HB 95 renames the Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives to the Board of Licensed Midwives, extends the board’s termination date from 2025 to 2031, and requires insurance coverage for midwifery care regardless of delivery location. It directly affects licensed midwives (including those transitioning from "certified direct-entry" status), pregnant people seeking home births, and insurance providers. Key provisions include updating legal definitions to reflect the new board name, ensuring midwifery services are covered under insurance policies, and codifying the legislature’s intent to support home births with licensed midwives. The bill aims to remove barriers to non-hospital births while maintaining oversight of midwifery practice.
SB 119 prohibits discrimination against Alaskans based on protected characteristics like race, religion, disability, gender, or housing status. It guarantees specific rights including access to public spaces, medical care, employment, housing, and religious participation without denial or harassment. The bill establishes legal remedies, allowing courts to award damages, attorney fees, and injunctions for violations. It directly affects all Alaskans by setting clear standards for equal treatment in daily life and public services.
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 142 updates regulations for group health insurance plans used by Alaska municipalities and the state government, including how pharmacy benefits are managed. It requires municipal plans (including self-insured ones) and their pharmacy benefits managers to follow specific state laws (AS 21.27.901-21.27.975 and AS 21.36.520), unless covered by federal ERISA. For the state, it clarifies procurement rules, mandating that the Department of Administration must follow dual choice requirements, obtain bids from authorized insurers, and select the lowest responsible bid for group health insurance. This bill directly affects municipal and state employee health coverage, pharmacy benefit administration, and the process for selecting insurance providers.
SB 141 requires all state-owned buildings and public buildings open to the public to provide and maintain an automated external defibrillator (AED) and an opioid overdose response kit on every floor, placed in a central location with clear signage. The bill also grants legal protection to anyone who administers opioid overdose drugs during an emergency or maintains such kits in public spaces, shielding them from civil liability. It mandates the state health department to seek federal funding for costs and adopt regulations to enforce these requirements, with the law taking effect January 1, 2026. This directly affects public building owners, state facilities, and emergency responders by standardizing lifesaving equipment access.
HB 166 requires Alaska's Department of Education to develop an opioid abuse awareness curriculum for students in grades 6-12. The curriculum must cover opioid dangers (including fentanyl-laced candy), science of opioid use, safe prescription practices, and early warning signs, with at least 60 minutes of annual instruction. School districts must teach this curriculum during the last week in October. The bill also mandates that the Department consult with health officials, overdose response experts, and affected families when creating the program.
This bill requires Alaska public schools to include hands-only CPR instruction in health education for students in grades where it is adopted. The Department of Education must develop age-appropriate curricula based on current national guidelines, requiring hands-on practice and instruction on automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Schools must offer this training to students in designated grades starting August 25, 2025. It directly affects all K-12 public school students in Alaska through mandatory curriculum updates.
HB 178 prohibits discrimination based on medical debt in employment and housing. It amends existing laws to make it unlawful for employers to refuse jobs, deny promotions, or discriminate in pay because of a person's medical debt, and for landlords to refuse rentals, charge higher fees, or ask about medical debt when screening tenants. The bill explicitly adds "medical debt" to protected characteristics under Alaska's anti-discrimination statutes, covering both workplace and housing decisions. It defines "medical debt" per AS 45.85.800(c) and takes effect upon enactment. This directly affects job applicants, employees, and renters whose medical debt might otherwise be used against them.
HB 225 allows pharmacists to dispense fluoride supplements without an individual prescription, provided they operate under a standing order approved under existing law (AS 17.20.087). This directly affects pharmacists and patients seeking fluoride supplements for dental health. The bill requires pharmacists to provide patient counseling on proper administration, storage, side effects, and risks of the supplements. It amends pharmacy practice regulations to clarify this dispensing authority while maintaining safety requirements. The bill does not address fluoride in public water systems, as referenced in the title but not detailed in the provided text.
SB 193 establishes a temporary endorsement pathway for naturopaths in Alaska to prescribe prescription drugs under physician supervision. It requires naturopaths to pass a pharmacology exam and complete one year of supervised practice with a physician who has at least five years of prescribing experience. After supervision, the supervising physician must submit a report recommending whether the naturopath should receive permanent prescribing authority. The bill also mandates 30 hours of continuing education for license renewal and an additional 20 hours on pharmacotherapy for those with prescribing authority. This directly affects licensed naturopaths seeking to expand their practice to include prescription drugs.
