The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced House Bill 101 on Monday, legislation that would raise Alaska's age of consent from 16 to 18 years old. The measure passed the House unanimously months ago but spent weeks stalled in the Senate.

Senator Matt Claman, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, held the bill for an extended period before incorporating it into an omnibus crime package. Representatives Andrew Gray, a Democrat, and Sarah Vance, a Republican, introduced the bill in February 2025. It remained in gridlock in the Senate as of April 2026 despite its unanimous House passage. Critics say the delay was unnecessary for legislation with broad bipartisan support addressing Alaska's sexual violence crisis.

Alaska has the nation's highest rate of sexual assault and one of the highest rates of child sexual assault. More than 59 percent of adult women in Alaska have experienced sexual or intimate partner violence, according to state data.

The bill includes provisions that would allow consensual relationships when the age difference is six years or less. It also includes a four-year gap exception for ages 13 to 15. Supporters say it targets predatory relationships while protecting age-appropriate teenage couples.

Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case testified that the department expects only a handful of additional cases annually. Case said offenders in these cases are typically in their late 20s to early 30s.

"These are not peer relationships," Case said. "They are predatory dynamics that take advantage of youth who are still developing emotionally and cognitively."

Brenda Stanfill, executive director of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, said the bill would give parents recourse when they believe their 16- or 17-year-old is being exploited. Under current law, parents may have limited options to intervene.

Randy Bredegar, who has experience in sexual assault cases, said the bill would provide prosecutors an additional tool. It would remove the burden of proving non-consent with 16- and 17-year-old victims.

The bill is now part of a broader crime package that includes measures on AI-generated pornography and other offenses. Claman and Senator Chuck Kopp have pushed the omnibus approach.

The omnibus strategy has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers who question why a bill with unanimous House support needed to be bundled with other measures. Supporters of the bundling say it may help advance multiple crime bills that have struggled to gain traction individually.

The committee is scheduled to reconvene Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. to continue deliberations.