(Juneau) - Governor Frank H. Murkowski signed House Bill 83 into law earlier today. The bill, sponsored by Representative Gabrielle LeDoux (R-Kodiak) will extend the termination date for the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission until June 30, 2012. The signing ceremony took place at a Commission meeting.

"As the bill's sponsor, I am pleased the Governor chose to sign this legislation at a Commission meeting. For the past year, this group has worked hard to make the state a safer place in case of natural disaster," said Representative LeDoux.

House Bill 83 increases the number of commission members from nine to eleven. Three members of this commission will be representatives of local government. The bill also allows the commission terms to be staggered. Dr. Gary Carver, Laura Kelly and Linda Freed are three of the commission members from Kodiak.

The Seismic Hazards Safety Commission's mission is to coordinate earthquake-hazard mitigation activities of all levels of government, to advise the governor, Legislature, local government, and the private sector on ways to reduce future economic losses and casualties from earthquakes, thereby saving lives and reducing costs of disaster relief and recovery.

In the past year the Commission has met several times and produced a report for the legislature outlining its recommendations for policies the State should address to reduce future earthquake losses and casualties.

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