Labor & Employment (Workers' Compensation)

SB 260 requires insurers to provide employers with a written workers' compensation insurance certificate containing specific details, including the employer's name, insurer name, employee count, payroll estimates, policy expiration date, and a QR code. The QR code links to an online verification tool on the Alaska Division of Workers' Compensation website, allowing users to confirm an employer's coverage status. This applies to all certificates and policies issued, delivered, or renewed on or after the bill's effective date. The bill directly affects employers needing to verify coverage and insurers responsible for issuing compliant certificates.

HB 245 sets a 4% tax on workers' compensation insurance premiums for insurers and establishes annual service fees: 2.9% of employer payments (excluding second injury fund payments) for businesses, and 2.5% of insurers' workers' compensation premium income. These fees fund the state's workers' safety programs and workers' compensation administration. The bill also requires electronic service of workers' compensation documents and allows the board to adjust fee percentages annually (capped at 4%). It directly affects insurers, self-insured employers, and the state's workers' compensation program.

SB 144 increases occupational disability benefits for Alaska peace officers and firefighters. After the first 12 months of disability, their monthly benefit rises from 40% to 75% of their pre-disability gross monthly salary. The bill also ensures these workers become fully vested in retirement contributions immediately upon disability and prohibits withdrawals from their retirement accounts while receiving benefits. Employers must continue making retirement contributions on their behalf during disability. The bill takes effect immediately.

HB 44 updates Alaska's workers' compensation death benefits to clarify payment amounts for families who lose a wage-earner to a work-related injury. It sets a $12,000 cap on funeral expenses and specifies exact percentages of the deceased's weekly wages for different survivor groups (e.g., 80% to a widow without children, 50% to a widow with one child plus 40% to the child). The bill also adds an $8,000 lump sum for widows/widowers without children and clarifies payment rules for other dependents like parents or siblings. These changes take effect January 1, 2026.

HB 103 establishes a presumption that certain diseases are work-related for Alaska firefighters, making it easier to obtain disability compensation without proving direct causation. It covers respiratory diseases, cardiovascular events within 72 hours of smoke/toxic exposure, and nine specific cancers (including brain cancer, melanoma, leukemia, and prostate cancer). To qualify, firefighters must have served at least seven years, passed initial and biennial medical exams showing no pre-existing disease during their first seven years, and for cancer claims, demonstrate exposure to a known carcinogen linked to the cancer. The presumption applies to both active and former firefighters for up to five years after leaving service.

HB 192 updates Alaska's unemployment compensation system by requiring the Department of Labor to pay benefits promptly, imposing a 10% daily penalty for late payments (including holidays), and mandating payment within 24 hours after an appeal is approved. It also creates a contingency plan to prevent disqualification when call centers exceed capacity due to high call volume. The bill adjusts the weekly benefit amount table based on previous earnings, with specific rates (e.g., $56 for base period wages of $2,500-$2,750). These changes directly affect unemployed workers receiving benefits and the state agency administering the program.