Rules

HB 193 establishes a paid parental leave program in Alaska, allowing eligible workers to take paid time off for childbirth, adoption, or foster placement within 12 months. The program is funded by a 0.15% payroll contribution from employees (credited against their unemployment insurance payments), with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development administering claims and verifying eligibility using documents like birth certificates or adoption papers. Employees must earn at least $2,500 in wages across two calendar quarters to qualify. The bill also includes provisions for the fund to support unemployment benefits, but its primary focus is creating the new paid leave program.

HB 217 regulates autonomous vehicles in Alaska by requiring them to meet federal safety standards and prohibiting their use in interstate commercial transport (e.g., goods or passengers) unless for personal use or with a human safety operator physically present and able to intervene. The bill establishes that the human safety operator is presumed liable for accidents involving autonomous vehicles unless software, hardware, or modifications caused the incident, with liability flowing first to the operator, then the vehicle modifier, software programmer, and finally the manufacturer. It directly affects autonomous vehicle operators, manufacturers, and safety operators within Alaska, clarifying legal responsibility and operational limits. The law defines "autonomous vehicle" to exclude basic driver-assistance systems (like adaptive cruise control) and specifies that vehicles must have conditional, high, or full driving automation capability. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

This bill establishes a Joint Legislative Alaska Native Languages Academic Task Force within the Alaska State Legislature to oversee the preservation and instruction of Alaska Native languages. The task force will consist of six members, with three appointed by the House speaker and three by the Senate president. Within 90 days of the law taking effect, the group must hold public meetings to gather input from communities and experts while reviewing academic activities at the University of Alaska system. Their review will specifically examine teacher training programs, research archives, and staffing levels to support the documentation and instruction of these languages.

HB 202 designates giant cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) as Alaska's official state vegetable. The bill amends state code to formally include this designation and takes effect immediately upon enactment. This is a symbolic measure with no substantive policy changes or direct impact on residents or state programs.

SB 55 reduces required employer contributions to Alaska's teachers' retirement system. It lowers the employer contribution rate from 14.56% to 12.56% of base salaries for active and reemployed retired teachers, and cuts supplemental employee benefit contributions from 9% to 7% of annual compensation. The bill directly affects school districts and public employers participating in the teachers' retirement system (AS 14.25) or public employees' retirement system (AS 39.35), impacting their payroll obligations. The changes take effect July 1, 2025, and also clarify eligibility rules for employers not participating in federal Social Security.