(a) If the governor delegates duties as described in AS 44.33.020(a)(11) to the department, the department shall determine and assess an annual administrative cost charge for the administration of the state's role in the federal community development quota program. The department shall by regulation establish the method for implementing the charge in accordance with the provisions of this section. The department shall assess the charges on community development quota groups with approved community development plans for the fiscal year for which the charge is applicable. The community development quota group shall pay the charge.

(b) The administrative cost charge under this section for a CDQ group shall be determined by the department no later than the June 30 immediately preceding the start of the applicable fiscal year. The department shall promptly notify the CDQ group of the amount of the charge. The CDQ group shall pay the charge no later than 45 days after the department provides notice to the CDQ group of the amount of the charge.

(c) The aggregate total of administrative cost charges to all CDQ groups for a fiscal year shall approximately equal, but may not exceed, the appropriations authorized for that fiscal year for the state's role under AS 44.33.020(a)(11), less

(1) appropriations from sources of program receipts under AS 37.05.146(b) and (c) not collected under this section; and

(2) any reappropriations of charges collected under this section.

(d) Fifty percent of the aggregate total of administrative cost charges assessed on all CDQ groups for a fiscal year shall be recovered through the standard portion of the charges and 50 percent of the aggregate total shall be recovered through the variable portion of the charges. The administrative cost charge assessed on a CDQ group for a fiscal year shall consist of a standard portion and a variable portion. The CDQ group's standard portion is calculated by dividing the aggregate total amount to be recovered through this portion by the number of CDQ groups to be assessed a charge. The CDQ group's variable portion is calculated by multiplying the aggregate total amount to be recovered through this portion by a percentage that represents the ratio of the value of the CDQ group's fisheries resource quota allocation to the total value of fisheries resources allocated under the CDQ program for the applicable year.

(e) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this section, the department may adjust the variable portion of the administrative cost charge for a fiscal year to one or more CDQ groups if the department finds that an inequitable result will occur absent the adjustment, but the aggregate total of the charges to be paid by all CDQ groups after the adjustment must equal the amount originally calculated for that fiscal year under (c) of this section.

(f) The department may not assess or collect administrative charges under this section from new CDQ groups representing communities that are not eligible for the CDQ program on June 30, 2000, for a period of two years from the actual award of a fisheries quota to that newly formed CDQ group.

(g) The department shall collect and enforce the administrative cost charge assessed under this section. The receipts from the charge assessed under this section shall be deposited in the community development quota program account in the state treasury. Under AS 37.05.146(c), receipts from charges collected under this section shall be accounted for separately, and appropriations from the account are not made from the unrestricted general fund. The legislature may appropriate money from the community development quota program account for expenditures by the department for necessary costs incurred by the department in implementing any assigned role under AS 44.33.020(a)(11) or for any other public purpose.

(h) The Department of Administration shall identify the amount of the appropriations for the state's role under AS 44.33.020(a)(11) that lapses into the general fund each year. The legislature may appropriate an amount equal to the lapsed amount to the community development quota program for its operating costs for the next fiscal year.

(i) The department may adopt regulations under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) to interpret or implement its duties under this section.

(j) In this section,

(1) “CDQ group” or “community development quota group” means an applicant under 16 U.S.C. 1855(i), or a successor program, with an approved community development plan;

(2) “CDQ program” or “community development quota program” means the federal community development quota program established under 16 U.S.C. 1855(i), or a successor federal program approved by the United States Secretary of Commerce;

(3) “fiscal year” has the meaning given in AS 37.05.920;

(4) “value” has the meaning given in AS 43.75.290.