The Alaska Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would establish a surcharge on phone bills to fund behavioral health crisis services, after adding protections for low-income consumers.

The committee adopted a substitute version of Senate Bill 196 that exempts wireless and wireline phones provided at discounted rates to qualifying low-income consumers from the surcharge. The substitute also updates the bill's effective date to July 1, 2026.

Committee staff explained the changes during the brief hearing. The bill moved forward without objection.

"We have Ms. Rosaro, the Acting Deputy Director for the Division of Behavioral Health Online, if members have comments, questions," Senate Finance Committee co-chair Lyman Hoffman said. No questions were raised, and Rosaro did not provide testimony.

The committee set the bill aside after adopting the substitute version. The measure now awaits further action as it moves through the legislative process.

The surcharge would create a dedicated funding source for behavioral health crisis services in Alaska. Other states have established similar mechanisms to support mental health and substance use disorder crisis response systems.