Alaska's Senate Joint Resolution 11 urges Congress to waive the Jones Act, which requires U.S.-built vessels for domestic cargo transport, to enable shipping domestic liquefied natural gas (LNG) between Alaska ports. The resolution addresses an impending natural gas shortage in Southcentral Alaska (home to most residents and military bases) by seeking to move LNG from North Slope reserves to population centers. Currently, the Jones Act prevents using non-compliant tankers for this transport, despite Alaska having significant gas reserves and facing supply shortfalls starting in 2027. The resolution requests this waiver as a near-term solution, citing precedents where similar waivers were granted after natural disasters.
HJR 6 is a non-binding resolution from the Alaska Legislature urging the U.S. Congress to protect the Universal Service Fund (USF). The USF provides critical funding for broadband and telecommunication services in rural Alaska, directly supporting low-income residents, schools, hospitals, and libraries. Without continued USF funding, rural communities would face significant losses, including $221 million annually for health clinics, loss of affordable broadband for 500 schools, and reduced communication access for 137,600 students. The resolution calls on Congress to safeguard the USF through legislative action to maintain these essential services.
SB 105 amends Alaska state law to clarify and streamline the process for leasing and selling state-owned land for recreational cabin sites. The bill requires the state director to issue a written finding that each proposed lease or sale best serves state interests, limiting administrative reviews to only the most relevant facts and issues (such as land characteristics and foreseeable impacts). It allows the director to impose additional conditions on these transactions and simplifies approval by reducing the scope of required reviews. This directly affects state land management decisions and future recreational cabin site developments on public lands.
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.
This Alaska bill (SB 12) changes how permanent fund dividends are treated for people who owe child support. It amends state law to count a permanent fund dividend applied for or distributed to someone owing child support as if it were a child support payment (under AS 11.51.120(g)). This means the dividend would reduce the amount of child support debt owed, directly affecting Alaska residents who receive the annual dividend but have outstanding child support obligations. The bill does not change dividend eligibility or amounts but modifies how dividends are applied toward existing child support debts.
HB 89 creates a new type of protective order specifically targeting gun violence risks, allowing peace officers or household members to petition courts for orders preventing individuals deemed a danger from possessing firearms. It establishes a mandatory central registry for all protective orders (including domestic violence and gun-related orders), requiring law enforcement to enter orders into the system within 24 hours and maintaining records even after expiration. The bill clarifies that violating protective orders - especially those restricting firearm access - constitutes a criminal offense, with specific provisions detailing when violations occur. It directly affects individuals subject to such orders, law enforcement officers, and courts handling these petitions. The law amends Alaska’s civil procedure rules to implement these changes, effective upon passage.
SB 127 requires Alaska public schools to include braille instruction in the individualized education plans of visually impaired students, unless other services are specifically determined to be more appropriate for the student's needs - though braille instruction must still be available regardless. It also establishes a state program to provide specialized educational services, materials, and teachers for visually impaired children aged 3 to 22, and mandates in-person braille training for current teachers. The bill defines "braille" as Standard English Braille, Grade 2, to standardize implementation. This law directly affects visually impaired students, school districts, and educators in Alaska's public schools.
HB 109 streamlines the process for leasing or selling Alaska state land for recreational cabin sites. It modifies state law to require only a single written finding by the director (instead of multiple reviews) when approving land sales or leases, limiting the review to foreseeable effects and material facts about the land. This directly affects state land managers (like the commissioner and director) and individuals or businesses seeking to develop recreational cabins on state land. The bill does not change land use policies but clarifies administrative procedures for existing recreational cabin site programs under Alaska Statutes 38.05.600 and 38.08.
SB 18 requires Alaska public schools to adopt policies banning student use of personal wireless devices (like phones) during all regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods, with exceptions only for emergencies. School districts must implement either a state-developed model policy or their own policy, and share it with parents, students, and school staff. The bill defines "wireless telecommunications devices" as any portable device capable of voice, messaging, or data communication. It takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 131 establishes a multistate nurse licensure compact in Alaska and adjusts fee structures for nursing licenses. It requires that fees for single-state nursing licenses (for registered, practical, or advanced practice registered nurses) cover total regulatory costs, while multistate license fees must be double the single-state fee. This directly affects nursing professionals seeking licensure in Alaska and the Board of Nursing, which must now set fees based on these cost-based rules. The bill also updates the definition of "health care provider" to include nurses licensed under Alaska's nursing statutes.
HB 128 clarifies management responsibilities for Chugach State Park in Alaska, primarily affecting municipalities seeking road access within the park. The bill allows the state to grant road easements or right-of-way to municipalities under specific conditions: the municipality must request it, cover all costs, maintain the roads, and prove the easement improves public access and serves the public interest. It also specifies that the Department of Transportation maintains existing park roads, except where municipalities handle maintenance under these new easement terms. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
SB 108 amends Alaska's legal definitions to explicitly include finfish farming under "agricultural facility" and "agricultural operation." It expands existing definitions to cover aquatic or finfish farming activities, directly affecting commercial finfish farms and their products. The bill's key mechanism is redefining these terms to clarify that finfish farming falls within agricultural regulations. This change would subject finfish farms to the same regulatory framework as other agricultural operations under Alaska law. The bill is pending in the Resources committee as of March 2025.
