(a) The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development shall

(1) advise and assist local governments;

(2) advise the governor and other commissioners on the delivery of government services to rural areas, including services relating to public safety, justice, economic development, natural resource management, education, and public health;

(3) make recommendations to the governor and other commissioners about policy changes that would affect rural governments and rural affairs;

(4) serve as staff for the Local Boundary Commission;

(5) conduct studies and carry out experimental and pilot projects for the purpose of developing solutions to community and regional problems;

(6) promote cooperative solutions to problems affecting more than one community or region, including joint service agreements, regional compacts, and other forms of cooperation;

(7) serve as a clearinghouse for information useful in solution of community and regional problems, and channel to the appropriate authority requests for information and services;

(8) advise and assist community and regional governments on matters of finance, including but not limited to bond marketing and procurement of federal funds;

(9) prepare suggested guidelines relating to the content of notice of bond sale advertisements, prospectuses, and other bonding matters issued by local governments;

(10) administer state funds appropriated for the benefit of unorganized regions within the state, allowing for maximum participation by local advisory councils and similar bodies;

(11) as assigned through a delegation by the governor, administer and implement the state's role in the federal community development quota program established under 16 U.S.C. 1855(i) or a successor federal program; the department may adopt regulations under a delegation from the governor to implement duties under this paragraph;

(12) carry out those administrative functions in the unorganized borough that the legislature may prescribe;

(13) study existing and proposed laws and state activities that affect community and regional affairs and submit to the governor recommended changes in those laws and activities;

(14) coordinate activities of the state that affect community and regional affairs;

(15) assist in the development of new communities and serve as the agent of the state for purposes of participation in federal programs relating to new communities;

(16) supervise planning, management, and other activities required for local eligibility for financial aid under those federal and state programs that provide assistance to community and regional governments;

(17) advise and assist municipalities on procedures of assessment, valuation, and taxation, and notify municipalities of major errors in those procedures;

(18) apply for, receive, and use funds from federal and other sources, public or private, for use in carrying out the powers and duties of the department;

(19) request and utilize the resources of other agencies of state government in carrying out the purposes of this chapter to the extent the utilization is more efficient than maintaining departmental staff, reimbursing the other agencies when appropriate;

(20) administer state and, as appropriate, federal programs for revenue sharing, community assistance, grants, and other forms of financial assistance to community and regional governments;

(21) administer the state programs relating to commerce or community development, enforce the laws relating to these programs, and adopt regulations under these laws;

(22) register corporations;

(23) collect corporation franchise taxes;

(24) enforce state laws regulating public utilities and other public service enterprises, banking and securities, insurance, and other businesses and enterprises touched with a public interest;

(25) make veterans' loans;

(26) furnish the budgeting, clerical, and administrative services for regulatory agencies and professional and occupational licensing boards not otherwise provided for;

(27) conduct studies, enter into contracts and agreements, and make surveys relating to the economic development of the state and, when appropriate, assemble, analyze, and disseminate the findings obtained;

(28) provide factual information and technical assistance for potential industrial and commercial investors;

(29) receive gifts, grants, and other aid that facilitate the powers and duties of the department from agencies and instrumentalities of the United States or other public or private sources;

(30) establish and activate programs to achieve balanced economic development in the state and advise the governor on economic development policy matters;

(31) formulate a continuing program for basic economic development and for the necessary promotion, planning, and research that will advance the economic development of the state;

(32) cooperate with private, governmental, and other public institutions and agencies in the execution of economic development programs;

(33) review the programs and annual reports of other departments and agencies as they are related to economic development and prepare an annual report on the economic growth of the state;

(34) administer the economic development programs of the state;

(35) perform all other duties and powers necessary or proper in relation to economic development and planning for the state;

(36) request tourism-related businesses in the state to provide data regarding occupancy levels, traffic flow and gross receipts and to participate in visitor surveys conducted by the department; data collected under this paragraph that discloses the particulars of an individual business is not a matter of public record and shall be kept confidential; however, this restriction does not prevent the department from using the data to formulate tourism economic impact information including expenditure patterns, tax receipts and fees, employment and income attributable to tourism, and other information considered relevant to the planning, evaluation, and policy direction of tourism in the state;

(37) provide administrative and budgetary services to the Real Estate Commission under AS 08.88 as requested by the commission;

(38) sell at cost, to the extent possible, publications and promotional materials developed by the department;

(39) as delegated by the governor, administer under 16 U.S.C. 1856 the internal waters foreign processing permit procedures and collect related fees;

(40) administer state laws relating to the issuance of business licenses;

(41) comply with AS 15.07.055 to serve as a voter registration agency to the extent required by state and federal law, including 42 U.S.C. 1973gg (National Voter Registration Act of 1993);

(42) carry out other functions and duties, consistent with law, necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purpose of this chapter;

(43) oversee the administration of outstanding loans and financial assistance under the Alaska BIDCO assistance program under former AS 37.17.500 - 37.17.690 ;

(44) supply necessary clerical and administrative services for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and the Marijuana Control Board.

(b) The department may adopt regulations necessary to carry out its statutory functions.