Alaska Bills | MyRepTracker

in committee · Alaska · House May 6, 2026

HB 286: An Act relating to an optional municipal tax exemption for the homes of volunteer firefighters and volunteer providers of emergency medical services or mobile intensive care paramedic services; and providing for an effective date.

HB 286 allows Alaska municipalities to optionally provide a property tax exemption for the homes of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services providers. Specifically, it permits cities or boroughs to exempt up to $10,000 of a property’s assessed value from taxation for eligible residents who are certified by the state to provide fire fighting, emergency medical, or mobile intensive care services. The exemption applies only to properties owned and occupied as a permanent residence by qualifying volunteers, with a maximum of two exemptions per property. Municipalities may choose whether to implement this provision, and the bill takes immediate effect.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Alaska · Senate May 6, 2026

SB 169: An Act establishing the welcoming Alaska office; establishing the welcoming Alaska center; establishing the Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee; repealing the office of citizenship assistance; and providing for an effective date.

SB 169 establishes the Welcoming Alaska Office within the commissioner's office to support new immigrants and newcomers in Alaska. The office provides employment services (including job referrals, anti-discrimination guidance, and help navigating licensing barriers), offers grants for economic integration programs, and coordinates with state agencies to improve access to housing, healthcare, and business opportunities. It replaces the existing Office of Citizenship Assistance and creates a Welcoming Alaska Center with a multilingual hotline, along with an Advisory Committee to advise on immigrant support strategies. The bill directly affects new immigrants and newcomers by aiming to reduce employment barriers and enhance their economic and social integration across state services.

Topics ✓ Housing ✓ Immigration

in committee · Alaska · House May 6, 2026

HB 188: An Act establishing the welcoming Alaska office; establishing the welcoming Alaska center; establishing the Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee; repealing the office of citizenship assistance; and providing for an effective date.

HB 188 establishes the Welcoming Alaska Office within the commissioner's office to support new immigrants and newcomers in Alaska. The office will provide employment services, reduce licensing barriers, prevent workplace discrimination, and operate a multilingual hotline for referrals. It repeals the existing Office of Citizenship Assistance and creates a Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee to advise on immigrant integration. The bill directly affects new immigrants by improving access to jobs, housing, healthcare, and other services through state agency coordination. Key provisions include grant programs for economic integration, research on demographic trends, and policy recommendations to the governor and legislature.

Topics ✓ Immigration ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Alaska · House May 6, 2026

HB 233: An Act prohibiting certain mining activities within the watershed of the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve.

HB 233 prohibits metallic sulfide mining (such as mining for gold, copper, or other metals from sulfide-bearing rock) within the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve watershed. The bill directly affects mining operations in this area, aiming to protect the region's salmon fisheries and water systems. Key provisions ban these specific mining activities to prevent pollution of rivers, groundwater, and aquatic habitats connected to Bristol Bay. This aligns with legislative findings that the watershed supports a $2.2 billion annual fishery economy, 15,000 jobs, and cultural practices of Alaska Native communities. The bill does not address other mining types or activities outside the designated watershed.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Alaska · House May 6, 2026

HB 49: An Act relating to tobacco, tobacco products, electronic smoking products, nicotine, and products containing nicotine; raising the minimum age to purchase, exchange, or possess tobacco, a product containing nicotine, or an electronic smoking product; relating to the tobacco use education and cessation fund; relating to the taxation of electronic smoking products and vapor products; and providing for an effective date.

HB 49 raises Alaska's minimum age for purchasing, possessing, or exchanging tobacco products, electronic smoking devices, and nicotine products from 19 to 21 years old. It prohibits individuals under 21 from possessing these items, with exceptions for FDA-approved nicotine cessation products prescribed by a healthcare provider or provided through state-approved programs. The bill also updates vending machine rules, allowing them only in specific licensed venues with strict supervision or in controlled workplace areas requiring clear warning signs. These changes aim to reduce youth access to nicotine products while maintaining medical use pathways.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Alaska · House May 5, 2026

HB 383: An Act creating building management specialist positions in the Department of Education and Early Development; and providing for an effective date.

This bill creates three new building management specialist positions within the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. These specialists will support school districts by handling preventive maintenance, facility management, and capital improvements through training, technical assistance, and on-site support. Additionally, the legislation establishes a career ladder with multiple grades to help retain qualified professionals in facility management. The changes are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Alaska · House May 5, 2026

HB 317: An Act relating to maintenance of transportation facilities in wildland urban interface zones.

HB 317 requires Alaska's Department of Transportation to prioritize maintenance of state roads in wildland urban interface zones - areas where communities are accessible by only one route and face wildfire risks. The department must consult local municipalities, community groups, and regional organizations to develop annual maintenance plans focused on wildfire season preparation and fuel load management. It mandates a report by December 2026 detailing how these roads will be prioritized for maintenance. This affects transportation planning for vulnerable communities in fire-prone areas and modifies existing duties under Alaska Statute 44.42.020.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

in committee · Alaska · House May 5, 2026

HB 343: An Act relating to earning secondary school course credit through assessment; and relating to a child's right to attend a public school.

HB 343 allows Alaska high school students (grades 9-12) to earn course credit by passing assessments instead of taking classes, requiring school districts to offer this option at least three times yearly or upon parent request. It specifically mandates that school districts provide this assessment opportunity within three weeks of enrollment for students with parents who are active-duty military members or transferred under military orders to Alaska. The bill also ensures children under school age who were previously enrolled in military schools (like DODEA programs) can attend public schools in Alaska without additional barriers. Definitions clarify "military installation" to include bases, camps, and facilities under the U.S. Department of Defense or Coast Guard.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Alaska · Senate May 5, 2026

SB 251: An Act repealing the Workers' Compensation Appeals Commission; relating to decisions and orders of the Workers' Compensation Appeals Commission; relating to superior court jurisdiction over appeals from Alaska Workers' Compensation Board decisions; repealing Rules 201.1, 401.1, and 501.1, Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure, and amending Rules 202(a), 204(a) - (c), 210(e), 601(b), 602(c) and (h), and 603(a), Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure; and providing for an effective date.

SB 251 repeals Alaska's Workers' Compensation Appeals Commission and shifts appeals directly to superior courts. It makes past commission decisions legally binding precedent (unless overturned by a court) and tightens privacy rules for medical records in workers' compensation claims. The bill updates court procedures for appeals and requires courts to consider prior commission rulings. These changes affect workers filing injury claims, employers, and the Alaska Workers' Compensation Board.

in committee · Alaska · Senate May 5, 2026

SB 196: An Act establishing a behavioral health crisis services surcharge; establishing the behavioral health crisis services fund; and providing for an effective date.

SB 196 imposes a $0.98 monthly surcharge on all wireless phone numbers and landline telephone access lines in Alaska, collected by phone companies from customers. The funds collected are deposited into a new "behavioral health crisis services fund" managed by the Department of Health. This fund will directly support the operation and improvement of Alaska's 988 crisis hotline system, including staffing, technology, and infrastructure. The bill requires phone companies to separately bill customers for the surcharge, remit collected funds to the state within 60 days, and deduct only administrative costs (up to $150 or 1% of collected amount) before remittance.

in committee · Alaska · Senate May 4, 2026

SB 257: An Act relating to funding for residential schools; and providing for an effective date.

SB 257 amends Alaska law to adjust funding for residential schools by establishing new reimbursement rules for school districts. It directly affects districts operating residential schools and students attending them by: (1) reimbursing one round-trip transportation cost (least expensive option) between a student's home and school, and (2) providing a monthly room/board stipend per student based on region, ranging from $1,200 (Southcentral) to $1,776 (Northern Remote). The stipend amounts are calculated as a percentage of Alaska's base student allocation, with specific regional rates set in the bill. The changes apply retroactively from July 1, 2025, and take effect immediately.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Alaska · Senate May 4, 2026

SB 262: An Act relating to social media and minors; and providing for an effective date.

SB 262 requires social media platforms to prohibit users under 16 years old who are Alaska residents from creating accounts and to terminate existing accounts of such minors within 90 days (allowing time to dispute). It also bans platforms from using personal data of users under 18 for tailored content recommendations and mandates permanent deletion of terminated accounts' data. The law applies to platforms with at least 10% of daily active users under 18 spending two+ hours daily, plus features like endless scrolling or frequent notifications. Affected minors’ parents or guardians may sue for up to $10,000 in damages if platforms knowingly violate these rules.

Topics ✓ Technology