State Affairs

HB 303 exempts vehicles that are at least 25 years old and legally imported into the U.S. from needing to comply with current federal motor vehicle safety standards for registration and titling in Alaska. This applies directly to owners of such vintage imported vehicles, allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles to register or title these vehicles without requiring safety standard compliance. The bill amends registration and titling laws to prevent the denial, suspension, or revocation of titles based on failure to meet those standards. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

This bill updates the structure and reporting requirements for Alaska's Joint Armed Services Committee. It changes how the state department submits military reports, requiring a combined biennial report instead of annual submissions. The committee composition is expanded to include nine civilian members representing military organizations, Alaska's indigenous communities, and municipal leaders. The bill also adjusts the quorum requirement and adds administrative duties for tracking committee membership and vacancies. These changes aim to improve oversight of federal military activities in Alaska while broadening civilian representation on the committee.

HB 390 updates Alaska's election laws to modernize voter registration and election administration. The bill expands acceptable forms of identification for in-person and mail-in registration to include hunting or fishing licenses, while also allowing registration officials to waive ID requirements if they know the applicant's identity. It requires the Division of Elections to use Permanent Fund Dividend data for voter roll maintenance and mandates annual reports on data sharing and election integrity. Additionally, the legislation strengthens address confirmation procedures by requiring notices to be sent to voters who have not voted in recent elections or who have moved to another state.

This bill updates Alaska's public records laws to clarify what counts as a public record and how municipalities can charge for handling record requests. It expands the definition of public records to include audio and video recordings while excluding library materials and proprietary software. The bill also allows municipalities to charge requesters for the actual personnel costs of searching for and copying records, requiring payment before the search begins. These changes aim to modernize how public agencies manage digital and multimedia records while ensuring transparency in record access fees.

HB 229 would exempt Alaska from observing daylight saving time, meaning the entire state would permanently stay on standard time year-round instead of changing clocks twice annually. The bill amends Alaska Statutes to state that during the federal daylight saving period (defined under 15 U.S.C. 260a), the state will not advance clocks and will instead maintain standard time. This change would affect all Alaskans by eliminating the biannual clock changes, with the policy taking effect on November 3, 2026.