Labor & Employment (Minimum Wage)

HB 305 requires transportation network companies (like Uber or Lyft) to pay drivers at least 90% of the fare charged to riders for scheduled rides. For trips exceeding 10 miles from the pickup point, companies must pay drivers for travel distance at the IRS business mileage rate and for travel time at Alaska's minimum wage rate. The bill also prohibits companies from counting rider tips toward this required compensation. This directly affects drivers who work for these companies in Alaska, setting new minimum pay standards for their earnings.

SB 68 updates Alaska's employment laws to regulate flexible work hour plans and the employment of minors under 16. It requires written agreements and state department approval for flexible schedules, limiting them to 40 hours weekly and 10 hours daily, with overtime pay at 1.5x for exceeding these limits. For minors, the bill mandates written state authorization for most employers (except in family-owned businesses under direct family supervision), and sets daily limits of 10 hours combined school/work, plus weekly limits of 23 hours during school or 40 hours when school is out. The bill also reduces the age limit for minor employment from 17 to 16 and adjusts the law's language to reflect this change.