The Alaska Legislature\u2019s preseason has begun with 24 House bills and seven Senate bills released in the first round of prefiled legislation.<\/p>\n
Prefiling is the annual process by which legislators introduce bills before the session begins, and along with the cardboard moving boxes now starting to arrive in the capitol, it\u2019s a sure sign of session\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n
A second batch of prefiled bills will be released Jan. 15. The 29th Legislature opens its second regular session Jan. 19.<\/p>\n
HOUSE<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 HB 213, Rep. Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla \u2014 If the state preserves an area to protect its scenic value, the Department of Natural Resources has to explain why in writing.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 214, Rep. Kurt Olson, R-Soldotna \u2014 Eliminates the Workers\u2019 Compensation Appeals Commission by merging its duties into the state\u2019s Workers\u2019 Compensation Board.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 215, Rep. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks \u2014 Doctors and others can prescribe experimental medicine to terminally ill people without fear of a lawsuit if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 216, Rep. Dave Talerico, R-Healy \u2014 The federal government can\u2019t prevent Alaskans from using state waterways for transport.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 217, Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka \u2014 The Alaska State Council on the Arts will hold a design competition every four years for a new license plate; those new license plates are $50 instead of $150.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 218, Rep. Bob Lynn, R-Anchorage \u2014 People can\u2019t get married at prisons, and inmates can\u2019t get conjugal visits.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 219, Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anchorage \u2014 If Medicaid Expansion doesn\u2019t reach a savings benchmark (at least 90 percent of predicted savings) or a customer benchmark (enrollees are more than 110 percent of estimates) it would automatically end expansion.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 220, Rep. Talerico \u2014 Creates a \u201cfisheries enhancement permit\u201d for fish hatcheries and others who improve fish habitat.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 221, Rep. Bryce Edgmon, D-Dillingham \u2014 A person can be found guilty of violating a protective order issued in another state and recognized by Alaska.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 222, Rep. Hawker \u2014 If the state gets more money from the federal government for a particular program, the Legislature can prohibit the state from spending that money. (Right now, the governor has to consult the Legislature if that happens, but if they say no, he just has to wait 45 days before spending it.)<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 223, Rep. Sam Kito III, D-Juneau \u2014 The Legislature can stay in regular session for up to 120 days instead of 90.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 224, Rep. Hawker \u2014 To balance the state\u2019s budget, government should look first to using Permanent Fund earnings rather than some kind of tax; this caps Permanent Fund dividends as part of a plan to make that happen.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 225, Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, R-Anchorage \u2014 Drivers getting a license for the first time have to display a sticker on their car that says they\u2019re a new driver.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 226, Rep. Hawker \u2014 The Alaska Commission on Aging can keep operating through 2024.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 227, Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer \u2014 Alaska Health and Social Services department needs to take steps to reduce health care costs.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 228, Rep. Jim Colver, R-Palmer \u2014 A bridge on the Glenn Highway is named the Nels Hitchcock Bridge.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 229, Rep. Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski \u2014 Gets rid of the Administrative Regulation Review Committee.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 230, Rep. Colver \u2014 Renames a pipeline road at the site of Arctic Man to Arctic Man Way.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 231, Rep. Lynn \u2014 The parole board can continue working through 2022.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 232, Rep. Colver \u2014 Gets rid of the state\u2019s new standardized testing system.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 233, Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage \u2014 Creates an Alaska Climate Change Commission to provide advice on a statewide climate change strategy.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 234, Rep. Liz Vazquez, R-Anchorage \u2014 Anyone offering health care insurance in Alaska with mental health coverage has to cover telemedicine treatment for mental health.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 235, Rep. Kito \u2014 Vending machines can sell raffle tickets.<\/p>\n \u2022 HB 236, Rep. Talerico \u2014 Anyone who doesn\u2019t want to solemnize a marriage (i.e. a priest, rabbi or minister) or provide supplies for a wedding doesn\u2019t have to, and anyone who chooses not to solemnize a marriage can\u2019t be held civilly or criminally liable.<\/p>\n SENATE<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 SB 118, Sen. Mia Costello, R-Anchorage \u2014 If the state requests to review the survey of a plot of state land earmarked for lease or sale, the person leasing or buying the land can request that the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors review it (for a fee) rather than the state itself in order to get an independent look.<\/p>\n \u2022 SB 119, Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna \u2014 Eliminates the Workers\u2019 Compensation Appeals Commission by merging its duties into the state\u2019s Workers\u2019 Compensation Board.<\/p>\n \u2022 SB 120, Sen. Micciche \u2014 Anyone who doesn\u2019t want to solemnize a marriage or provide supplies for a wedding doesn\u2019t have to, and anyone who chooses not to solemnize a marriage can\u2019t be held civilly or criminally liabile.<\/p>\n \u2022 SB 121, Sen. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage \u2014 A parent or legal guardian can request a freeze on the release of a child\u2019s credit score and credit information.<\/p>\n \u2022 SB 122, Sen. Johnny Ellis, D-Anchorage \u2014 Alaska\u2019s minimum wage is $15 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2017.<\/p>\n \u2022 SB 123, Sen. Meyer \u2014 Texting while driving is a violation, not a misdemeanor, unless you hurt or kill someone while you\u2019re doing it, in which case it\u2019s a felony.<\/p>\n \u2022 SB 124, Sen. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak \u2014 The Alaska Commission on Aging can continue to work through 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Alaska Legislature\u2019s preseason has begun with 24 House bills and seven Senate bills released in the first round of prefiled legislation. Prefiling is the annual process by which legislators introduce bills before the session begins, and along with the cardboard moving boxes now starting to arrive in the capitol, it\u2019s a sure sign of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":426,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","wds_primary_category":4,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[230],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-34428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-state-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/426"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34428\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34428"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=34428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}