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Alaska2026Passed Legislature

HB260

Construction Wages and Contractor Rules

Last scannedSep 21, 2026, 12:32 AM

In one sentence

This bill sets penalties for contractors who break wage laws, makes project owners responsible for unpaid worker wages in many cases, and creates rules for how fines are handled.

What it does

  • Requires the state to fine registered contractors $1,000 for their first two violations of construction wage or fitness rules.
  • Suspends a contractor's registration for 90 days after a second knowing violation and permanently revokes it after a third knowing violation.
  • Makes project owners jointly liable with contractors for unpaid wages owed to workers on the project, including those hired by subcontractors at any level.
  • Requires employees or their representatives to send written notice of unpaid wage claims to the owner and contractor before filing a lawsuit.
  • Allows courts to assume that people working on construction projects are employees unless proven otherwise.

Who it affects

  • Registered contractors who work on construction projects in Alaska.
  • Project owners who hire contractors for commercial or multi-unit residential buildings, excluding single-family homes and small properties.
  • Construction workers and subcontractors employed on covered projects.
  • The state department responsible for issuing fines and the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Limits and unknowns

  • The rules for owner liability do not apply to homes used as the owner's main residence or properties with five or fewer residential units.
  • Project owners of single commercial units are exempt from being held liable for unpaid wages under this bill.
  • Workers covered by a union contract that has its own process for fixing wage disputes are excluded from these new liability rules.

Plain language

Terms to know

Certificate of fitness
A requirement that contractors must meet to be allowed to work, which can lead to suspension or revocation if violated.
Joint and several liability
A legal rule where both the project owner and the contractor are responsible for paying unpaid wages if one party does not pay.
Rebuttable presumption
A court assumption that a worker is an employee, which can only be changed by proving they are actually an independent contractor under specific state laws.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official summary

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WAGES & LIABILITY An Act relating to penalties for violating a requirement for a certificate of fitness; relating to joint and several liability for unpaid construction wages; and relating to the jurisdiction of the office of administrative hearings over certificate of fitness administrative fine hearings.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --Text
  2. (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519Text
  3. (H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Delayed to 9:00 am --Text
  4. (H) FINANCE at 08:00 AM ADAMS 519Text
  5. (H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Recessed to a Call of the Chair --Text
  6. (H) FINANCE at 06:00 PM ADAMS 519Text
  7. (H) -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --Text
  8. (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519Text
  9. (H) -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --Text
  10. (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519Text
  11. (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 2:00 pm --Text
  12. (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519Text
  13. (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --Text
  14. (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519Text
  15. (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --Text
  16. (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519Text
  17. (H) REFERRED TO FINANCE1836
  18. (H) FN3: (CED)1836
  19. (H) FN2: ZERO(LWF)1836
  20. (H) FN1: (LWF)1836