Education (Higher Education)

HB 387 creates a new Joint Legislative Alaska Native Languages Academic Task Force to address challenges facing the Alaska Native Language Center and academic research. The task force will consist of six legislators appointed by their respective chamber leaders and is required to meet within 90 days of the bill's effective date. Its main duties include holding public meetings to gather input, reviewing the current state of language instruction and research at the University of Alaska, and examining staffing and leadership issues that threaten the preservation of Alaska Native languages.

This bill establishes a Joint Legislative Alaska Native Languages Academic Task Force within the Alaska State Legislature to oversee the preservation and instruction of Alaska Native languages. The task force will consist of six members, with three appointed by the House speaker and three by the Senate president. Within 90 days of the law taking effect, the group must hold public meetings to gather input from communities and experts while reviewing academic activities at the University of Alaska system. Their review will specifically examine teacher training programs, research archives, and staffing levels to support the documentation and instruction of these languages.

HB 333 establishes a statewide Alaska technical readiness and career training system to fund career-focused education in public schools for grades 6-12. It directs school districts to spend at least 80% of vocational and technical instruction funding on direct student programs like classroom instruction, industry certifications, apprenticeships, and work-based learning - excluding administrative costs and general academic skills. The bill requires districts to develop programs with measurable student mastery, career pathways, and stackable credentials accepted for high school graduation or college credit. It amends funding formulas to include a dedicated vocational and technical instruction factor (1.025) and creates a new department system to support program development across districts.

SB 118 requires the University of Alaska Board of Regents to include one full-time, tenured faculty member from Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Southeast campuses. The bill mandates that faculty regents be selected via campus elections and appointed by the governor from a list of six nominees (two per campus) submitted by faculty senates. Faculty regents serve two-year terms starting June 1, with successors filling unexpired terms if needed. The change takes effect after the University holds required elections and submits nominees by February 1, 2026. This amendment adjusts the board’s composition from 11 to 12 members and updates quorum rules to require six regents present for meetings.

SB 157, the Student Fee Transparency Act, requires the University of Alaska to notify enrolled students 30 days before implementing new fees or fee increases. The notice must clearly state the fee amount, its purpose, and whether it is permanent or temporary with an end date. Additionally, the bill mandates that the University of Alaska provide each student with an itemized billing statement showing all tuition and fees charged. These changes apply to all currently enrolled students and take effect on July 1, 2027.

HB 10 requires the University of Alaska Board of Regents to include at least one full-time, tenured faculty member from one of the three main campuses (Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Southeast) as a regent. This faculty regent must be selected through campus elections by each university's faculty senate, with the governor appointing from the submitted list within 60 days. The bill also reduces the board's quorum requirement from seven to six regents for meetings. These changes directly affect the governance structure of the University of Alaska system, ensuring faculty representation on its governing board.