(a) A municipality may assess against the property of a state or federal governmental unit and private real property to be benefited by an improvement all or a portion of the cost of acquiring, installing, or constructing capital improvements. The state shall pay an assessment levied, except as otherwise provided by law and subject to its right of protest under AS 29.46.020(b). If a governmental unit other than the state benefited by an improvement refuses to pay the assessment, it shall be denied the benefit of the improvement. An improvement proposal may be initiated by
(1) petition to the governing body of the owners of one-half in value of the property to be benefited; or
(2) the governing body.
(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, a party to a contract approved by the legislature as a result of submission of a proposed contract developed under AS 43.82 or as a result of acts by the legislature in implementing the purposes of AS 43.82, is exempt, as specified in the contract, from assessment under this chapter against real property associated with the approved qualified project that is subject to the contract. This subsection applies to home rule municipalities.