non-governmental trackers that will help you stay current on federal legislation, such as https://www.govtrack.us/.

  • At the state level: https://akleg.gov/index.php
    • Scroll to the bottom of the webpage and sign-up for text updates using the bill number. OR
    • Type the bill number in the search box at the top to see the bill’s current status and any documents associated with it.
  • At the federal level: https://www.congress.gov/
    • Type the bill number in the search box at the top to see the bill’s current status.