House Floor Session, 5/1/26, 10:30am

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Will 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 to I call the House to present to conduct business. Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, may the journal please reflect that Representatives David Nelson and Sadler have been previously excused from the call of the House today, and I move and ask unanimous consent that Representative McCabe be excused from the call of the House today. Hearing no objections, so moved. Leading the invocation this morning once again is Pastor Anton Farel of the Calvary Fellowship Church. Members, please rise. Awesome.

With the deepest respect for the religious beliefs of all Alaskans, I offer the following prayer. Let us pray. Almighty God, first of all, thank you for the sunshine that shines over Juneau today, bringing warmth and joy in the end of a long winter. We pause to shine a light on the people who make the work in this chamber possible. We know serving Alaska is a profound and shared sacrifice.

We lift up the families who have walked alongside these representatives through grueling elections, given up precious time and normalcy so that their loved one can serve this state. And today we also remember the staff members The dedicated individuals serving quietly in the background. They are the unseen foundation of this Capitol, carrying a heavy load of late nights and complex details and endless preparation, keeping this body moving forward. God, the physical and mental and emotional toll of this season is real. When the heavy demands of this work leave families and staff and these leaders feeling stretched and overwhelmed, We ask you to provide genuine rest.

Guard their emotional and mental well-being. Bring a quiet peace to their minds, their offices, and especially their homes. May the comfort of knowing that their sacrifice truly matters give everyone in this building the strength that they need today. Grant this house the serenity to accept the things they cannot change, the courage to change the things that they can, and the wisdom to know the difference. We ask this blessing upon this session and upon the dedicated people who sustain it.

In your wonderful name we pray. Amen.

Representative Beers, 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 101st legislative day. Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the journal of the previous day be approved as certified by the Chief Clerk. Hearing no objection, the journal stands approved. Are there guests for introduction this morning? Representative Galvin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm honored to introduce a constituent of mine. Permission to refer to notes, please. Daniel Delfino is the Director of Planning at Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. You may have seen him about an hour ago wonderfully presenting to House and Senate. He manages several statewide rental development, homeownership, and supportive housing programs.

In addition to program management, the department performs research and analysis of housing market dynamics throughout the state. Daniel received his bachelor's degree in economics from Portland State University and holds a master's degree in economics from University of New Mexico. But he was born at Providence Hospital, just down the street from where we both live. And speaking of that, I was not aware until he told me this morning that he lives two houses down somehow.

I've missed that. I think what I've been focusing on is his two dogs who are so wonderful. And I can tell you that they are also just precious in the way they can vocalize all of their wishes and dreams. So that's been super fun. And we joked about that because his dogs are so great.

Outside of work, he's also an amazing runner. He and his wife spend time traveling the globe or training for fringe endurance events where, uh, Finishing is possible but unlikely, he says. So, loving his humor, please help me welcome Daniel to the house.

I do not see any additional guests to be introduced this morning. Madam Clerk, are there any messages from the governor? A message dated April 29th stating, under the authority Vested in the governor by Article 2, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, the governor has vetoed the following bill: House Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 64, Finance, amended House Elections. I have no further messages from the governor this morning. Are there any messages from the other body?

There are no messages from the other body. Any communications? Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial Fisheries, Alaska Salmon Fisheries Enhancement Annual Report 2025, as well as the Division of Wildlife Conservation status of brown bears and other natural resources in the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge in 2025. I have no further communications this morning. Are there any reports of standing committees?

The Health and Social Services Committee held a hearing on the following appointee to the State Medical Board: Michael McNamara. Signing the report: Representatives Prox, Gray, Mears, and Chair Mena. The Finance Committee considered House Bill 1, Spee-Cee as Legal Tender, recommends it be replaced with Committee Substitute for House Bill 1, State Affairs, with the same title, attached to new zero fiscal notes. Signing the report: do pass, Representatives Tomaszewski, Stapp, Moore, Bynum, and Co-Chair Foster. Do not pass: Jimmy.

No recommendation: Galvin, Hannon, and Co-Chairs Schraggy and Josephson. The bill has no further referral, and I have no further reports of standing committees. Are there any reports of special committees? There are no reports of special committees.

Madam Clerk, are there any citations or resolutions for introduction? Honoring Colonel Lisa— yes, Colonel Lisa Mabbott by Representatives Eischeid, D. Nelson, and Senator Tobin. Honoring Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium 50th Anniversary by Representative Hemshoot Senator Steadman. Honoring Heather Fincher by Representative Stutes. Honoring Coach Dan Marshall by Senator Bjorkman and Representative Elam.

Honoring Jacob Straussbau by Senator Bjorkman and Representative Ruffridge. In memoriam Peggy Mae Arnes by Senator Bjorkman and Representative Elam. In memoriam Clifton Cliff Caffall by Senator Bjorkman and Representative Ruffridge. House Concurrent Resolution Number 15 by the House Labor and Commerce Committee, suspending Rules 24C, 35, 41B, and 42E, Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, concerning Senate Bill Number 185, relating to the business of insurance, relating to exceptions to prohibited rebates, relating to the powers of the Director of the Division of Insurance, and relating to prohibited practices in the advertisement of insurance. I have no further citations or resolutions for introduction.

Are there any bills for introduction? House Bill number 388 by the House Finance Committee entitled an act relating to loans made from the bulk fuel loan account and providing for an effective date. Finance Committee. House Bill number 389 by the House Labor and Commerce Committee entitled an act relating to retainage on public and private construction contracts. Labor and Commerce and Transportation Committees.

I have no further 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. Committee substitute for House Bill number 211, Labor and Commerce, by the House Labor and Commerce Committee, entitled an Act Relating to Prepaid Legal Plans. The bill is in third reading, final passage. Representative Jimmy. Hoi Anaa, Mr. Speaker.

Permission to treat. Permission granted. Thank you for the consideration for House Bill 211. This bill removes prepaid legal plans from the insurance regulations in Alaska and adds consumer protection, including the right to cancel at any time without penalty. Lawyers are expensive.

Most Alaskans can't afford a $400 unexpected expense. A single hour of legal help costs more than that. Alaska Legal Service turns away more than half of the people who ask for free or low-cost help. Prepaid legal plans fill that gap. For a monthly fee, a person can get a lawyer to review a lease, write a letter to a debt collector, help with custody matters, represent them in the IRS audit.

If you're being arrested and you need a lawyer right now, you can call one. These are real legal problems that real Alaskans face, and right now most of them face those problems alone. Alaska regulates these plans as insurance products. That limits who can offer them. Most states do not do this.

This bill puts Alaska in line with the rest of the country.

Just to give an idea of what they would help out with is wills, power of attorneys, living wills, estate planning documents without paying hundreds per document, family law, divorce, custody, adoption, guardianship. Landlord-tenant disputes, eviction, lease reviews, tenant problems. Consumer finance, debt collection, bankruptcy, garnishment, identity theft, IRS audit representation, traffic violations. 24, Emergency access to a lawyer if you're being arrested or your rights are being threatened. A letter and call made on your behalf.

A lawyer contacts someone for you without full representation cost. And small claims court. I look forward to the discussion. Go ahead.

Any debates? Representative Stapp. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I support the bill. I just think, you know, the only fundamental change here in the bill— there's two sections.

One is the moving out of the Division of Insurance, Division of Consumer Protection Typically, like, these plans require you to be a licensed insurance person to sell to consumers at the moment. That would change after the bill's passage. I don't have a problem with that. These are pretty standard types of products that are offered as an employee benefit. The second portion of the bill, consumer protections, those are fairly standard.

I think they kind of already exist through consumer protection. So I don't know the necessity to put them in statute, but it's very standard practice stuff, and I support the bill. Thank you. Representative Allard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Permission from the body to read. Commissioner Brenner. Thank you. I'm just going to reference a few things here. Um, I know that the Attorney General's opinion recommending Legal Shell, um, Shield in the state of Alaska, they needed a little bit more clarification and time to whether this would work underneath Title 21 and the deregulation could happen before consumer protection gaps are fully mapped if this particular bill passes.

Also, removing insurance oversight eliminates state's primary regulatory backstop if a plan provider fails to deliver promised services and insolvent to the consumers. Also, the consumers' recourse shifts primarily to the Consumer Protection Unit, uh, rather than the insurance regulatory system, which may be an enforcement mechanism. And for those reasons, I will not be supporting this bill. Thank you. Representative Schwocke.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to rise to— I want to thank the sponsor for bringing the bill forward to try to help to expand legal opportunities and access specifically for rural Alaskans. But this bill was brought to the floor pretty quickly and it never went through any of my committees, so I didn't have a whole lot of time to work on it. But I do want to thank the sponsor for connecting with me in the short period of time that we had. So the bill in front of us today, I think that there's some more work that needs to be done on the bill, very specifically in reference to financial accountability and bonding that we see in other states when it comes to moving these types of plans over to the consumer protection statutes.

So I hope that there's some more work to be done on the plan in the future, but I can't support it today as written. Thank you. Representative Gray. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The previous speaker said this bill had moved quickly to the floor.

House Judiciary began hearing this bill in 2025, so I would argue that we've had a lot of time with the bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Representative Fields. Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, in the Labor and Commerce Committee, this bill actually had more hearings than usual because we hadn't had a bill like it.

So we did research consumer protection in the area of subscription services. There are a lot of subscription services out there. Gems, for example, one of the best practices for consumer protection in terms of subscription services is protecting consumers' ability to terminate a service without penalty and leave and not pay for many subsequent months. When you look at abusive subscription services, they lock in a consumer often for up to a year. So we specifically put in language in this bill that someone who has subscribed to a legal subscription service who finds that they are not getting the services that they were promised, or if they were misled, can leave and not be charged for a single additional month beyond the month that they are in.

And they may not be charged a termination fee. So that is for any subscription service, sort of a core protection in addition to the underlying statutes. Alaska has some of the strongest consumer protection statutes in terms of fraud in the country. So I think we have underlying statutes that are strong. I think the protections for subscribe— for this particular type of subscription services are now stronger.

And I would argue the committee process was definitely not rushed at all because it was a fairly new topic area. Thank you.

Further debate?

Representative Stapp. Yeah, sorry, Mr. Speaker, I forgot to raise a conflict of interest. I am licensed sell these products and asks to be excused from voting. There's an objection. Representative Stapp, you'll be required to vote.

Scanning the chamber one last time. Any wrap-up comments, Representative Jimmy?

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank everyone for hearing HB 1211. Permission to read? Yes, granted. This is just a bill to remind everyone that this helps people get legal help when they need it.

There are some concerns that I'd like to address, that this bill doesn't have enough consumer protections. It protects consumers more than the status quo by adding a thoughtful list of protections for members enrolled in prepaid legal plans. The Division of Insurance is safer than the Consumer Protection Unit. That's another question that was asked. There is not much difference in Alaska.

The Division of Insurance describes Alaskans as giving up nothing in legal oversight with this coverage because both the Division of Insurance and the Consumer Protection Unit are responsible respond to complaints after a business license for a product is approved in the state. At the end of the day, the consumer protections we're putting in make sure that there are laws and regulations in place for these products. And that matters more than when they're in house and stature. Another concern was not to trust the LegalShield or other products like it. Um, to address that, prepaid legal plans are here in Alaska with or without this bill.

Over 1,100 Alaskans have, and 40 small businesses use them in Alaska. It is a good option for Alaskans, and it's been used since 2016. There is not one single complaint. Um, the bar associations will protect people from bad lawyers, of course. These types of plans haven't had a complaint.

Yeah. Another concern was people will be tricked into paying for something outside of the coverage plan. To respond to that, an example is a contract from prepaid legal plan provider Legal Shield requires that people are told when a legal request is outside the scope of their plan. Before work is started. This is a fair concern and it is addressed.

The contract says any payment of additional cost or payment of a retainer to provide law firm to cover reasonably accepted legal services not covered by the contract shall be subject to the term of an attorney-client contract to be agreed upon prior to this time of service rendered. So those are just a few, and I'd really appreciate your support for this plan. Are you ready for the question? The question being, shall committee substitute for House Bill 211, 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? 33 Ayes, 4 nays. With a vote of 33 ayes to 4 nays, House Bill 211 has passed the body.

Mr. Majority Leader, we do not have an effective date.

3 Fettuccine.

[FOREIGN] Will the House please come back to order? Madam Clerk, will you please read the next item on today's calendar? House Bill number 298 by Representatives Galvin and McCabe, entitled entitled 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 bill is in third reading, final passage. Representative Galvin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Permission to refer to my notes? Permission granted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, public trust matters, as we all know, and we build it through transparency, through accountability, and high ethical standards.

This legislation before us is a step forward toward that goal by improving the clarity, organization, and consistency of the Ethics Act, making it easier to understand and apply. Consistency is the key here. When the law is clear and applied uniformly, it reduces confusion and provides better guidance for legislators, staff, members, and the public. House Bill 298 focuses on four key revisions: operating procedures, the Ethics Committee structure, committee guidance, and complaint process. First, it clarifies the authority of the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics to issue subpoenas and conduct investigations when reviewing potential violations.

Second, it improves uh, the structure of the Ethics Committee by clearly defining public members and aligning oversight standards, ensuring consistency in how all participants are treated. And third, it updates existing provisions, including guidance on the use of legislative titles and clearer disclosure requirements for travel-related gifts. Um, finally, the bill strengthens the complaint process by establishing clear timeframes for acknowledging complaints, conducting preliminary reviews, and initiating investigations, ensuring consistency while protecting due process for all involved. It is important to note that the Ethics Committee is not a department with its own regulations— very different than what we're used to here— and that underscores the significance of these detailed changes. These changes ensure that decisions are grounded in law rather than interpretation.

The updates were proposed by both former Senator Tobin— I think I'm supposed to say the senator from Anchorage, downtown Anchorage. The member from the other—. The member from downtown Anchorage from the other body, thank you. And current committee members here in this body, including the member from Big Lake and myself. They reflect lessons learned from past discussions and situations where greater clarity was needed.

These changes are proactive, aimed at maintaining fairness, protecting witnesses, and strengthening the overall ethics framework. In conclusion, House Bill 298 helps protect the integrity of legislative ethics system and ensures the Ethics Committee can continue upholding high standards of integrity and accountability in public service. I urge your support. Thank you.

Under debate, Representative Vance. Uh, Mr. Speaker, I rise to a conflict of interest. I'm currently under investigation by the Ethics Committee and ask to be recused from the vote. There is an objection. Representative Vance, you'll be required to vote.

Representative Hannan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too rise in support of this bill.

Of this legislation and urge all members to support its passage. The majority— or the minority leader and I served on that committee together for two terms, and one of the things that we found is that the Ethics Act had not been revised in a number of years, and the operating procedures of how to deal with a complaint, specifically the confidentiality process of a complaint, had been interpreted one way for a long time, that it was a completely confidential process. And then a couple terms back, we found out that the law did not actually specify that. And so the perception had been by the public, or, uh, that a complaint was kept confidential until the end of investigation. But it turns out that the law did not restrict it to that.

And you've probably, if you've been here for two terms, heard from the public who said they felt that that was a violation, that it was supposed to be a confidential process. And indeed, that had been the practice, but the law did not support it. So of all the changes in the bill, I think that is one of the most significant, that it clarifies that. It tightens timelines for investigation. It streamlines and clarifies subpoena power so that a investigation proceeds in a timely fashion, because that was also one of those things that had procedurally always been perceived that you needed to as a legislative employee or a legislator comply with the subpoena.

But it turns out the law did not make it that explicit. So making those things explicit in the law tightens it up, gives us the— what had been the practice, but clarifies that in law. And in the end reminds the public that we have a tight ethics act that applies to legislators and legislative employees. Um, and in the end of an investigation, they are not confidential. So, uh, people will know about investigations at their conclusion if there are violations that are found, but otherwise the process remains confidential through its investigation and There are a number of other things that are in there.

It is a technical rewrite in many aspects, but I would urge you for, if no other reason, to clarify because the public has asked and always believed that the process of a complaint to the Legislative Ethics Board Committee was a confidential process, and I think we owe that to the public for that to be in statute. And so I urge your support of the bill.

Who called the Aries? Okay, Aries.

We're, we're under debate on House Bill 298 in 3rd reading.

Other further comments? Representative Schwanke. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to a question for the sponsor specifically about Section 5. It adds some information here pertaining to gifts for the primary purpose of obtaining information on a matter of legislative concern.

Concern, and I'm hoping that the sponsor can offer us a little bit of insight into that language and what exactly would that entail, because to me this seems dangerously broad. Thank you. Please. At ease.

Will the House please come back to order, only to go back at ease.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Will the House please come back to order. Continuing on under debate on House Bill 298 pertaining to the Ethics Act, I believe we are in wrap-up. I'm making sure of that. Representative McGalvin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I want to appreciate the work of all of the members here and in other places, especially the board who have put this together. This is truly about sharpening our pencil, making sure that we have consistency, and making sure that the public has the opportunity for Confidentiality when appropriate. And with regard to the question that was asked, and that was related to Section 5, there's new language in there that suggests— that asks for a copy of the agenda or other documentation sufficient to show that the gift was primarily for the purpose of obtaining information on a matter of legislative concern. And in the past, it used to be even more that was required. Things like not only an agenda, but also the attendance, so who was there in that gathering, and minutes, and so forth.

In this language, what they're asked— what they ask for is that there be some documentation, whether it's an agenda or something else that's sufficient that says what that gathering was about. And it just is to make sure that we're all aware that any funds that are being exchanged or gifts, that it is associated with disclosure of that said gift. So I think that we're all aware of when we travel or when we get gifts, particularly in the amount of $250 or above, we are to always work with ethics and make sure that they are aware of where it came from and why. And this just really hones in on the documentation piece for the ethics staff to maintain. And again, I appreciate all of you and your thoughtful questions offline and online, and I hope that you will see the value of making sure that we uphold and and also put forth that we mean this.

We're gonna relook at this every now and then and make sure that it fits, fits us, fits the public, and fits growing more public trust in us. Thank you. Are you ready for the question? The question being, shall House Bill 298 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? 37 Yeas, 0 nays. With a vote of 37 yeas to 0 nays, House Bill 298 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 passed. Madam Clerk. House Joint Resolution number 45 by the House Education Committee urging the United States Congress to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The Education Committee considered the resolution attached 1 new zero fiscal note. Signing the report do pass Representatives Schwonke, Daibert, Elam, Underwood, Eichide, and co-chairs Hemmschulte and Story. I have 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 Joint Resolution 45 be considered a grossed, advanced to third reading, and placed on final passage. Hearing no objection. House Joint Resolution number 45 by the House Education Committee urging the United States Congress to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Representative Story. Ah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over 50 years ago, children who had developmental delays or who learned differently were longing to go to school with their peers in their communities. And permission to read from my notes? Permission granted.

Thank you. Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, fundamentally changed their path and our path on education in this country. It guaranteed students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, and the federal government committed to covering up to 40% of special education costs. That promise was reaffirmed when the law became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or better known as IDEA, in 1990. While the law transformed children's lives, the federal government has never met its funding commitment.

In practice, IDEA has been funded at only 10 to 15%, leaving states and local districts to absorb the remaining costs. In Alaska, the impact of this shortfall is especially severe. Districts face higher operational costs, expenses, persistent staffing shortages, and the logistical challenges of serving students across remote communities. Educators are stretched thin, families are concerned, and schools, districts, public education entities are forced to make difficult decisions about mandated services they must provide, they want to provide, and then also meeting the needs of the other students that they are supporting. This is not what Congress intended to do when they passed IDEA.

The responsibility for this mandate should not fall disproportionately on states and local districts. This resolution sends a clear message and calls on Congress to honor its longtime commitment to students with disabilities. Fully funding IDEA is an investment in our students, our educators, and our communities. This resolution respectively urges Congress to pass Congressional House Bill 2598 which is known as the IDEA Full Funding Act, which is a glide path bill to provide for regular mandatory increases for individuals with disabilities to reach 40% funding over time or to immediately provide full funding for the IDEA Act.

We would appreciate your support.

Is there any debate?

Seeing none and seeing no wrap-up comments, are you ready for the question? The question being, shall HJR 45 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? 37 Yeas, 0 nays. With a vote of 37 yeas to 0 nays, HGR 45 has passed the body.

Madam Clerk, 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.

Is there any unfinished business before the body? Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that Representative Moore be excused from the call of the House as of 11:30 AM today, and that Representative McCabe be excused from the call of the House from Friday, May 1st at 8 AM to Monday, May 4th at 9:30 AM. Hearing no objection, the members are excused on the dates and times indicated by the Majority Leader.

Are there any committee announcements?

Are there any other announcements? Representative Hannan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to remind the body once more that we will be having a get 'em outta here party for the member from District 13 who is retiring is the word used by the members of the other body. But I just think he's chosen to spend his days doing something else, and he's probably not really retiring. It will be on Sunday afternoon, this Sunday, May 3rd, at the Juneau Yacht Club from 4 to 7. It's not a ticketed event.

Show up, celebrate, offer an amendment to something he said to you previously. And if you are participating in the softball game and have wounds to lick or pride to celebrate, make sure you come because we'll want to help you out with your Sunday afternoon aques and pains. So thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hope to see you there on Sunday afternoon. Gràcies.

[FOREIGN] Will the House please come back to order, continuing under other Announcements, Mr. Majority Leader. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the members go into the limbo file to take up House Bill 26. The member from District 19 will explain the changes made by the other body.

I'm going to give members just a slight moment to pull the bill out of their file and bring it for them.

Representative Mina. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was one change that was created on the Senate side on House Bill 26 to help include alternative transit and improved transportation planning in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities responsibilities. The change was to define tribal entities, which is not currently defined in the bill, and the bill references the definition of federally recognized tribes, which was established in the Tribal Recognition Law that was passed in 2022, and that law references both the federal code for federally recognized tribes as well as the federal code that defines Indian tribes.

Are you ready for the question? Brief it is.

Will the House please come back to order?

We have before the body a concurrence motion regarding House Bill 26. Is there further discussion? If not, Mr. Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House concur in the Senate amendments to Committee Substitute for House Bill 26 Transportation, amended, thus adopting Senate Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for House Bill 26 Transportation And recommend the members vote yes.

Are you ready for the question? The question being, shall the House concur with the changes to committee substitute for House Bill 26? 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? 22 Yeas, 14 nays. With a vote of 22 yeas to 14 nays, the House has concurred with the changes to House Bill 26.

I don't believe there is a fiscal note or an effective date clause involved.

We are continuing on under committee announcements, I believe is— or other announcements. Where we're on reps and staff.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was all teed up by the member from Juneau to do my other announcement and then me diverted. Uh, Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m., Mr. Speaker, it is the annual softball match in which we, the glorious champions of the House, destroyed our compatriots in the other body. Next year, I hope to continue that trend with the help of the rest of 10 AM Sunday morning. There are jerseys available in the Minority Leader's office, Mr. Speaker, for those who are participating in playing in the game.

And I hope that after Sunday we can all go to the member from Anchorage's retirement ceremony and brag once again how the trophy.

Still in our body, which is the superior body. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This brings us to special orders. Representative Carrick. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of congratulations, Representative Carrick. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I just want to wish a very hearty congratulations. This morning it was announced that Matt Cooper has been chosen as the new UA System-wide president for our University of Alaska system. Matt Cooper is a very well-respected attorney. He's a former borough assembly member in Fairbanks. He was general counsel for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and he is a Fairbanks-based individual who I thoroughly believe will do a phenomenal job leading and supporting students across our entire University of Alaska system.

He's young, he's energetic, and And while we wish our very best and most hearty well wishes for the retirement of Pat Pitney, I also want to wish a very hearty congratulations to Matt Cooper. Thank you.

Representative Allard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of Charlie Kirk. Representative Allard. Thank you.

Today is Doodle Dog Day, and I want everybody to come and say hello to my puppy boy, Charlie Kirk. And don't come unless you have a treat. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Representative Mears.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of May birthdays. Representative Mears. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot of folks important to me that have May birthdays.

All of my family that have birthdays during session have them during May, and we're starting off today with my father. My father is 90 years old today, and we share a lot here on the floor. We share a lot of events from family members. And I know that I am really lucky at this point in my life to still have my father with me.

I was able to speak to him this morning, he and my mother, and he was telling me about a doctor's appointment he has to check up on in 3 years. And my man— my father is a man that keeps his appointments and he keeps his promises. So I'm looking forward to keeping that appointment in the next 3 years.

As I said, I have other family members that don't have birthdays during session, and since my father is celebrating a decade birthday, I don't want to leave out my mom, whose birthday is in September. She also has a decade birthday, not the same as my father. My mother is 10 and a half years younger than my dad, and he's always said that she keeps him young, and I'm very grateful that I still have both of my parents I'm able to celebrate them and I'm able to share that with you today. Thank you.

Madam Rules Chair. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of a special day. Madam Rules Chair. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to speak on a special occasion of a member of this body whose legislative acumen is never shoddy. Permission to read? Permission granted. Thank you. The leader of the House and the majority, I have it on good authority that Sunday is this member's birthday.

A musical genius and a master of strategy, he is also a member of the Dillingham Fishing Academy. Joined together through thick and thin, both taking it on the chin, we always emerge with a mutual grin. We've been through a lot, this member and I. And through it all, on each other we still rely. He has held virtually every leadership position in this body and has worked hard for the good of the state and always seems to have a lot on his plate.

This member's career could not be grander. As the first Native Alaskan speaker, he has led this body with distinction and candor. In all seriousness, I would like to wish my good friend, the member from District 37 and Speaker of the House, a very happy birthday on Sunday. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Rules Chair. I really appreciate that. And that almost sounds like Stormy wrote some of that. But thank all of you. I really appreciate the opportunity to be part of this team.

President Bynum. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the topic of work to still get done. Representative Bynum. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we know, this week there was lots of celebration in the building from many of the members about the passage of HB 78. And although there were lots of debate on the floor, the debate of the floor, Mr. Speaker, was really confined or was instructed to be confined to the elements of the changes in the other body. And I worked vigorously, Mr. Speaker, to stick to those confined issues and did not really get to speak to some of the other items within the bill, Mr. Speaker, or some of the challenges I had with the bill. But the bill is now out of our hands and is on to the next thing, but it doesn't mean that there's still not work to do. And so, Mr. Speaker, I stand here to say that What the bill did not do is the bill did not create parity for our teachers.

It did not create a retirement system for our teachers that is equal to that of state employees. And I encourage the body to continue to recognize that although many believe that this does create a better retirement system for many, it ultimately does not solve the big gap that we have for our teachers in the TERS program, and that we really should be evaluating and looking at how do we correct that wrong, because we haven't done so yet. Mr. Speaker, when we went through the budget process, I offered many amendments through Finance and on this floor to specifically try to address that issue and was told that is a welcomed idea, it is something that we should do, but we'll work on it later. Well, Mr. Speaker, later is now. So I implore us to continue to evaluate that.

Let's see how we can correct this wrong and work together to bring a supplemental of some kind to teachers to bring them in parity with the rest of our state employees. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Majority Leader. Mr. Speaker, I move and ask unanimous consent that the House stand in adjournment until Monday, May 4th at 10:30 AM. There being no objection, the House will stand in adjournment until Monday, May 4th at 10:30 AM.