SB 35 Alaska Senate · 34th Legislature (2025-2026)

An Act relating to transportation network companies and delivery network companies; and relating to occupational accident insurance.

SB 35 amends Alaska law to explicitly exempt transportation network company drivers (like Uber or Lyft drivers) from being classified as employees under workers' compensation and labor laws. The bill adds a new exemption (section 11) for drivers who provide prearranged rides through digital networks, and defines independent contractor status (section 12) with specific criteria like having an express contract, being free from employer control over work methods, and incurring business expenses. This directly affects ride-share drivers in Alaska, removing them from coverage under certain labor protections. The bill focuses on defining contractor status through clear, operational requirements rather than altering broader employment standards. The legislation is currently pending in committee review.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
May 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Last action May 16, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

CSSB 35(L&C) CSSB 35(L&C) am · 1 edit
MINOR
The bill was amended to update its version identifier and add a specific amendment date. The substantive text regarding insurance exclusions for transportation and delivery drivers remains unchanged from the previous version, with no new policy requirements, definitions, or exemptions introduced in this update.
Scope change
No change to the bill's scope or applicability; this is a procedural update to the document version.
TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to reflect the amended version (SB0035C) and added the amendment date of 4/13/26.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
68
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Amendments
1
May 16, 2026
Committee
(H) REFERRED TO RULES
lower
May 15, 2026
Lower · Passed
(H) Moved HCS CSSB 35(L&C) Out of Committee
lower
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
(S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
upper
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
(S) PASSED Y17 N3
upper
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
(S) AM NO 1 ADOPTED UC
upper
Apr 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
(S) L&C CS ADOPTED UC
upper
Mar 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
(S) Moved CSSB 35(L&C) Out of Committee
upper
Apr 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
(S) Moved SB 35 Out of Committee
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jesse Bjorkman
Jesse Bjorkman
RRepublican
AK
D