HB 38 Alaska House · 34th Legislature (2025-2026)

An Act relating to supplemental employee benefits; and providing for an effective date.

HB 38 clarifies rules for public employers in Alaska’s teachers’ and public employees’ retirement systems (who do not participate in federal Social Security) to join the state’s supplemental employee benefits program. It allows these employers to become "participating employers" under specific conditions, including if they’ve never joined Social Security or withdrew from it. Employees in these systems can choose to opt out of the benefits program if their employer meets those conditions. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not change existing benefits for current participants.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 5, 2025 Last action Mar 17, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB 38 → SSHB 38 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a House Bill to a Sponsor Substitute version, with several substantive changes to eligibility criteria and definitions. The primary changes involve expanding which employers qualify for the supplemental employee benefits program and clarifying the rules around federal social security participation.

Scope change

The bill now applies to employers in both the teachers' retirement system and the Public Employees' Retirement System, with expanded definitions of eligible employers in the federal social security context.

ELIGIBILITY

Added language allowing teachers' retirement system employees to opt out of the benefits program if their employer participates in the Public Employees' Retirement System and meets specific federal social security criteria.

Expanded the definition of eligible employers to include additional Alaska statutes (AS 14.25.590 and AS 39.35.990) beyond the original list.

DEFINITION

Changed the definition of 'participating employer' to clarify that employers must either never have elected to join federal social security or must have withdrawn from membership.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill identification from HB 38 to SSHB 38 (Sponsor Substitute) and changed the introduction date from January 22, 2025 to March 5, 2025.

Floor votes

How they voted

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 5, 2025

Committee

(H) REFERRED TO LABOR & COMMERCE

lower

Mar 5, 2025

Introduced

(H) SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE INTRODUCED

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors