HB 281 requires businesses processing cash transactions to round totals to the nearest five cents using specific rules: totals ending in 1-2 or 6-7 cents round down, while those ending in 3-4 or 8-9 cents round up. It directly affects retailers, restaurants, and other businesses that handle cash payments for goods or services. The bill excludes electronic payments (like credit cards or debit) and clarifies that rounding does not impact state or local tax calculations. This policy change standardizes cash rounding practices for in-person transactions only.
HB 197 updates Alaska's dental hygiene licensing requirements and board structure. It requires dental hygienists to complete an accredited two-year program, pass written and clinical exams, and meet specific background checks to obtain a license. The bill establishes an executive administrator position for the Board of Dental Examiners and mandates two hours of continuing education on pain management and opioid use for license renewals. Additionally, it expands the board's duties to maintain a registry of licensed professionals and enforce disciplinary actions.
SB 93 modifies how students in Alaska school districts' approved early education programs are counted for funding purposes. It changes the calculation to count each such student as "one-half" of a full-time equivalent student (previously specified with brackets), directly affecting school districts offering these programs. The bill repeals outdated funding calculation sections in state law (AS 14.03.120(h), 14.03.410, etc.) to implement this change. The new funding method takes effect on July 1, 2025.
HB 104 creates Alaska's Address Confidentiality Program to protect the addresses of specific vulnerable individuals. It allows victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault (with a court order), minors under protective orders, peace officers, correctional officers, and their household members to enroll. The program provides a substitute post office box for mail, which the Department of Administration forwards to the participant's real address while keeping it confidential. Enrollment lasts five years and requires renewal, and participants must not be required to register under Alaska's sex offender registry laws.
(S) NOT INTRODUCED
HB 387 creates a new Joint Legislative Alaska Native Languages Academic Task Force to address challenges facing the Alaska Native Language Center and academic research. The task force will consist of six legislators appointed by their respective chamber leaders and is required to meet within 90 days of the bill's effective date. Its main duties include holding public meetings to gather input, reviewing the current state of language instruction and research at the University of Alaska, and examining staffing and leadership issues that threaten the preservation of Alaska Native languages.
This Alaska House Joint Resolution urges the U.S. Congress to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees free appropriate public education for children with disabilities. The bill highlights that while the federal government originally committed to covering 40% of special education costs, it currently funds only about 13%, creating financial strain on local school districts and families. It notes that over 7 million children nationwide qualify for these services, with Alaska seeing an increase in eligible students from 2014 to 2024, yet still faces waitlists and staffing shortages. The resolution calls for federal funding to keep pace with actual costs and inflation to support special education programs across the state.
HJR 38 is a resolution passed by the Alaska Legislature urging the U.S. Congress to recognize public safety telecommunicators (emergency dispatchers) as first responders and to pass the Enhancing First Response Act (S.725). Currently, federal law classifies these telecommunicators as "clerical workers" instead of first responders, limiting their access to benefits available to police, firefighters, and other emergency personnel. The resolution supports reclassifying telecommunicators as a "protective service occupation" under federal standards, which would align them with other first responders and improve recruitment and retention. This change would specifically affect emergency dispatchers nationwide by addressing their current classification barriers.
This bill creates a new procedure for property owners to request police removal of certain unlawful occupants from residential properties without first obtaining a court order. It applies to occupants who entered without permission, continue occupying, have no rental agreement, aren't immediate family, and where no related litigation is pending. Owners must submit a sworn request form verifying these conditions under penalty of perjury, with potential liability for false claims. The law amends Alaska's civil procedure rules to establish this expedited process for removing occupants who don't meet specific criteria under existing eviction statutes.
SB 204 modifies Alaska's school board rules by allowing members to work as substitute teachers (removing a prior restriction) and updating membership qualifications. It requires school board members to meet the same voter eligibility standards as municipal voters in their district and prohibits those convicted of felonies (except those with unconditional discharge) from serving. The bill directly affects Alaska school board members and school districts by changing employment rules and membership criteria. It does not create new funding or programs but adjusts existing statutory requirements for school board service.
HB 211 exempts prepaid legal plans from standard insurance regulations in Alaska. The bill defines a "prepaid legal plan" as an arrangement where members pay upfront for specific legal services, the provider contracts directly with attorneys at fixed rates, and attorneys do not receive additional payments for services provided. This directly affects prepaid legal service organizations and their members by removing them from the state's insurance regulatory framework. The key mechanism is a clear statutory exclusion, ensuring these plans operate outside typical insurance licensing and oversight requirements. The bill focuses on clarifying regulatory scope rather than creating new obligations.
HB 155 establishes a statewide database tracking monthly alcohol purchases in municipalities that restrict alcohol sales. It limits shipments to 10.5 liters of spirits or 24 liters of wine per month in these areas and requires shippers to check the database before delivering. The bill also restricts shipping addresses to a purchaser's residence or designated community sites in restricted zones, and denies license applications if they violate local sales restrictions. These changes directly affect alcohol licensees, retailers, and municipalities with local option sales restrictions.
