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Alaska2026Passed Legislature

HB28

Alaska Education Bill: Energy Costs, School Rules, and Teacher Loans

Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 12:25 AM

In one sentence

This law requires an annual report on school performance, pays districts for energy costs if they do not increase usage compared to the previous year, allows students leaving online programs to keep their materials, permits regional board members to substitute teach in emergencies, sets rules about felony convictions for board members, and starts a pilot program to help teachers repay student loans.

What it does

  • Requires the state education department to send an annual report by February 15 on school performance, resources provided, staff turnover, reading intervention progress, and energy cost reimbursements.
  • Pays eligible school districts for heating fuel and electricity costs based on a three-year average if they make reasonable efforts not to increase their energy use compared to the previous year.
  • Allows students who stop attending a correspondence study program to keep textbooks, equipment, and other materials provided by the district or purchased through student allotments.
  • Permits members of regional school boards to work as substitute teachers during short-term emergency situations.
  • Sets rules that people convicted of felonies involving moral turpitude cannot serve on school boards unless they have been unconditionally discharged for at least 10 years.

Who it affects

  • Alaska public school districts and schools
  • Teachers, including retired members who may be reemployed at regional resource centers
  • Students enrolled in correspondence study programs
  • Regional school board members

Limits and unknowns

  • The law states that money for the energy cost program depends on whether enough funds are approved by the legislature.
  • If there is not enough money available, the amount paid back to each school district will be reduced proportionally.
  • The text provided does not include full details about how many teachers can join the student loan repayment pilot program or specific eligibility rules for that program.

Plain language

Terms to know

Correspondence study program
A type of education where students learn through mail or online instead of attending a physical classroom.
Reimbursement
The act of paying back money that someone else spent, in this case for energy costs based on past averages.
Regional resource center
A facility where retired teachers may be reemployed to provide educational support services.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill textStored full record

Official summary

EDU: SCHOOLS/TEACHERS/SCHOOL BD/LOAN PRGM An Act relating to education; relating to reimbursement of school district energy costs; relating to correspondence study program materials; relating to substitute teaching; relating to the qualifications of school board members; relating to school consolidation; relating to the required local contribution made by a city or borough school district for public school funding; relating to reemploying retired members of the teachers' retirement system at regional resource centers; establishing a teachers' student loan repayment pilot program; and providing for an effective date.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW SEE CHAPTER3123
  2. (H) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 6/18 CH 22 SLA 263123
  3. (H) MANIFEST ERROR(S)3040
  4. (H) 10:44 A.M. 6/1/26 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR3040
  5. (H) COSPONSOR(S): BYNUM3011
  6. (H) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 212969
  7. (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE2969
  8. (H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y34 N62968
  9. (H) CONCUR MESSAGE TAKEN UP2968
  10. (H) CONCUR MESSAGE RECEIVED2967
  11. (S) VERSION: SCS CSHB 28(FIN) AM S2805
  12. (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) AS AMENDED2805
  13. (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE2793
  14. (S) PASSED Y17 N32793
  15. (S) GRAY-JACKSON, GIESSEL, CLAMAN, STEDMAN, STEVENS2793
  16. (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): WIELECHOWSKI, DUNBAR, KAWASAKI, BJORKMAN, CRONK,2793
  17. (S) AUTOMATICALLY IN THIRD READING2792
  18. (S) AM NO 4 ADOPTED Y11 N92792
  19. (S) AM NO 3 FAILED Y10 N102792
  20. (S) AM NO 2 NOT OFFERED2791

Changes

Amendments

4 stored

AM 1

AM NO 1 ADOPTED UC 1284

AM 2

AM NO 2 FAILED Y19 N21 1285

AM 3

AM NO 3 FAILED Y18 N22 1289

AM 4

This amendment changes a number from five to four on page 9 of the bill.