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SB167

SB 167: Permanent Fund Dividend Rules for Overturned Convictions

Last scannedSep 21, 2026, 12:32 AM

In one sentence

This law allows people to receive missed Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends if their criminal convictions are later vacated, reversed, or dismissed under specific conditions.

What it does

  • Allows individuals who were previously ineligible due to a conviction to get dividends for past years if that conviction is vacated or reversed and the charges are later dismissed (not as part of another plea deal) or they are retried and found not guilty.
  • Requires people with an overturned conviction to apply within two years of their dismissal or not-guilty finding to receive back payments.
  • Includes these new eligible individuals in the total count used to calculate how much money each person receives for the current year's dividend by deducting prior-year payment costs from the available fund amount.
  • Permits payment even if funds were previously moved into a restorative justice account because of the old conviction.

Who it affects

  • Individuals whose criminal convictions have been vacated or reversed in Alaska courts, provided charges are later dismissed (outside another plea deal) or they are retried and found not guilty.
  • The Department officials responsible for calculating the annual dividend value.

Limits and unknowns

  • The law does not apply to dismissals that were part of a plea agreement in another criminal case.
  • People who had their convictions overturned before this law took effect must still apply within two years after the law becomes effective on September 16, 2026.

Plain language

Terms to know

Permanent Fund Dividend
An annual payment from Alaska's Permanent Fund to eligible residents based on fund income and other balances.
Vacated or Reversed Conviction
A legal decision that cancels a previous guilty verdict, which may restore eligibility if charges are later dismissed or the person is found not guilty in a retrial.

Official record

Sources

Source checked
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text
Read the official summary

PFD ELIGIBILITY; PFD FOR OVERTURN CONVIC. An Act relating to eligibility of criminal offenders for certain benefits, including the permanent fund dividend; 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. (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 9/16/263022
  2. (S) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 6/18 CH 15 SLA 263022
  3. (S) 10:14 A.M. 6/1/26 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR2960
  4. (S) CONCUR AM OF (H) Y20 N-2820
  5. (S) CONCUR MESSAGE READ AND TAKEN UP2820
  6. (H) Moved HCS CSSB 167(FIN) Out of Committee -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --Text
  7. (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519Text
  8. (H) Moved HCS CSSB 167(FIN) Out of Committee -- Delayed to 9:00 am --Text
  9. (H) FINANCE at 08:00 AM ADAMS 519Text
  10. (H) VERSION: HCS CSSB 167(FIN)2956
  11. (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) AS AMENDED2956
  12. (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): GRAY, GALVIN, BYNUM, COULOMBE, DIBERT, EISCHEID, MINA2954
  13. (H) PASSED Y38 N22935
  14. (H) READ THE THIRD TIME HCS CSSB 167(FIN)2935
  15. (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UC2935
  16. (H) AM NO 1 FAILED Y20 N202931
  17. (H) FIN HCS ADOPTED UC2931
  18. (H) READ THE SECOND TIME2930
  19. (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/19/20262930
  20. (H) FN3: INDETERMINATE(REV)2927

Changes

Amendments

1 stored

AM 1

AM NO 1 FAILED Y20 N20 2931