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HB189

HB189: Permanent Fund Dividends for People with Overturned Convictions

Last scannedSep 12, 2026, 4:46 AM

In one sentence

This bill allows people to receive past Alaska Permanent Fund dividends if their criminal conviction is vacated, reversed, or dismissed under specific conditions.

What it does

  • Allows individuals who were previously ineligible due to a conviction to get back-payments for missed dividend years if that conviction is vacated or reversed and the charges are later dismissed without being part of another plea deal, or if they are retried and found not guilty.
  • Requires eligible people to apply within one year after their dismissal or not-guilty finding.
  • Includes payments for these individuals when calculating the total value of each person's dividend share by subtracting those costs from the available funds before dividing among all recipients.
  • Provides a special rule allowing people whose cases were resolved before this law starts to still have one year from the effective date to apply.

Who it affects

  • Alaska residents who previously lost their Permanent Fund Dividend eligibility because of a criminal conviction that was later overturned under specific conditions.
  • The state agency responsible for calculating and distributing the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend payments.

Limits and unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when it will officially become law or start taking effect.
  • It is unclear how many people might qualify for these payments until courts overturn more convictions and individuals apply.
  • The text does not explain what happens if an applicant misses the one-year deadline to file their claim.

Plain language

Terms to know

Vacated or reversed
A court decision that cancels an old criminal conviction, making it as if the person was never convicted of that crime.
Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD)
An annual payment made by Alaska to eligible residents from earnings in a state savings account called the Permanent Fund.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official summary

CRIM. CONV. OVERTURNED: RECEIVE PAST PFD An Act relating to a permanent fund dividend for an individual whose conviction has been vacated, reversed, or dismissed; and relating to the calculation of the value of the permanent fund dividend by including payment to individuals eligible for a permanent fund dividend because of a conviction that has been vacated, reversed, or dismissed.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --Text
  2. (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120Text
  3. (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --Text
  4. (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120Text
  5. (H) Heard & HeldText
  6. (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120Text
  7. (H) REFERRED TO JUDICIARY1951
  8. (H) FN1: INDETERMINATE(REV)1951
  9. (H) NR: MCCABE1951
  10. (H) DNP: ST. CLAIR1951
  11. (H) DP: VANCE, HOLLAND, HIMSCHOOT, STORY, CARRICK1951
  12. (H) STA RPT CS(STA) 5DP 1DNP 1NR1951
  13. (H) Moved CSHB 189(STA) Out of CommitteeText
  14. (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120Text
  15. (H) Scheduled but Not HeardText
  16. (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120Text
  17. (H) Heard & HeldText
  18. (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120Text
  19. (H) Minutes (HSTA)Min
  20. (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled> -- Delayed to 10 minutes Following Session --Text