Opinion ID: 1258028
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Legislative Approval

Text: The first issue is whether a collective bargaining agreement is subject to legislative approval of its monetary terms. This issue is a question of statutory interpretation and should be reviewed under the independent judgment standard. Alaska Statute 23.40.215(a) provides that the monetary terms of any agreement entered into under the Public Employment Relations Act are subject to funding through legislative appropriation. [3] The initial approval of the monetary terms of any agreement is a nonbinding, advisory expression of legislative intent. [4] AS 23.40.215(b). Additionally, under Alaska's constitutional system funding of an agreement is constitutionally relegated to the legislature. Alaska Const. art. IX, § 13. The Public Employment Relations Act recognizes this constitutional requirement in AS 23.40.215(a). From our independent review of the statute, it is clear that the monetary terms of a collective bargaining agreement are not effective until the funds are appropriated by the legislature. [5] Each year the monetary terms of a collective bargaining agreement are subject to independent legislative approval.