Alaska Bills

in committee · Alaska · House Feb 11, 2025

HB 63: An Act relating to regional educational attendance area elections; relating to terms for members of regional school boards; relating to voter residence; relating to voter registration; relating to the inclusion of voter registration forms in permanent fund dividend applications; relating to election administration; relating to ballot counting; relating to absentee voting; relating to early voting; relating to voting by mail; relating to publication of election pamphlets; and relating to confidential information in voter registration records.

HB 63 updates election rules for regional school boards in Alaska. It changes school board elections to occur annually (instead of biennially) on the first Tuesday in October during odd-numbered years, sets four-year staggered terms for board members, and allows communities to adjust board size via ballot. The bill also requires including voter registration forms with permanent fund dividend applications and modifies election administration procedures under the lieutenant governor's office. These changes directly affect voters in regional educational attendance areas and regional school boards across Alaska.

in committee · Alaska · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 84: An Act relating to the State Officers Compensation Commission; and relating to policies of the Alaska Legislative Council regarding allowances and reimbursement for moving expenses.

HB 84 updates Alaska's compensation review process for state officials. It requires the State Officers Compensation Commission to review legislative and executive branch pay every two years, submit separate reports for legislators and top officials (like the governor), and meet specific deadlines for public notice and submission. The bill also directs the Alaska Legislative Council to establish policies for moving expense reimbursements and annual allowances for legislators. These changes affect state legislators, the governor, lieutenant governor, and department heads by formalizing how their compensation and related expenses are reviewed and approved. The bill does not change current pay rates but sets new procedural requirements for future reviews.

in committee · Alaska · Senate Feb 10, 2025

SB 91: An Act relating to clean energy project development licenses and leases of state land for clean energy projects.

SB 91 streamlines land access for clean energy projects on Alaska state land by modifying survey requirements for leases and licenses. It waives certain official land survey and monumentation rules when land is offered for clean energy project development licenses under existing law (AS 38.05.410), reducing administrative barriers for developers. The bill specifically applies to projects seeking state land leases or licenses for clean energy infrastructure, excluding agricultural land and short-term leases. This is a procedural change to land conveyance rules, not a new energy policy or funding mechanism.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

in committee · Alaska · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 83: An Act disapproving the recommendations of the State Officers Compensation Commission; and providing for an effective date.

HB 83 rejects all recommendations from Alaska's State Officers Compensation Commission regarding state officer pay for 2025. The bill directly blocks the commission's proposed changes to compensation levels without creating new salary rules. It takes immediate effect under existing law, preventing the recommended salary adjustments from being implemented. This is a procedural disapproval of the commission's report, not a new policy change.

in committee · Alaska · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 86: An Act relating to unauthorized publication and use of communications; and relating to eavesdropping.

HB 86 strengthens privacy protections by making it illegal to share private communications without consent, except for specific authorized uses like court orders or emergency services. It bans using eavesdropping devices to record conversations without all parties' permission and restricts sharing illegally obtained audio. The law directly affects individuals, businesses, and organizations handling private communications, including phone calls or messages. Key provisions include requiring consent for disclosure, prohibiting misuse of illegally recorded content, and listing exemptions such as public broadcasts, emergency services communications, and accidental phone line interceptions.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

in committee · Alaska · House Feb 6, 2025

HB 68: An Act relating to the sale of alcohol; and relating to the posting of warning signs for alcoholic beverages.

HB 68 updates Alaska's alcohol licensing rules for restaurants and eateries. It requires license holders to ensure minors under 21 cannot obtain alcohol (with specific dining-only access rules for 16-20 year olds, including supervision and parental consent for under-16s), and mandates that food and drink sales remain under the licensee's sole control. The bill also shortens permitted alcohol sales times at theaters from two hours to one hour before/after events. These changes directly affect restaurants with alcohol licenses, minors seeking dining access, and restaurant employees aged 16-17.

in committee · Alaska · House Feb 6, 2025

HB 61: An Act relating to employment; relating to voluntary flexible work hour plans; relating to the employment of minors; and relating to hours worked by minors employed in the state.

HB 61 updates Alaska's employment laws for two key groups. For adult workers, it creates a new "voluntary flexible work hour plan" allowing up to 40 hours weekly (with written agreements and state approval), requiring overtime pay for hours beyond that. For minors under 16, it reduces the daily work limit from 10 to 9 hours (including school time), sets weekly caps of 23 hours during school and 40 hours when school is out, and exempts family-owned businesses from needing special permits for minor employees under direct family supervision. The bill also removes outdated requirements for minor employment authorizations.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Alaska · Senate Feb 5, 2025

SB 85: An Act relating to unauthorized publication and use of communications; and relating to eavesdropping.

SB 85 strengthens privacy protections for private communications in Alaska by making it illegal to publish or use private conversations without consent. It prohibits unauthorized disclosure of communication contents (e.g., texts, calls) and bans using eavesdropping devices to record conversations without all parties' agreement. Key exceptions include public broadcasts, emergency services communications, lawful law enforcement investigations, and incidental hearing during normal employment (like phone line maintenance). The bill directly affects individuals, businesses, and law enforcement by clarifying when private communications can legally be shared or recorded.

Topics ✓ Technology

in committee · Alaska · Senate Feb 5, 2025

SB 84: An Act making supplemental appropriations, reappropriations, and other appropriations; amending appropriations; capitalizing funds; repealing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

SB 84 is a budget bill that modifies existing state funding allocations for fiscal year 2025 (July 2024-June 2025). It adjusts specific line items across multiple state agencies, including $4.1 million for Corrections' Population Management, $228.6 million for Medicaid Services, and $30,000 for the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. The bill reallocates money within current budget structures without creating new programs or changing tax policies. It affects how state departments distribute existing funds during the upcoming fiscal year.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Alaska · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 70: An Act relating to regional educational attendance area elections; relating to terms for members of regional school boards; relating to voter residence; relating to voter registration; relating to the inclusion of voter registration forms in permanent fund dividend applications; relating to election administration; relating to ballot counting; relating to absentee voting; relating to early voting; relating to voting by mail; relating to publication of election pamphlets; and relating to confidential information in voter registration records.

SB 70 changes election rules for regional school boards in Alaska. It requires members to serve four-year staggered terms (previously three years) and shifts elections from annual to biennial (every two years) on odd-numbered year October Tuesdays. The bill affects voters in regional school districts by altering how school boards are elected and when elections occur. Key provisions include preventing all board members from serving the same term length simultaneously and allowing communities to adjust board size via ballot measure.

in committee · Alaska · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 52: An Act relating to the day on which ballots are counted in an election; relating to absentee voting; and relating to early voting.

SB 52 modifies Alaska's election timing rules for ballot counting, absentee voting, and early voting. It extends the deadline for counting all ballots to 11:59 p.m. Alaska time on election day (previously 8:00 p.m.), adds a requirement for election boards to store delayed ballots in transparent, video-monitored containers during weather/flight issues, and clarifies that early voting ballots must be counted by the same 11:59 p.m. deadline. These changes directly affect election boards managing vote tabulation and voters casting absentee or early ballots. The bill ensures all ballots - whether cast in person, by mail, or early - are processed within a consistent, extended timeframe.

in committee · Alaska · House Jan 31, 2025

HJR 7: Supporting and expressing gratitude to President Donald J. Trump for the Executive Order titled "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential" and for the president's recognition of the role of the federal government in revitalizing the state's economy, energy production, and resource development.

HJR 7 is a symbolic resolution expressing Alaska's gratitude to President Trump for his 2020 executive order "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential." The resolution specifically commends the executive order's directives to restart oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, rescind environmental reviews of past projects, and prioritize resource development on federal lands. It does not create new laws or alter regulations but formally supports the executive order's policy goals. The resolution directly affects Alaska's legislative body, which is expressing this stance to the federal government. This is a non-binding gesture, not a legislative change.

Topics ✗ Energy ✗ Environment

George Rauscher (R) · 17 co-sponsors

Bill results