HFLR-20260506-1030

Will members please indicate their presence by voting?

Will the clerk please tally the board? 37 Members present. With 37 members present, we have a quorum present to conduct business. Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, there are no previous excused absences today. Leading the invocation this morning is Pastor Charles Enslinger, Kooné Heedee Northern Lights Church. Members, please rise.

Again, as is your disposition, I invite you to be in an attitude of prayer or reflection. So, Creator God, this The bringer of wind and rain, sun and sky, we come in thanksgiving for Alaska. We're grateful for the beauty of its creation and the stories that it has told since before time was recorded. We're grateful for the opportunity to be in service to one another in this great state, and in all of our various capacities, be that pastor or page, security or staff, we seek to be the best we can for one another. Enable us, therefore, to work constructively and beneficially for those for whom we represent.

Guide our thoughts, strengthen our hearts, and keep us in cooperative community with one another. We pray for one another, lift each other up as the representatives, remembering with the awe and various lands that we represent, and ask that we will be watched over in this place. Surround us with abiding peace. For this we pray.

Amen. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Will 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 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 105th and 106th legislative days. Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent 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 Holland. Morning, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to be able to introduce Amos Decker. If he could stand, he's in the Taylor Gallery behind me.

He's a researcher for MIT in their laboratory working on nuclear security policy. He's here visiting our staff and a longtime childhood friend of Aiden Nickel. And I'd ask you to please help me welcome him to the Capitol.

Representative Hannon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in the Taylor Gallery is a group of fine young Alaskans who are 2 weeks from graduation at Juneau Douglas High School. They're with their teacher Amy Lloyd, who is teacher of government at Juneau Douglas High School and the organizer of the Aasaaag conference. So if you went down and met students at JD a couple weeks ago, um, from your constituency.

She's the student government advisor, um, has much of the same lineup of classes. She might even be in my old classroom. And, um, has them out on a field trip. They are here to see if we're gonna make laws today. And we don't have all their names, but they are, um, about to be voters.

And, uh, many of them are already 18, but they will all be I think, before the next election. And we'd just like to welcome those seniors for the little field trip they got to take, get out of school this morning. Come and see us. Are there additional guests for introduction this morning? Seeing none.

Madam Clerk, any messages from the governor?

A message dated May 5th stating the governor has noted the following resolution passed by the second session of the 34th Legislature: Senate Concurrent Resolution Number 19, amended House Declaration of Disaster Emergency Legislative Resolve Number 27. I have no further messages from the governor this morning. Brief at ease.

Will the House please come back to order.

Madam Clerk, could you— I'm not sure where we left off. I have no Senate messages this morning, Mr. Speaker. So hearing no messages from the other body, are there any communications? I have no communications this morning. Any reports to standing committees?

In accordance with AS3905080, the Health and Social Services Committee held a hearing on the State Medical Board appointees Robert Scala and Hannah Milkey. Signing the report, Representatives Gray, Schwanke, and Chair Mena. The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Attorney General appointee, Stephen Cox. Signing the report: Representatives Underwood, Eichide, Mena, Costello, and Chair Gray. The Resources Committee held a hearing on the appointees to the Board of Game: Stanley Hoffman Jr. and David Loring.

To the Big Game Commercial Services Board: Rudy Martinez. To the State Assessment Review Board: Jana Wilson. Signing the report: Representatives Colon, Hall, Sadler, Elam, Prox, Mears, and co-chairs Divert and Freer.

The State Affairs Committee considered House Bill 187, members of the Legislative Council, Legislative Budget and Audit, attached one new zero fiscal note, signing the report do pass Representatives Vance, McCabe, St. Clair, Holland, Himschoot, Story, and Chair Carrick. The bill has no further referral. The Finance Committee considered House Bill 261, education funding, recommends it be replaced with committee substitute for House Bill 261 Finance with the same title. Attached: 1 previously published fiscal note, 2 new fiscal notes, and 1 new zero fiscal note. Signing the report: do pass, Representatives Jimmy, Galvin, Hannon.

Co-chairs Schraggy, Josephson, and Foster. Do not pass: Allard, Amend, Tomaszewski, Stapp, Moore, and Bynum. The bill has no further referral.

The State Affairs Committee considered House Bill 379, Service area elections, attached 1, previously published 0 fiscal note. Signing the report, do pass, Representatives St. Clair, Holland, Hemmschut, Story, and Chair Kerrick. No recommendation, Vance and McCabe. The bill has no further referral.

The Education Committee considered Senate Concurrent Resolution Number 17, regional educational attendance areas, attached 1, previously published 0 fiscal note. Signing the report, do pass, Representatives Underwood, Eichide, and co-chairs Hemmschut and Story. Gorey, Amend, Schwanke. The resolution has no further referral.

The Finance Committee considered Senate Joint Resolution number 29, Constitutional Amendment Education Fund, recommends it be replaced with House Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution number 29 Finance with the same title, attached one previously published zero fiscal note and one new indeterminate fiscal note. Signing the report do pass, Representatives Jimmy, Galvin, Hannon, and co-chairs Schraggi, Josephson, and Foster. No recommendation. Tomaszewski, Allard, Stapp, Moore amend. Bynum.

The resolution has no further referral.

The Finance Committee considered committee substitute for Senate Bill number 86 Finance, money transmission, virtual currency, recommends it be replaced with House Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 86 Finance with a new title, HCR 17. Attached one new fiscal note. Signing the report do pass: Representatives Jimmy, Galvin, Stapp, Hannon, Allard, Moore, Bynum, and co-chairs Schragi, Josephson, and Foster. No recommendation. Tomaszewski.

The bill has no further referral. The Transportation Committee considered committee substitute for Senate Bill 104, Finance, Vehicles, Boats, Transfer on Death Title. Attached one previously published fiscal note. Signing the report do pass: Representatives G. Nelson, St. Clair, Mena, and co-chairs Carrick and Eichide. No recommendation: Stutes and McCabe.

The bill has a further referral to the Finance Committee. The State Affairs Committee considered committee substitute for Senate Bill number 237, Judiciary Data Sharing Social Security, attached 1 previously published zero fiscal note. Signing the report do pass: Representatives Vance, Hemmschutz-Story, and Chair Carrick. No recommendation. McCabe, Sinclair, and Holland.

The bill has no further referral. The State Affairs Committee considered Senate Bill 239, Motor Vehicle Registration, attached 1 previously published zero fiscal note. Citing the report, do pass. Representatives Vance, McCabe, Sinclair, Holland, Hemmschut Story, and Chair Carrick. The bill has no further referral.

The Labor and Commerce Committee considered Senate Bill 252, UCC Secured Transactions, electronic records. Attached one previously published zero fiscal note. Signing the report, do pass: Representatives Freer, Carrick, and co-chairs Hall and Fields. No recommendation: Colon, Sadler, and D. Nelson. The bill has a further referral to the Judiciary Committee, and I have no further reports of standing committees.

Are there any reports of special committees?

The House Special Committee on Fisheries held a hearing on the following appointees to the following boards: to the Board of Fisheries Paul Seer, Blair Hickson, Mike Wood. To the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, Tracy Welch. Signing the report, Representatives Vance, Hemmschulte, Elam, McCabe, and Chair Stutes.

The House Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs considered House Bill 382, Military Joint Armed Services Committee, recommends it be replaced with Committee Substitute for House Bill 382, Military and Veterans Affairs, with the same title. Attached 1 new zero fiscal note. Signing the report: do pass. Representatives Nelson, Hall, Fields, Gray, and Chair Eichide. No recommendation.

Sadler. The bill has a further referral to the State Affairs Committee.

The House Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs considered committee substitute for Senate Joint Resolution number 30, State Affairs, support military and increase infrastructure. Attached 1 previously published zero fiscal note. Signing the report do pass: Representatives Sadler, Allard, Hall, D. Nelson, Fields, Gray, and Chair Eischeid. The bill has a further referral to the State Affairs Committee, and I have no further reports of special committees.

Madam Clerk, are there any citations or resolutions for introduction? There is a special order citation calendar and House Concurrent Resolution number 17 by the House Finance Committee. Committee, suspending Rules 24C, 35, 41B, and 42E, Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, concerning Senate Bill number 86, relating to the business of money transmission, relating to licenses for money transmission, licensure requirements, and registration through a nationwide multistate licensing system, relating to the use of virtual currency for money transmission, relating to authorized delegates of a licensee, relating to acquisition of control of a license, relating to record retention and reporting requirements, authorizing the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development to cooperate with other states in the regulation of money transmission, relating to permissible investments, relating to violations and enforcement of money transmission laws, relating to exemptions to money transmission licensure requirements, relating to payroll processing services, relating to currency exchange licenses and amending Rule 79 and 82 Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure. 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 citations on the first special order citation calendar be made a special order of business. Without objection. So ordered. Mr.

Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the House approve the citations on the first special order citation calendar. Hearing no objection, the first special order citation calendar is approved. Madam Clerk, are there any bills for introduction? There are no bills for introduction this morning.

Brief it is.

Will the House please come back to order.

Next item on our daily agenda is a consideration of the daily calendar. Madam Clerk, please read the first item on today's calendar. House Bill number 246 by Representatives Josephson and Allard entitled, "An Act Relating to Allocations for the Special Education Service Agency and Providing for an Effective Date." The Education Committee considered the bill, attached one new fiscal note, signing the report do pass, Representatives Aishai, Daibert, and Co-Chairs Story and Hemmschulte, No recommendation, Elam, Schwanke, and Underwood. The Finance Committee considered the bill attached to one previously published fiscal note. Signing the report do pass: Representatives Jimmy, Galvin, Hannon, Allard, and co-chairs Foster, Josephson, and Schrage.

No recommendation, Tomaszewski, Bynum, and Stapp. There are no committee substitutes. Madam Clerk, are there any amendments? I have no amendments, Mr. Speaker. Mr.

Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that House Bill 246 be considered engrossed, advanced to third reading, and placed on final passage.

Brief it is.

Will the House please come back to order. Hearing no objection, so ordered. Madam Clerk, please read the title for the third and final time. House Bill number 246 by Representatives Josephson and Allard entitled, an act relating to allocations for the Special Education Service Agency and providing for an effective date. Representative Josephson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, chamber. Uh, before us is a bill that would increase the multiplier for the Special Education Service Agency. You can see that in the draft, of course, and it's a few dollar increase times the average daily membership. Now I want to talk about what SEESA or SEESA is.

SEESA is a program that was created in 1986 to help largely rural school districts, not exclusively but largely, with what are called low incidence disabilities among their student population. By doing so, it helps comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975. The agency is governed by the Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education. So what happens is, CESA provides itinerant outreach largely to Bush districts for special education students with low incidence disabilities, including disabilities like deafness, blindness, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, orthopedic disabilities, severe emotionally disturbed students, students with multiple disabilities, and other what are called LIDs, or low incident disabilities. CISA also has an Alaska Autism Resource Center, the Alaska Deafblind Project, and the Alaska Center for Accessible Materials.

Importantly, and we're talking about here about cost, many of these districts cannot afford the expertise in the area of special education required by these students' special needs. That's described in some length by the superintendent of the Kuspuk School District where I worked for 3 years in the early '90s. She does it rather eloquently. It's in your packet. There are other letters of support from the Lower Kuskokwim School District, the Bering Strait School District, the Galena City School District, and the— its homeschooling program, IDEA, as well.

It's also supported by the Alaska Council of School Administrators, So again, the economic value is you have these experts who climb onto aircraft, they visit rural schools, they do what's called capacity building, so they're teaching teachers to work with these children. There is a waitlist. It's not— I'm not going to lie and say it's the largest waitlist, but we think that we can support more special ed students in rural Alaska with this increase. And this is done statutorily, and it's simply time to do an inflation adjustment. I ask for your support.

Representative Allard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I rise to speak in regards to this. As most people know that I've been trying to champion for our deaf and hard of hearing children, and it looks like next year we have another bill coming forward that that CISA actually addresses as well with our children, with blind children too. Mr. Speaker, this particular program is the only one like it in the state. And I understand my colleague from Anchorage had spoken about how the rural communities need it too.

But we do have 27 individual children that need this program that are actually located in Anchorage. This is more than just a rural community thing, which I highly support. This is Alaska. It represents all our children. These children need it.

Normally, I don't like to vote on things that have a higher fiscal note, but I will tell you, the return on investment on this is important, and that return of investment is for our children. These kids need these help. They need these extra dollars to make sure that they're all touched and helped in some way. These parents need this assistance. And Mr. Speaker, I would plead with the entire legislative chamber and all these people in this body to please support this bill and pass it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker.

Not seeing further discussion, Representative Schwanke.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to rise in support of the bill. This particular organization, CISA, does provide individual districts and families with support for students that are considered.

With IEPs to need special education. But I want to clarify for the members on the floor today that this bill does not actually provide additional funding for districts to provide direct services for individual students with IEPs. That funding would have come through my bill, HB 223, which I did not receive a hearing on this year. But for now, I'm going to support the bill. Thank you.

Not seeing any wrap-up comments or additional discussion. Are you ready for the I'll call the question. The question being, shall House Bill 246 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 vote? 40 Yeas, 0 nays. With a vote of 40 yeas to 0 nays, House Bill 246 246 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, will you please read brief adies?

Will the House please come back to order. I would ask members to allow me to bring the body back to order before we call an at ease. A brief at ease.

Will the House please come back to order. At this time, I'm rolling Senate Bill 89 to the next day's calendar. Madam Clerk, please read the next item on today's calendar.

Committee substitute for House Bill number 210, Finance, by the House Finance Committee, entitled an Act Relating to Occupational Disability Benefits and Medical Benefits Available Under the Public Employees Retirement System and Providing for an Effective Date. The bill is in third reading, final passage. Mr. Majority Leader. Speaker, I move that we return to second reading on House Bill 210 for the purposes of rescinding action on Amendment 1.

Hearing no objection, so moved.

This brings House Bill 210 before the body back in a second reading. Mr. Majority Leader, am I turning to you? Yes, Mr. Speaker, I move we rescind action on Amendment 1. Hearing no objection, so moved.

Amendment number 1 has been adopted, hearing no objection. No briefities.

Will the House please come back to order? The amendment needs to be moved. Representative Sadler. Mr. Speaker, I move Amendment 1, which is N.1, to House Bill 210. Hearing no objections, so moved.

Madam Clerk, brief it is.

Will the House please come back to order?

There was no objection to Amendment Number 1. To House Bill 210. Therefore, it is adopted. This brings the bill back into third reading. Madam Clerk.

Committee substitute for House Bill number 210, Finance, amended by the House Finance Committee, entitled an act relating to workers' compensation coverage for disability from disease diseases for certain firefighters relating to occupational disability benefits and medical benefits available under the Public Employees Retirement System and providing for an effective date. Representative Kopp. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this bill is about doing right by our workers who get hurt on the job. When an Alaska public employee, whether it be a trooper, a firefighter, a correctional officer, or a lineman or a public health worker suffers a disabling injury because of the work they do for this state, we owe them more than what we currently provide.

Right now, Mr. Speaker, our system is failing them. An occupationally disabled state employee receives just 40% of their salary once they're terminated from their job and they're assigned to a disability benefit status. What that means, Mr. Speaker, is that a state employee earning $69,000, $70,000 a year is going to go to $27,000 a year overnight. They will lose 60% of their pay and they lose their health care. A double whammy.

That's what this bill is addressing. It affixes both of these problems. I want to specifically thank the member from District 34 who recognizes the current law assigning someone to a disability status of 40% of their pay in their first year and every subsequent year that they continue to qualify to be on disability status is not helpful. That, that first year of injury is traumatic for a family, generally losing their primary breadwinner, generally experiencing the fullest impact of the healthcare loss and, and salary loss. And because of his support, the Finance Committee amended the bill to say no, when you go on disability, you go to 75% of your pay disability status, which you have to immediately enter into an occupational rehab program, and the minute you're rehabilitated, you're off that.

But the member from District 34 helped us reflect a more livable wage. Right now, Mr. Speaker, our employees are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea on this issue. They earn too little at 40% of their pay to live on, but too much for Medicaid. So this helps resolve that. This is not a new concept, Mr. Speaker.

Many states recognize that workers injured in the line of duty— we're talking about line of duty injuries— meaningful income replacement is 75%. It's a reasonable standard. It's not full salary, but it is a livable wage and reflects the sacrifice these employees made. So just putting a little numbers on this, as I said earlier, a $70,000 employee currently receives about $27,000 on disability. This would raise that from 40% to 75% of that salary and get them up closer to $50,000.

But over a disability period, that month-to-month salary can mean the difference of staying off other public assistance programs and keeping a family unit stable. Mr. Speaker, the big question: can we afford this? Yes, the actuarial data makes this very clear. The Alaska Retirement Management Board's review actuary, Gabriel Roder Smith and Company, evaluated these funds using the June 30, 2025 evaluation. What they found is that our PERS occupational disability trust is funded at almost 400%, and the TRS occupational disability trust is funded at 5,172%.

When they modeled these scenarios, they looked at what's the number of employees that this would actually apply to. Mr. Speaker, it's about 16 employees. I said one-sixth. That's how many defined contribution plan employees are in a disability status. So we put hard numbers.

We have 16 employees in this status right now. 12 Are in the peace officer firefighter category, 4 are in the other category. When they modeled the, the effect of this, it didn't even move the needle on the funding of the trust because it's so overfunded. Every employee pays like 0.004%.

Paycheck goes into the Occupational Disability Trust. And it's doing well primarily because our occupational rehab programs work. They get people in and they get them out and they get them back to work. The second piece that this addresses, Mr. Speaker, and I want to specifically thank the member from Juneau here, from District 4 and from Southeast, who recognize that losing your health care is a huge deal because to be on disability, you have to be terminated from your job. That's when you lose 60% of your pay.

But when you're terminated, you also lose your state or your municipal government healthcare plan. So by putting healthcare back into the picture for these employees who are on disability so they don't lose their state healthcare plan, what do the actuaries say that that does? So again, this was evaluated June 30, 2025, and it was reflected by a recommendation from the Alaska Retirement Management Board that we do exactly what we're doing today. They said there is no solvency risk if we extend healthcare to all public employees that are on a disability status. They said the PERS retiree medical fund, currently at 121%, would be projected to go to 119% funded, and the TRS fund would remain at 134% with no impact.

Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons why this is really important is these employees often only can make it in their communities where they serve, most of them around the state in rural areas, if the wage that they're moved back to— a disability— is enough to keep their family in the community until they recover. We want them to recover quickly. The idea is not that we carry people a long time, and we have a good track record of not. Most Most people are in and out in a few months. But while they're there, we want to tell our workforce that we have a safety net that's actually functioning.

You're going to get a livable wage, not ideal, and you won't lose your healthcare when you're hurt in the line of duty. And that is all this bill applies to, is line of duty injuries. Finally, Mr. Speaker, these funds stay healthy. We believe it's the right thing to do. We heard testimony from state troopers who no longer live in Alaska, who work 4 or 5 years had a completely disabling injury, lost their healthcare, were on 40% disability, and impossible to get another job.

And they talked about how difficult it was, not only dealing with the bureaucracy at Division of Retirement Benefits, but just being able to get any sense of, of fiscal stability back in their life after a disabling injury, basically keeping the rest of us safe. So, Mr. Speaker, for all these reasons, I think we should show that Alaska stands behind our workforce not with 40% of their salary, not with no insurance, but with real income replacement and healthcare security. That's what House Bill 210 delivers, and I ask for a yes vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Representative McCabe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move and ask unanimous consent to abstain from voting, uh, due to a conflict of interest. My son, of whom I'm very proud, is a firefighter. There's an objection. Representative McCabe.

You'll be required to vote. Representative Bynum. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I stand in strong support of this bill. I want to thank the bill sponsor for bringing it forward to the Majority Leader.

He brought us a bill to finance, which was a good bill, but I think in finance we made a good bill a markedly better bill through collaborative work. Thank you to the member from Juneau, District 4, for collaboratively working. Her and I worked together on making sure that this bill was expanded to cover not just police and firefighters, public safety and firefighters, but all employees covered under the PERS/TERS program. And not only that they were covered with this disability benefit, but that health insurance was extended to them. Like the Majority Leader had said, Mr. Speaker, this doesn't cost Alaska any additional dollars.

This is funded. And I think that this is a, a good bill that's been made better. Through the Finance Committee, which sometimes is not always the case. But I think this was a bipartisan collaborative effort, and I appreciate everybody's hard work on it. I support it.

Representative Josephson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a great moment, I think, for this body, for the reasons noted previously, that there's real bipartisan support for this bill. I want to thank the Majority Leader, the member from District 36, if I've got that right— 34, rather— the member from Juneau for improving this bill. And I want to shout out the member from Eagle River. I've been pretty involved in the, um, uh, the issue of presumed, um, compensation for firefighters who suffer from a disability relating to exposure on the job.

One of the leaders in this area was former state representative, um, our Lieutenant Governor, uh, Ms. Dahlstrom. And, um, I worked on this as well. And then former Senator Holland added breast cancer, which you see there on line 23, page 1. And I always thought that the way the the law reads, it effectively says if you're going to get cancer, you better do it in this narrow window or you're on your own. And I thought that was odd and probably not consistent with the data.

And I appreciate that the member from Eagle River has expanded this important benefit. Thank you. Further discussion? Representative Allard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have to tell you, so I actually spoke to one of our firefighters at a volunteer fire department in Shugiac. There's a lot of good in certain bills, and there's a lot of not so good in certain bills. And when people come to you in your district over and over and over and please say support this bill, you have no choice as a legislator to do it because you're looking out for your community. I appreciate the Majority Leader bringing this bill forward, and I look forward to voting for it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Any comments in wrap-up, Mr. Majority Leader? No comments. Are you ready for the question? The question for the body is, shall Committee Substitute for House Bill 210 Finance, 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 vote? 40 Ayes, 0 nays. With a vote of 40 ayes to 0 nays, House Bill 210 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. Committee substitute for House Bill number 302, Labor and Commerce, by the House Labor and Commerce Committee, entitled An Act Relating to Travel Insurance and Providing for an Effective Date. The bill is in third reading, final passage.

Representative Hall.

Representative Hall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Permission to read? [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to bring House Bill 302 before the body today. This bill modernizes Alaska's travel insurance statutes. Our travel insurance statutes were last touched in 2013, and industry changes in the intervening time have made it clear that our statutes are fragmented, with sometimes unclear lines of authority and coverage gaps. House Bill 302 repeals our 2013 statutes and addresses these oversights.

In doing so, this legislation strengthens consumer protections, supports regulators, and creates a clear and fair playing field for the insurance industry. You might have encountered travel insurance when buying your Alaska Airlines tickets. Chances are you haven't given it too much thought. However, any travel carries with it real risk. There are relatively small risks like lost luggage and missed flights, and then there are catastrophic risks.

Like medical emergencies. For Alaskans planning trips, these risks can deter their travel in and outside the state. Travel insurance exists to provide security and flexibility with these travel decisions, and it's important that we have travel insurance statutes that encourage and reflect the best practices in the industry. HB 302 reflects these best practices. It mirrors a heavily vetted national model that was created by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and National Council of Insurance Legislators.

The model legislation ensures continuity between our state and the 42 other states that have adopted and implemented similar legislation. For Alaskans buying travel insurance, the legislation means transparent disclosures about travel policies and protection from predatory tactics such as opt-out sales. For the travel insurers operating in the state, HB 302 brings regulatory clarity and streamlined licensing making it easier for insurers to lawfully operate in Alaska. Finally, for state insurance regulators, the bill provides clear lines of authority and simplifies the filing process, allowing the Division of Insurance to do its job efficiently and effectively. Ultimately,.

With new and clarified rules, regulations, and protections, travel insurance providers will be more willing to enter Alaska's market. Regulators will have clearer authority, and consumers purchasing travel insurance will feel more comfortable doing so. Serving consumers, providers, and regulators, HB 302 will strengthen Alaska's thriving travel industry. I'd appreciate the body's support for House Bill 302. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Representative Stapp.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Believe it or not, I'm actually not rising to a conflict because this bill is outside the scope of my professional license. I'm rising in support of the bill, and I just want to applaud the member from West Anchorage for bringing it forward and honestly working with me for some of the technical details. I had questions regarding the free look provision on page 12. I went over that with the member from West Anchorage as well as the insurance commissioner for state.

And to me, some of the language was unclear, but after clarification and ensuring that we were in guidelines with best practices, I'm proud to support the bill. Again, appreciate the maker for taking the time for due diligence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further discussion?

Not seeing any. Any wrap-up comments? Representative Hall, are you ready for the question? The question being, shall committee substitute for House Bill 302, Labor and Commerce, 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 vote? 39 Yeas, 0 nays. With a vote of 39 yeas to 0 nays, House Bill 302 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 has been adopted. Madam Clerk.

Committee substitute for Senate Bill 192, Community and Regional Affairs, by the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee, entitled an Act Relating to Evacuation Designation Levels and Relating to the Alaska Disaster Act. The bill is in third reading, final passage. Representative Hall.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Permission to read. Permission granted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the body for taking up SB 192, Evacuation Designation Levels.

This legislation would establish uniform ready, set, go designation statewide in preparation of and during emergencies to ensure clear and consistent communications to the public. The bill would clarify what Alaskans need to do when preparing for an emergency. During an emergency and when evacuation is necessary. The designation uses green, yellow, and red color coding for evacuation plans to indicate the ready, set, or go evacuation status. Level 1 is green.

It means get ready, an emergency may exist in the area. Level 2 is yellow, and that means set. It means an evacuation of the area is imminent. And Level 3 is red, and it means go, a dangerous hazard exists, evacuate immediately. SB 192 was introduced at the request of emergency managers across Alaska, as there's been an informal agreement among our emergency management professionals to use the Ready, Set, Go designations.

SB 192 would formally codify this important public communication by aligning all emergency planning districts and political subdivisions to use the colors and statuses to represent danger levels, Alaskans will be better informed about what actions they need to take during emergencies to be safe. And Mr. Speaker, I know from personal experience, from my time as a television news photojournalist of nearly a decade and covering many, many hazards including wildfires and catastrophic floods during breakup, that there is a lot of chaos when, when emergencies are happening. And to have this codified into law with a Ready, Set, Go status is really important to make sure that people, when chaos is happening around you and you're trying to scramble and leave, that you are ready and that you know what you're supposed to be doing under these different statuses. So, Mr. Speaker, I urge the body to please vote in favor of SB 192. Thank you.

Any discussion? Representative Holland. Great. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the bill.

I just want to offer a couple of quick points. First off, this Ready, Set, Go program is an a national program that started around 2011, was adopted in Anchorage in 2021. It's been an important way of harmonizing a lot of the public communication efforts that are so vital to people being prepared when they're faced with some sort of emergency and the possible need to evacuate. This messaging and the consistency that brings about is really critical, not only for the primary messaging, but for the derivative messaging that comes out through media, social media, and other communications to have that consistency. And in areas like my district, this is vital when we have many areas that have isolated residential areas that have long roads, only one way in, one way out.

It becomes absolutely essential that those communities are made aware of when there is a potential emergency in the area, when they need to be ready, and if they need to go, to get out early because those routes may get cut off. Finally, I just note that I'm proud to share that the Anchorage Fire Department just in the last couple weeks won a national award for their implementation of ReadySetGo. Go. It's been an important program, and I urge your support for this bill. Further discussion?

Representative Allard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Permission from the body to read. Permission granted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Some of my concerns in regards to this bill is as follows. So codifying a system with a statute reduces operational flexibility. Emergency managers already use Ready, Set, Go voluntarily, which allows them to adapt to the framework when necessary and the circumstances demand. Once written into statute, any device or deviation from the required third-level color-coded system can cause more of a disaster. I'd like to also hit on another point, rural Alaska implementation challenges.

So, when you have rural Alaska and wildfire vulnerability, communities of unorganized territories or very small villages with minimal emergency management infrastructure requiring a political decision, Mr. Speaker, because we are putting this into statute. Subdivisions to produce a ready, set, go to compliant evacuation plans is straightforward for Fairbanks or for Anchorage. But when it comes to communities perhaps of only 200 people in the roadless villages, developing and maintaining a formal color-coded evacuation zone plan may be unfunded, difficult to mandate with practical effect since evacuation in those setting areas are rarely zone-based. My concern, Mr. Speaker, are twofold. One, that putting into statute we have less flexibility, and I don't know that other states do it or not.

That's not my concern. My concern is whether Alaska does it and that the flexibility is no longer there once it goes into statute. Two, in our rural communities, saying that they must do this, I don't know what there's going to be penalty or what the fallout of that is going to be. But when you do have the smaller villages of 200 or less, even 300, this could cause some heartache. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Any wrap-up comments? Representative Paul.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to emphasize that, um, this came about from emergency management professionals across the state. This is something that they are informally doing, and they asked this for, for this to be codified into law to make sure that there is a standard in place for everybody to be able to, to know exactly what those instructions are, and so that there is is no deviation. There is no penalty if someone chooses not to follow the Ready, Set, Go formality. If I am in a wildfire zone and I'm being told that I have to evacuate, I can stay in place if I want to.

There is no penalty for that other than maybe my own poor judgment and risk of loss of life. Other states do use this Ready, Set, Go methodology, mostly Western states. I don't remember all of the states off the top of my head. But again, I just want to stress to, to the body that when it comes to public communications, these emergency management professionals, they are not working only when there is an emergency. They are working full-time year-round, and they are preparing for the next emergency.

And so they are actively communicating with these communities across the state to ensure that they know what to do in the event that emergency does happen. So again, Mr. Speaker, I kindly urge a yes vote. Thank you. Are you ready for the question? The question being, shall committee substitute for Senate Bill 192, Community Regional Affairs, 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 vote? 39 Yeas, 1 nay. With a vote of 39 yeas to 1 nay, Senate Bill 192 has passed. This passes the body.

Will the clerk please read the next item on today's calendar? I have no further items on today's calendar, Mr. Speaker. This brings us to unfinished business. Mr.— we are in unfinished business. Representative Mena.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move and ask unanimous consent that I be removed as the prime sponsor and Representative Jimmy be added as the prime sponsor for House Bill 138, Behavioral Health Crisis Search.

And fund. Hearing no objection, so moved. Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I have no excused absences to move at this time.

This brings us to committee announcements. Are there any committee announcements? Representative Gray. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Judiciary is canceled today.

Are there any other announcements? Representative Galvin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an announcement for everyone on the floor. Tomorrow, Thursday, May 7th, from 5:30 to 7 PM, there is a really exciting event.

So perhaps as you're heading to any other establishments downtown, you might stop in the Indigenous Science Building. Don't miss this exhibit because it's, it's really something. I've been— I went to it last week and I tell you what, it had me laughing and crying all at the same time. It's a gallery walk and call for understanding in action. The exhibit features photos and writing from more than 200 Southeast Alaskan students from public schools, grades 2 through 11th grade.

These young people through their cameras, observations, and words are showing all of us what they notice, what they care about, and what they want us to understand. I hope that you'll come and listen and learn and see our communities through their eyes. And Mr. Speaker, there's more information in each of our representatives' mailbox, so you can get the details there. And I hope to see everybody there tomorrow. Again, from 5:30 to 7:00, and there will be appetizers served.

Thank you. Representative Vance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer, and we will have our usual gathering across the street for— from noon to 1:00, and I want to invite everyone in all faiths to come and join us. I encourage you to look in your inbox for the prayer guide that I get from the National Day of Prayer, and we will have more available at the gathering tomorrow at noon.

So All are welcome. Representative Ruffridge. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise as a proud dance dad to inform the body that this weekend there is the ballet. I know that's what you expected, right?

Ballet is with Juneau Dance Theater. You can buy tickets online at junodance.org, and it will be Friday and Saturday and a matinee on Sunday. If you're bored this weekend, there's options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Representative Ruffridge, are you dancing as well?

No, sir. No.

This brings us to special orders. Are there any special orders? Representative Bynum. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of legends.

The topic of legends. Permission to read. Permission granted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If you notice in the citations today, there is an in memoriam for Carlos Ray Chuck Norris.

So we knew him.

I think back to when I was growing up, Mr. Speaker, and my twin brother and I, when we were out there, there was always this going debate of whether or not we were a Bruce Lee person or a Chuck Norris person. And my brother and I, we were Chuck Norris kids. And we always look for those outlets. We look for those role models. We always wanted to be out there and be active.

And so some folks had asked why I put this out there, and it was because it was something special from my childhood and what that meant to me and my brother in our creative outlets. But Chuck Norris was a legendary persona. Was it— was amplified through generations of admiration, humor, storytelling that cemented his place not only as a performer but as a symbol of perseverance, integrity, and grit. He inspired millions through his work, his faith, and his commitment to helping others. Including founding of youth development programs that focused on discipline, character, and purpose.

And that's where that had an impact in my life. Mr. Speaker, if it's all right, I'd like to read a few little things. We know that, that Chuck Norris was famous for his humor and had become a world-renowned phenomena. Even here in Alaska, there is some focus on his presence as a force to be reckoned with. So if it's your pleasure, I could read a few items here that I put together.

Permission granted. The assumption is, is that Chuck Norris is a legislator here in Alaska. And if he were, what would they say? They would say that Chuck Norris doesn't balance the budget. The budget balances itself to avoid being cut.

Chuck Norris doesn't read Mason's Manual. Mason's Manual asks him for guidance. He doesn't worry about the 24-hour rule. Time gives him notice. And then finally, Mr. Speaker, Chuck Norris doesn't need 21 votes in the House.

Motions pass out of respect. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Representative Johnson. On the topic of Guayana, Chuck Norris.

Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the House stand at adjournment until Thursday, May 7th, at 10:30 a.m. There being no objection, the House will stand adjourned until Thursday, May 7th, at 10:30 a.m.