Alaska Legislature: House Floor Session — April 30, 2026 10:30am

Will the House please come to order?

Will members please indicate their presence by voting?

Will the clerk please tally the board? 36 Members present. With 36 members present, we have a quorum present to conduct business. Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, I have no previous excused absences today. Leading the invocation this morning is our very own Representative Tannen. Will members please rise.

With the deepest respect for the beliefs of all Alaskans, I offer the following. Every new day, I remind myself that this day, the one in front of me, is a gift. A beautiful and simple and intricate and loving gift. A gift thought of long before it even arrived, and I am invited to open it up and become alive. I'm allowed to feel and explore and love and dream and create and cry and try and spread hope and give back and hold on.

I am welcome to rest and write and daydream and forgive and be forgiven and celebrate. I am invited to walk beneath the sun and sit below the stars at night and pray out loud or in my head or with my hands. This day, the one in front of me now, is a gift, and I'm not going to let it pass away.

Representative Kopp, would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Representative Story. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move and ask unanimous consent that the prayer be spread across the journal. Hearing no objection, the prayer The prayer will be spread across the journal. Will the clerk please certify the journal for the previous legislative days?

I certify as to the correctness of the journal for the 100th legislative day. Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the journal of the previous days be approved as certified by the chief clerk.

Hearing no objection, the journal stands approved. Are there guests for introduction this morning? Representative Stapp.

Oh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, behind me in the Taylor Gallery, it is a great privilege to introduce two of my favorite constituents, and I think they'd also return that sentiment. First, I have Amelia Stapp. She's 8 years old. She lives in Fairbanks, but Juneau a lot of the time too.

She is enrolled in the IDEA program through Galena City School District. She loves playing piano, skiing, dancing, all around anything extroverted related. And my other introduction today is my 5-year-old Abigail. Abigail is a sensitive soul. She loves bugs, all things bugs.

Her favorite book is the Encyclopedia Encyclopedia of Bugs. It's 652 pages. I read it basically every night, and we talk about all the different species and genuses of bugs. If you find her with downtime outside, she will be looking and searching at different bugs and explaining to me what they are and where they come from and whether or not they are different types of genies and subgroups. And she also loves winking at the camera, so Without further ado, I'd ask my two daughters to stand up and be introduced.

Are there additional guests to be introduced this morning?

Representative Himschute, thank you for For that, I couldn't quite see it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Peratridge Gallery, I'd like to invite William Craig to stand and be acknowledged. He is here from SITKA, and Mr. Craig serves on the Alaska Human Rights Commission. I want to thank him for that work and ask the body to join me in welcoming him to the Capitol.

Not seeing any additional guests to be introduced this morning. Madam Clerk, are there any messages from the governor? A letter dated April 29 stating the governor has noted the following resolution and is transmitting the engrossed and enrolled copies to the Lieutenant Governor's office for permanent filing. Committee substitute for House Joint Resolution number 14, Transportation. Port Mackenzie Rail Extension, Legislative Resolve Number 26.

A message dated April 29 stating the governor has signed the following bill and is transmitting the engrossed and enrolled copies to the Lieutenant Governor's Office for permanent filing: House Bill 33, Board of Fisheries, Board of Game, Chapter Number 2, Session Laws of Alaska 2026. And I have no further messages from the governor. Are there any messages from the other body?

Message dated April 29th stating the Senate has passed committee substitute for House Bill number 26, Transportation, with the following amendment: Senate CS for CS for House Bill number 26, Transportation, with the same title. It is returned for consideration.

The Senate has passed and is transmitting the following for consideration: Senate Bill number 239 by Senators Tilton, Myers, Kawasaki, Bjorkman, Cronk, Rauscher, Kaufman, Merrick, and Young, Munt, an act relating to the registration and titling of legally imported motor vehicles and providing for an effective date. State Affairs Committee, I have no further messages from the other body. Are there any communications?

Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Alaska Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Report, April-February 2026, as required by Statute 1730-200. And I have no further communications this morning. Madam Clerk, are there any reports of standing committees?

The Labor and Commerce Committee held a hearing on the following, recommends the name be forwarded to a joint session for consideration. To the Board of Nursing, Heather Cravello. The report was signed by co-chairs Fields and Hall and Representatives Calom, Carrick, and Sadler.

The Finance Committee considered House Bill number 210, Peace Officers/Firefighters Disability, recommends it be replaced with committee substitute for House Bill number 210 Finance with a new title, attaches one indeterminate fiscal note. The report was signed— signing the report do pass: Co-chairs Schrag, Josason, and Foster with Representatives Jimmy, Galvin, and Hannan. No recommendation. Representatives Tomaszewski, Moore, Bynum, and Allard. The bill has no further referral.

The Labor and Commerce Committee considered House Bill number 350, Qualified Entity Income Tax. Recommends it be replaced with committee substitute for House Bill 350, Labor and Commerce, with the same title. Attaches one fiscal note. Signing the report, do pass. Co-chairs Hall, and Fields with Representative Carrick.

Do not pass, Representatives Calombe and Sadler. No recommendation, Representative Freer. The bill has a further referral to the Finance Committee.

The Community and Regional Affairs Committee considered committee substitute for Senate Bill Number 192, Community and Regional Affairs, Evacuation Designation Levels. Attaches 1-0 fiscal note. Signing the report do pass: Co-chairs Himschoot and Mears and Representatives Holland, Prox, G. Nelson, St. Clair, and Hall. The bill has no further referral and I have no further reports of standing committees. Are there any reports of special committees?

I have no reports of special committees this morning. Any citations or resolutions for introduction? Honoring Pete Dickinson by Senators Bjorkman, Yunt, Representative Ruffridge. Honoring Kristen Bartlett by Representatives Storey, Hannan, Senator Keel. Honoring Dermot Cole by Representatives Gray, Fields, Senator Kawasaki.

Honoring John Roda by Representatives Allard, Sadler. Honoring Aaron Jacobs, Dr. Aaron Hood, Dr. Jason Amundson, and Jamie Pierce by Representatives Story, Hannon, and Senator Keele. Honoring 2025 Seattle Mariners by Representatives Josephson, Hall, and Mena. Honoring Arctic Winter Games 2026 Team Alaska Eagle River male athletes by Representative Allard. Honoring Arctic Winter Games 2026 Team Alaska Eagle River female athletes by Representative Allard.

Honoring Melinda Taylor by Senators Wilkowski, Gray-Jackson, and Tobin. In Memoriam Tatiana Celia Kennedy Schlossberg by Representative Josephson. And I have no further citations or resolutions for introduction. Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that notice and publication requirements be waived and the citation honoring Pete Dickinson be made a special order of business. Without objection. Once again, Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the House approve the citation. Hearing no objection, the citation is approved. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I, uh, incorrectly, uh, reflected that basically all members were present. I want the journal to reflect that Representative David Nelson has previously been excused from a call of the House day.

Thank you. So noted. Madam Clerk, are there any bills for introduction? There are no bills for introduction this morning, Mr. Speaker. This brings us to consideration of the daily calendar.

Madam Clerk, please read the first item on today's calendar.

House Bill number 211 by Representatives Jimmy and Mina, an act relating to insurance regulation of prepaid legal plans.

The Judiciary Committee considered the bill, recommends it be replaced with Committee Substitute for House Bill 211 Judiciary with a new title, attaches 1-0 fiscal note, signing the report do pass, um, Representative Gray, chair. Representatives Costello, Mena, Eichide, Underwood. No recommendation. Representative Vance. The Labor and Commerce Committee considered the bill, recommends it be replaced with committee substitute for House Bill 211, Labor and Commerce, with a new title, attached 1-0 fiscal note.

Signing the report do pass, Representatives Hall and Fields, co-chairs, and Representatives Freer and Carrick. No recommendation. Representatives Sadler and Nelson. I have 2 committee substitutes. Mr.

Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Labor and Commerce Committee substitute for House Bill 211 with the new title be adopted in lieu of the original bill. There is an objection.

And Representative Johnson, could you speak for me, please? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would object for an explanation. Of changes, but, um, yep, committee substitute. I will turn to the bill sponsor, Representative Jimmy, uh, brief it is.

For speaking to the changes in the committee substitute before the body, Representative Jimmy.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Mr. Speaker, permission to read? Permission granted. HB 211, in version N, the House Judiciary Committee added Section 2 to the bill to address various consumer protection concerns. In version I, the House Labor and Commerce Committee added two provisions to Section 2.

Section 2 does the following: It clarifies consumer protection related to prepaid legal plans, including prohibition of misleading advertising, prohibition of requiring payment beyond the month in which the disenrollment from the plan is requested, prohibition of the penalties for the plan's disenrollment, requirements to provide written disclosures that include a list of covered legal services and significant exclusions; the cost and the payment terms of plans; information on how to access services and contact attorneys and plan administrations— administrators; an explicit statement that the plan is not insurance or subject to insurance regulations; the procedures for filing a complaint or resolving a dispute And a requirement to keep records of members' complaints, which must be maintained for 3 years and made available to the Attorney General on request. Refers to Section 1 definition of a prepaid legal plan. Sorry. The objection has been removed. Not seeing any additional objections.

The committee— the Labour and Commerce Committee substitute has been adopted. Adopted. Madam Clerk, are there any amendments? I have no amendments. Mr.

Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Labor and Commerce Committee substitute for House Bill 211 be considered engrossed, advanced to third reading, and placed on final passage. There's an objection. This bill will be held to the next day's calendar.

Madam Clerk.

House Bill number 298 by Representatives Galvin and McCabe, an act relating to the Legislative Ethics Act, relating to legislative subpoenas, relating to the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombudsman, and providing for an effective date. The Judiciary Committee considered the bill, attached 1-0 fiscal note. The report was signed do pass by Chair Gray and Representatives Mena, Underwood, and Eichide. No recommendation, Costello, Vance, and Kopp. I have one committee substitute— no, I have no committee substitutes.

Madam Clerk, are there any amendments? There are no amendments. Mr. Majority Leader. Mr.

Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that House Bill 298 be considered engrossed, advanced to third reading, and placed on final passage. There is an objection. The bill will be held to the next day's calendar. Madam Clerk, please read the next item on today's calendar.

Committee substitute for House Bill number 217, Community and Regional Affairs, amended by the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee, an act relating to commercial motor vehicle licensing examinations, regulating autonomous vehicles, and providing for an effective date The bill is in third reading, final passage. Representative Carrick. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and pleased to have House Bill 217 relating to autonomous vehicles before you all in third reading today. Uh, permission to read from my notes, Mr. Speaker? Permission granted as well to read.

Thank you. Autonomous vehicles are becoming increasingly prevalent across the United States. In many places, there's autonomous vehicles, fully autonomous vehicles, that are operating on interstate highways and inner city roads. Alaska, though, is very unique. I think I don't have to describe that to members here.

Our weather and road conditions can change at a moment's notice, and autonomous vehicles may be able to function with little to no issue in states like California, but Alaska does look different, and it's simply not the case here that, uh, these vehicles would function the same as they do in other testing conditions. HB 217 seeks to regulate autonomous commercial vehicles on Alaska's roads, requiring that a qualified human safety operator is present while a commercial autonomous vehicle is operating. It doesn't limit that autonomous vehicles and commercial autonomous vehicles can come to Alaska. It simply clarifies that for commercial autonomous vehicles, under the narrow federal definition provided, will require this human safety operator. Operator.

It also increases the number of legal definitions for this technology in the legislation, ensuring enhancements like collision avoidance systems, adaptive cruise control, lane assistance, and similar programs are not affected. And this bill, Mr. Speaker, came from collaborating with the trucking industry as well as the senator from North Pole in the other body and the members of the House Transportation Committee and all of those members had a chance to weigh in thoroughly. By requiring a qualified human safety operator to be present, the bill ensures that a qualified driver would potentially be able to intervene if there was a technological malfunction that occurred, and it, it, um, ultimately keeps all road users safe and helps to preserve jobs in Alaska in this industry. I think really importantly, Mr. Speaker, this The bill does not halt innovation. It just requires that autonomous commercial vehicles will have a human safety operator present.

At some point in the longer-term future, that may not be the case anymore, but considering Alaska's very unique conditions, it seems to be the case now. Overall, the bill protects road users by setting these legal definitions in place and guarantees that safe implementation of commercial autonomous vehicles on our roadways can take place in Alaska. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is there any debate? Not seeing any, and presuming there is no wrap-up comments.

Are you ready for the question? The question being: Shall Committee Substitute for House Bill 217, Committee on Regional Affairs, amended, pass the House? Members may proceed to vote.

Rock the roll.

Brief it ease.

Will the House please come back to order? Will the clerk please void the roll?

Once again, are you ready for the question? The question being, shall committee substitute for House Bill 217, Community and Regional Affairs, amended, pass the House? Members may proceed to vote.

Will the clerk please lock the roll?

Does any member wish to change his or her vote?

Will the clerk please announce the How do we vote? 39 Yeas, 0 nays. With a vote of 39 yeas to 0 nays, House Bill 217 has passed the body. Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the roll call vote on the passage of the bill be considered the roll call vote on the effective date clause. Hearing no objections, so moved. Madam Clerk.

House Bill number 244 by Representatives Underwood, Costello, Fields, Freer, and Tomaszewski, an act relating to certified nurse aide training and providing for an effective date. The bill is in third reading, final passage. Representative Underwood. Speaker, permission to read. Permission granted.

House Bill 244 is a simple bill, but it addresses a very real and growing need here in Alaska. CNAs are the people doing the hard— the hands-on work day in and day out, caring for our seniors, folks recovering from injury, and Alaskans living with Alzheimer's, dementia, and other cognitive conditions. And here's the reality, is that Alaska is aging fast. We have one of the fastest growing senior populations in the country, and more families more than ever are trying to care for their loved ones dealing with memory loss and behavioral health challenges. That's hard work, and those families are depending on caregivers who know what they're doing.

Right now we require CNA training, but statute doesn't clearly direct what needs to be included in their training, especially when it comes to dementia care, communications, and behavioral health. HB 244 fixes just that. It simply says through regulation, CNA training should reflect the real job— communicating with patients, recognizing behavioral changes, supporting dignity and independence, and properly caring for people with cognitive conditions. That's it. There's no new licenses required, no new bureaucracy, no cost to the state, just making sure that our training matches reality.

And I ask for support. Any debate?

Not seeing any. And seeing no wrap-up comments, are you ready for the question? The question being, shall House Bill 244 Pass the body. Members may proceed to vote.

Let the clerk please lock the roll. Does any member wish to change his or her vote? Will the clerk please announce the vote? 39 Yeas, 0 nays. With a vote of 39 yeas to 0 nays, Nays.

House Bill 244 has passed the body. Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the roll call vote on the passage of the bill be considered the roll call vote on the effective date clause.

Hearing no objection, the effective date clause has been adopted. Madam Clerk, please read the next item on today's calendar. House Bill number 314, amended by Representatives Prox, Stapp, Tomaszewski, and Galvin. An act relating to registered interior designers and interior design. Relating to project costs for the construction, enlargement, or improvement of airports.

Extending the termination date of the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors. Relating to the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors. Establishing requirements for the practice of registered interior design. Relating to the practice of architecture, engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and registered interior design; relating to the scope of the certification requirements for architects, engineers, land surveyors, landscape architects, and registered interior designers; relating to immunity for design professionals; relating to the cost of construction for recreation centers; relating to liens for labor or materials furnished; relating to the procurement of landscape Landscape Architectural and Interior Design Services relating to the cost of construction of safe water and hygienic sewage disposal facilities in villages and providing for an effective date. The bill is in third reading, final passage.

Representative Prox.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the body for allowing this bill to be considered today. It's actually a lot simpler than the title would indicate. So you might recall that the similar measure, Senate Bill 54, passed the legislature last year but was vetoed by the governor. And in his veto message, he identified 3 specific concerns. So I just kind of want to walk through those concerns and how this— how House Bill 314 addresses them.

First, there was a concern raised about repealing a portion of the state procurement law, AS 3630.270. The perception was that removing that subsection could impact the Department of about transportation's ability to carry out design-build contracts. And that section was removed for clarity, so this won't affect contracts.

Second, there was concern about the language allowing the Department of Environmental Conservation to authorize certified wastewater installers for certain commercial and residential systems.

We worked with the ledge legal and consulted with DEC to define that language, so now that concern is addressed with clearer, more precise language that is aligned with the intent of DEC. Third, the Governor objected to increasing the board size. From 11 to 13 members, and this bill maintains the Board at 11, and it just adjusts the membership on the Board. It improves Board structure to provide the Governor more flexibility in appointments, and instead of being restricted to a narrow list of disciplines, it clarifies that it's— there's 4 listed, but it's the whole list of over a dozen engineering professions that can be appointed to the board.

So that's how it should work. And what we accomplish is a registered interior designer passes certain qualifications for health and— health and safety and fire retardant considerations, et cetera, for materials that are used in interior design work. It does not affect an interior designer that might be working on residential or even commercial that does not require a higher level of certification. Be happy to answer any questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Is there any debate? Not seeing any debate and not seeing any need for wrap-up comments. Are you ready for the question? The question being, shall House Bill 314 amended pass the body? Members may proceed to vote.

Will the clerk please lock the roll? Does any member wish to change his or her vote? Will the clerk please announce the vote? 35 Yeas, 4 nays. With a vote of 35 yeas to 4 nays, House Bill 314 has passed the House.

Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the roll call vote on the passage of the bill be considered the roll call vote on the effective date clause. Hearing no objection, the effective date clause is adopted.

The clause has been adopted. Madam Clerk, please read the next item on today's calendar. Senate Bill number 40 by Senator Gray Jackson, Representative Josephson, an act establishing the period between September 15 and October 15 of each year as Hispanic Heritage Month. The bill is in third reading, final passage. Representative Fields.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to carry this bill on behalf of my colleague from Midtown from the other body. Senate Bill 40 establishes the period— and permission to read my notes. Permission granted. Thank you.

Senate Bill 40 establishes the period between September 15th and October 15th of each year as Hispanic Heritage Month. This aligns with federal observance of the same time period. Alaska is imbued with both Spanish and Latin American heritage, and I'm just going to give a couple examples that I was not aware of until recently, which was a reminder to me to always learn more about our history. In 1791, the Spanish explorer Alessandro Malaspina named the Malaspina Glacier, which is the world's largest Piedmont glacier at over 1,500 square miles. Tlingit people call this glacier Sit Plaine, or Big Glacier, which it is.

Just a few years prior, Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra conducted a lengthy exploration of the Northwest Coast including many Southeast Islands in the present-day community of Sitka. I think it's important to recognize that celebrating and learning about one aspect of Alaska history does not diminish all the other aspects of our history. Instead, it's a reminder to learn more, and every time I learn something I didn't know about, it's a reminder that I have so much more to learn. Today, I feel very lucky to have in my community people whose heritage or whose ancestors come from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba. And I'm just naming a few of my own kids' teachers in a Spanish immersion school.

So we have, as a state, a very rich history. We have vibrant communities today. This bill just recognizes one aspect of that extraordinary history. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Representative Allard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, some people may know and some may not, my father came from Chile back in the late 1950s and my mom came from Livorno, Italy. So I always think, um, that's a little bit where my spiciness comes from, being of the Latina heritage. But I really appreciate this bill coming forward and the sponsor for doing it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not seeing any additional debate and not seeing any wrap-up comments, are you ready for Question. The question being, shall Senate Bill 40 pass the House? Members may proceed to vote.

Will the clerk please lock the roll? Does any member wish to change his or her vote? Will the clerk please announce the The vote? 36 Yeas, 3 nays. With a vote of 36 yeas to 3 nays, Senate Bill 40 has passed the House.

Will the clerk please read the next item on today's calendar? There are citations on today's calendar. Mr. Majority Leader. Mr.

Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the House approve the citations on today's calendar. Hearing no objection, the citations are approved. This brings us to unfinished business. Once again, Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that Representative Tomaszewski be excused from a call of the House from Friday, May 1st at 7 PM to Monday, May 4th at 10 AM. Hearing no objection, the member is excused on the dates— on the dates— date and times indicated by the Majority Leader. Minority Leader Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to serve notice of reconsideration on HB 217. My vote on HB 217 and SB 314. Reconsideration has been served on House Bill 217. And what was the second one, Representative Johnson? HB 314.

HB 314. Okay, this brings us to committee announcements. Are there any committee Announcements. Are there any other announcements?

To our final agenda item, special orders. Are there any special orders today? Representative Story. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn't want to let April go by without talking about that April is Autism Acceptance Month.

Topic? Permission to speak on Autism Acceptance Month. Granted. Thank you. Autism is a spectrum of sensory, behavioral, communication issues that a person experiences.

And I think many of you know my son Ryan has autism, and I think it's really important to know that individuals with autism contribute a lot to to our communities. But it can be hard for them because they experience the world a little bit differently than we do. And I asked Ryan if it was okay if I talked about him today. And he said, yes. And Ryan has autism, but he has so much more that he enjoys doing.

He's a great a good bowler. Many of you have gone bowling with him. He loves WWE, reading. He enjoys the Bible. He enjoys history, sports, anything sports.

And I asked him, this in Autism Acceptance Month, what is something someone could do to help people with autism feel more accepted? And he said that they could say hi, greet him, and then say who they are again. Because lots of times he doesn't really like to look at people in the face so much. There's a lot of energy that goes between two people when you look directly at them. And so he has a hard time remembering faces.

And so it's nice when he sees people And they might have met them before, but if they say who they are again— and that is just one example. If you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism. They experience it differently, and so it's good to get to know them, um, talk to their family members about how you can make them feel more accepted. So please remember, April's Autism Acceptance Month, but we can do that all year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Representative Mina. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of tambayan at Kwintuhan. Representative Mina. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I missed this on other announcements, but there is an event tomorrow, an exhibit to tell stories of Filipino Americans. This is by Mana Alaska, which also similarly had an exhibit a few years ago. This exhibit opening is going to be tomorrow, Friday, May 1st, from 4 to 7 PM. At the Jack Gallery. Every Filipino household has a wealth of stories.

Tambayan at Kontuhan invites you to the dining table, and they'll share the community stories of Filipinos in Juneau. It features a lot of oral histories from many elders, and hope to see folks at the event tomorrow, 4 to 7 PM, hopefully after floor. Representative Eichscheid. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of my mom Representative Eichcheid.

Mr. Speaker, it's April 30th today. If my mother was still alive, she'd be 100 years old today. And she was my primary parent growing up, so I just wanted to honor her on what would be her 100th birthday. Her history— she grew— she was born in the Midwest. She was a Depression kid.

Her family were farmers in Iowa. They lost their farm because of the Depression. Despite those challenges, she got a good education, became a nurse, married my dad. They got a place in the country. My dad died when I was 6 unexpectedly, and so my mom had to go through that and somehow maintain our house in the countryside.

And despite having 5 children from a year and a half to I was 12 at that time. She raised us. She got remarried, lost her second husband, but spent her life being a nurse and helping others. And I just want to recognize my mom because she was a strong woman and she always did her best as my mother. And I really appreciate her and I'll never I forget the many mornings sharing coffee with her later in my life as I was growing up.

So she died 11 years ago, but she had a full life. And here's to all the great strong mothers out there that do the best they can. I appreciate them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Representative Freer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of another birthday. Representative Pruett. I think there are a few birthdays in the room to recognize, and I just want to recognize all of the birthdays that we've had over the last week with some of our legislative family members.

Today is my son, my son's 9th birthday. He's at Harborview today. My husband just dropped off cupcakes for him and his class at his request. This is not an announcement or an invitation. But if you crash it, we're going to Periwinkles tonight.

That's what he calls Bullwinkles.

But I'm just so grateful that this session, I've got my kids here, and maybe one day he'll want to be a page in here, hopefully on a shorter day. But I just want to hope you all will join me in celebrating my son's 9th birthday. So happy birthday, Jeffrey.

Representative Stapp.

Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of a volunteer. Representative Stapp. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, 19 years ago, I had a friend.

I met him shortly after I arrived at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. I was in 423 Infantry Regiment. His name was Matthew T. Bolar. He had just finished volunteering for his first deployment in Iraq back in 2005 with Strike Brigade. He got back to Fort Wainwright, Alaska at the end of 2006, and after a month of being back from deployment, he volunteered to deploy again with 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division Airborne out of Anchorage, Alaska on their deployment.

Bollar grew up in Alabama. He was an avid New Orleans Saints fan. Redskins fan. He even got to attend the NFC Championship game that they lost back in 2009— excuse me, 2007. And he volunteered with me to go fight in the Airborne Brigade for another tour to Iraq in 2007 early.

We deployed March— the end of March of '07, and he volunteered for his last mission on the 3rd of May 2007, where he he was killed in a roadside bomb attack while serving in 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. And that was 19 years ago, Mr. Speaker. And I honestly like to say that Matthew is an amazing person. He's a true believer and he's a great American patriot, and I'm honored to have known him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Not seeing any further special orders, Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the House stand at adjournment until Friday, May 1st, at 10:30 AM. There being no objection, the House will stand adjournment until Friday, May 1st, at 10:30 AM.