Rep. Andi Story

Maddy summaryHB 39 requires Alaska public school districts to provide parents of deaf or hard of hearing students with unbiased information about hearing technology, communication methods (like sign language or spoken language), and support services. It mandates that districts allow parents to choose the communication method for their child and deliver services using that method through trained professionals. The bill also requires the state to support programs for deaf students, including residential options, and sets procedures for school districts operating these programs while maintaining special education responsibilities.

Maddy summaryHB 96 establishes a Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board within Alaska's Department of Health. The board, composed of 10 members representing home care providers, direct care workers, home care recipients, rate reviewers, seniors, and disability advocates, will advise on payment rates for home care services and investigate workforce conditions like wages and benefits. It requires the board to meet at least three times yearly, include public testimony, and focus on ensuring payment rates meet federal requirements and support a stable workforce. The bill directly affects home care workers, providers, and recipients of home care services in Alaska by creating a structured process to address payment adequacy and working conditions.

Maddy summaryHB 184 amends Alaska's Industrial Development and Export Authority to explicitly include financing for workforce housing projects in its purpose. The bill authorizes the Authority to provide financial support for constructing new housing developments with five or more dwelling units, using existing tools like bonds and loans. This change directly affects the Authority and housing developers, enabling them to address workforce housing shortages as part of the Authority's mission to promote economic welfare and reduce unemployment. The bill expands the Authority's existing role without creating new funding sources, focusing on applying current mechanisms to housing needs.

Maddy summaryHB 27 amends Alaska law to clarify and expand the definition of "major emergencies" in medical services, explicitly including heart attacks and strokes. It updates the Department of Health's responsibilities to coordinate emergency medical services (including trauma care), award grants to support providers, and establish standards for hospitals to qualify as trauma centers. The bill directly affects hospitals, clinics, and emergency medical personnel by defining which conditions require specialized emergency response systems. Key provisions require the department to develop criteria based on national standards for trauma center designation and ensure coordination across public and private emergency care providers. This is a procedural update to existing emergency medical system administration, not a new funding or program.

Maddy summaryHB 52 ensures minors receiving inpatient mental health treatment at psychiatric hospitals in Alaska have the right to weekly confidential communication (via phone or video) with parents, legal guardians, or an approved adult, unless prohibited by law or deemed unadvisable by a physician. The bill requires psychiatric hospitals to report all uses of seclusion or restraint to the Department of Health and parents within one business day, and mandates biannual unannounced inspections of hospitals treating minors, including interviews with at least 50% of minor patients. It also requires the Department of Health to publish an annual report detailing seclusion/restraint usage, inspection findings, and data on minors in care, with the report due by November 1 each year. These provisions take effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 28 establishes a pilot program to help certain Alaska teachers and state employees repay student loans. It targets full-time public school teachers and state workers who completed degrees outside Alaska (with 12+ months Alaska residency before studying) or at the University of Alaska (with 12+ months outside Alaska before employment), provided they have qualifying student loans. Participants may receive annual grants of up to $8,000 (for loans ≥$24,000) or one-third of their loan balance (for smaller loans), capped at 125 grants yearly with a $1 million total annual limit. The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education will administer the program, require annual reports on its impact on recruitment/retention, and evaluate it through 2027 before the program expires January 1, 2028.

Maddy summaryHJR 39 is a resolution passed by the Alaska State Legislature urging the federal government to waive a $100,000 annual H-1B visa fee for international educators hired by Alaska schools. It directly affects Alaska school districts - particularly rural and remote ones facing teacher shortages in subjects like math, science, and special education - who currently employ nearly 500 international educators. The resolution cites that the fee increase threatens to force schools to pay millions or lose needed teachers, impacting over 5,000 students currently without adequate staffing. This is a non-binding request to federal officials (including the President, Education Secretary, and Homeland Security Secretary), not a law that would change visa fees itself.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic resolution from Alaska's legislature honors the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence signing (July 4, 1776) and encourages Alaskan residents to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026. It commemorates the founding principles and historical significance of the Declaration without creating new laws or affecting specific groups.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HCR 4) is a symbolic resolution proclaiming May 2025 as "Myositis Awareness Month" in Alaska. It directly affects Alaskans living with myositis - a group of rare, chronic autoimmune muscle diseases causing inflammation, pain, fatigue, and other serious symptoms. The resolution encourages Alaskans to learn about myositis symptoms, support affected individuals and families, and participate in nationwide awareness efforts organized by The Myositis Association. It does not create new laws or allocate funding, but serves as a formal recognition of the challenges faced by those with this rare disease.

Maddy summaryHB 48 updates funding rules for Alaska's civil legal services fund, which provides legal aid to low-income residents. The bill limits annual appropriations to funds from the general state budget and up to 10% of court filing fees collected in the previous fiscal year (reducing the prior cap from 25%). It specifies that funds must support organizations serving individuals with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. The bill clarifies the fund remains part of the general state budget, not a dedicated account, and does not create new funding sources.