Alaska Bills

HB 346 requires Alaska's Department of Transportation to follow local zoning rules for buffers (like green spaces or barriers) between airports and nearby nonindustrial property, such as homes or farms. The department can only remove an existing buffer if it creates an immediate aircraft safety hazard, after providing public notice and comment, and implementing new protective measures like replacement buffers. This directly affects airport operators, local governments, and residents living near airports by setting clear rules for land use. The bill aims to balance airport safety with community concerns about noise and development.

SB 153 exempts municipal service area boards (local entities managing services like water or sewer systems) from Alaska's Open Meetings Act requirements when they meet solely to handle administrative or managerial decisions. The bill amends state law to explicitly include these boards as a category excluded from public meeting rules, similar to existing exemptions for hospital staff or parole boards. This change applies only to meetings focused on routine operational matters, not to decisions involving public hearings or formal proceedings. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

SB 76 defines "complex care residential homes" in Alaska state law as facilities providing 24-hour, multi-disciplinary care to no more than 15 individuals with specialized medical, behavioral, or disability-related needs. The bill adds this category to existing health facility regulations, explicitly excluding such homes from the definition of "hospital" to clarify regulatory oversight. This change directly affects residential care facilities serving vulnerable adults requiring specialized, ongoing support. The bill creates a new regulatory framework for these homes under Alaska’s Department of Health, without altering service requirements or funding.

SB 248 establishes a licensing requirement for genetic counselors in Alaska, meaning they must obtain a license to practice. The bill creates a Genetic Counseling Advisory Council to guide licensing standards, sets rules for telehealth services provided by licensed counselors, and clarifies medical malpractice liability. It also provides immunity from civil claims when counselors offer free health care services and prohibits group health insurance plans from discriminating against genetic counselors. This legislation directly affects genetic counselors, the State Medical Board (which will oversee licensing), and health insurers in Alaska.

HB 352 allows Alaska to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Physician Assistant (PA) Licensure Compact, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, and the EMS Personnel Licensure Compact. This creates a streamlined process for healthcare professionals - including physicians, physician assistants, psychologists, and EMS personnel - to obtain licenses in multiple states without separate applications for each state. The bill requires background checks for applicants and mandates that providers must be licensed in the state where the patient is located during care. It does not change existing state medical practice laws but integrates these compacts into Alaska’s licensing framework.

SB 212 increases the number of superior court judges in Alaska's third judicial district from 28 to 29 by amending the state code. This change directly affects the third judicial district, which covers Anchorage and surrounding areas, by adding one permanent judge position to handle caseloads. The bill requires no new funding or policy shifts - only a structural adjustment to the court's staffing. It will take effect on July 1, 2026, after enactment.

HB 3 requires the Alaska legislature to convene annually in Anchorage for regular sessions starting on the third Tuesday in January. It prohibits legislators and legislative employees from soliciting campaign contributions in Anchorage during regular sessions and restricts candidates for governor or lieutenant governor from doing so in Anchorage during any legislative session. The bill allows special sessions to be held anywhere in the state, with the governor or presiding officers designating the location. Additionally, it updates lobbying registration requirements and provides travel expense reimbursement for legislators attending regular sessions in Anchorage.

HB 34 establishes the Alaska Innovation Council within the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development to advance economic development through innovation. The council will have 19 members, including the governor (as chair), agency commissioners, five governor-appointed entrepreneurs with specific expertise (e.g., rural/urban startup ecosystems, angel investing, and Alaska Native business partnerships), two higher education representatives, and legislative members. The bill requires financial disclosures for all council members and sets terms, meetings (at least three times yearly), and voting rules for official action. It directly affects Alaska’s business ecosystem by creating a formal body to coordinate innovation efforts across government, education, and private sectors.

SB 240 creates two new funds using Alaska's permanent fund dividends: a senior citizen grants endowment fund to provide direct grants to organizations supporting seniors, and a senior citizen grants dividend raffle fund that offers free raffle entries to seniors. The bill redirects permanent fund dividends toward these funds, allowing organizations serving seniors to receive grants and enabling seniors to enter raffles for potential prizes. It also explicitly defines the raffle as non-gambling under state law, excluding it from standard gambling regulations. This policy directly affects seniors (through free raffle entries) and senior support organizations (through grant funding), using existing permanent fund resources without new taxes.

SB 270 amends Alaska's Rules of Criminal Procedure to clarify and strengthen grand jury operations. It requires at least two alternate jurors for each grand jury (Section 1), mandates courts to provide written instructions on grand jury laws (Section 2), and explicitly states grand juries may investigate matters affecting public safety - excluding private civil claims (Sections 3-4). The bill also requires jurors who know of a crime to disclose it to fellow jurors and prosecutors (Section 5), and allows hearsay evidence in grand jury proceedings with proper notice to the jury (Section 10). These changes apply to all Alaska grand juries handling criminal investigations.

HB 150 requires Alaska's Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS) to create a shared screening method to identify children affected by sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or commercial sexual exploitation. Shelters for runaway minors must screen minors upon intake and when risk factors arise, while DFCS must screen children in its care at initial commitment and when victimization is suspected. The bill also mandates DFCS to investigate the experiences of missing children in its custody who are located, including screening them for these specific issues. These requirements apply to children under DFCS supervision or receiving services from shelters, with implementation required within one year. The law aims to standardize victim identification and response across relevant agencies.

This bill authorizes $69,695,087 in supplemental funding from Alaska's Constitutional Budget Reserve Fund for capital projects and grants administered by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The money will be distributed to support federal program matches for aviation and highway projects, as well as other federal program matching requirements. The appropriations are designated for capital projects only and will expire if not used by the specified deadline, with the funding retroactive to March 1, 2026.