About the Legislation, Regulations & Legislative Research Section
The Legislation, Regulations & Legislative Research (LR&LR) Section of the Attorney General’s Office is comprised of a uniquely skilled team of legal professionals who are responsible for transforming the policy initiatives of elected officials into substantive law. Members of this team,work in every legal subject area and are true masters of multi-tasking and working under compressed deadlines.
The LR&LR Section is responsible for providing legal advice to Alaska’s Governor, the Governor’s Legislative Office, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Office of Management and Budget on all matters related to legislation, appropriations, regulations, and related constitutional questions. The section is also tasked with providing legal advice, upon request, to the Alaska Legislature or a member of the legislature on a law, a proposed law, or proposed legislative measure.
Scope of Work
Legislation
Working with the Alaska Governor and his/her cabinet, the LR&LR section is responsible for writing the initial draft of any legislative bill or executive order to be introduced by the Governor. After introduction of a bill, the section continues to provide legal advice to the Governor’s Legislative Office as the bill moves through the legislature.
In addition to drafting the Governor’s legislation, this team is also responsible for monitoring every piece of legislation introduced during each legislative session, identifying potential legal issues, and drafting bill reviews for the Governor on every bill passed by the legislature and presented for gubernatorial signature.
Finally, the section coordinates all legal testimony provided by the Attorney General’s Office to the legislature when the legislature is in session.
In a nutshell, the LR&LR team is responsible for every piece of legislation from the first draft until it becomes settled Alaska law.
Fiscal Matters
The LR&LR team is also responsible for advising the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget on all fiscal related legal questions and drafting the Governor’s annual appropriation bills for submission to the legislature. The section provides legal counsel to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget as the appropriation bills proceed through the legislative session. After the appropriation bills have been passed by the legislature, the LR&LR team advises the Governor on legal questions related to vetoes.
Regulations
Under State law, the LR&LR section must approve or disapprove every regulation drafted by a State agency before the approved regulations can be filed with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. This requires section attorneys to conduct technical and substantive reviews of regulations promulgated by every agency of State government for every program of State government.
As part of its statutory responsibilities, the LR&LR section is required to draft and update the Drafting Manual for Administrative Regulations used by all State agencies.
Legislative Research
The section is also the “go to” library for the Department of Law on all questions of legislative/regulatory history.
Section Contact
For further information on the Legislation, Regulations & Legislative Research Section contact:
Rebecca C. Polizzotto
Chief Assistant Attorney General, Section Supervisor
907-465-3600