Ethics panel reviews annual list of state benefit and loan programs; DOT asked for fuller documentation

The Legislative Ethics Committee reviewed its required annual inventory of state benefit and loan programs and directed state agencies to provide fuller documentation before the committee removes items from the disclosure list.

The committee met in public session and considered updates to the list the ethics office publishes under AS 24.60.050. Joyce Anderson, chair of the Legislative Ethics Committee, said the annual review “is required by 24 60 0 5 0 to do an annual review of the state benefit and loan programs” and that the office sends departments a form to confirm whether programs meet the statute’s disclosure criteria.

Why it matters: The list flags state programs and loans that lack fixed eligibility criteria and therefore can be reportable under the Legislative Ethics Act when a legislator or legislative staff participates. Changes to the list affect what must be disclosed on legislators’ ethics reports.

What the committee reviewed

- Department of Commerce and Community & Economic Development: staff noted an administrative name change; the division now lists itself as the Division of Investments. The committee accepted that update as a non-substantive name change.

- Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC): the committee voted to add DEC’s firefighting substances disposal reimbursement program to the list. Kevin Reeve, committee staff, summarized the submission and said the department reported the program “does not meet that the benefit program alone that is generally available to members of the public” and therefore should be listed for disclosure.

- Department of Natural Resources (DNR): the committee accepted a recommendation to remove the oil sale expiration incentive credits from the listing after staff identified that the program ceased in 2022 and stayed on the published list through oversight. Jackie Yagle, ethics office staff, presented minutes and background showing the program had previously been removed from active use.

- Department of Transportation (DOT): DOT requested removal of several items—encroachment/driveway permits, utility permits on state right-of-way, and right-of-way rentals—arguing they are regulated, transactional programs governed by statute or regulation rather than discretionary benefit programs. A DOT representative said “there is fixed criteria for all of these, and it's going to be in regulation, title 17 AAC 10.” The committee declined to remove those items without a completed benefit-and-loan review form and asked DOT to supply the forms and supporting citations (statute and regulation) for each program.

Next steps

Anderson asked DOT to complete the formal review forms and provide any missing regulatory citations by the following week so the committee can evaluate whether the items meet the statutory definition in AS 24.60.050. Kevin Reeve and Jackie Yagle will review the completed forms and circulate them to committee members; if the documentation shows the items have fixed eligibility criteria, the committee indicated it would be prepared to remove them from the public list without an additional meeting. If documentation is insufficient, the committee said it will notify members and request further information.

Committee members emphasized that the review form is the committee’s official record and must be on file before staff removes programs from the list. Anderson: “I think we need to have a form on file. If you could fill that out, that would be greatly appreciated.”

Provenance: The committee’s statutory review and the DEC addition began when staff introduced the annual review; the DOT exchange and instruction to fill out forms concluded the item for follow-up at a later date.