Back to Alaska

HB189 • 2026

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.

Crime
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS
Last action
2026-04-10
Official status
(H) JUD
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how future PFD calculations are updated, only that individuals can receive past dividends under certain conditions.

Allowing People with Overturned Convictions to Receive Past Permanent Fund Dividends

This act allows individuals whose convictions have been vacated, reversed, or dismissed to receive past permanent fund dividends they were previously ineligible for due to their conviction.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that people who had a conviction overturned can get back any Permanent Fund Dividends (PFD) they missed because of that conviction.
  • Specifies that if someone's charges are dismissed after their conviction was vacated, and it wasn't part of a plea deal, they become eligible for past PFDs.
  • Also states that if someone is retried and found not guilty after their conviction was overturned, they can receive the missed PFDs.
  • Requires people to apply for these dividends within one year of getting their charges dismissed or being found not guilty.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People whose convictions have been vacated, reversed, or dismissed.
  • The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation and its dividend program.

Terms To Know

Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD)
An annual payment made by the state of Alaska to eligible residents from income generated by the Alaska Permanent Fund.
Conviction
A legal finding that someone is guilty of a crime.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if an individual misses the one-year deadline to apply for past PFDs.
  • It's unclear how many people will be affected by this change in eligibility rules.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-10 Text

    (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  2. 2026-04-10 Text

    (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  3. 2026-04-08 Text

    (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  4. 2026-04-08 Text

    (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  5. 2026-03-27 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  6. 2026-03-27 Text

    (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  7. 2026-03-25 1951

    (H) REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

  8. 2026-03-25 1951

    (H) FN1: INDETERMINATE(REV)

  9. 2026-03-25 1951

    (H) NR: MCCABE

  10. 2026-03-25 1951

    (H) DNP: ST. CLAIR

  11. 2026-03-25 1951

    (H) DP: VANCE, HOLLAND, HIMSCHOOT, STORY, CARRICK

  12. 2026-03-25 1951

    (H) STA RPT CS(STA) 5DP 1DNP 1NR

  13. 2026-03-24 Text

    (H) Moved CSHB 189(STA) Out of Committee

  14. 2026-03-24 Text

    (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120

  15. 2026-03-19 Text

    (H) Scheduled but Not Heard

  16. 2026-03-19 Text

    (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120

  17. 2026-03-17 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  18. 2026-03-17 Text

    (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120

  19. 2026-03-12 Min

    (H) Minutes (HSTA)

  20. 2026-03-12 Text

    (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled> -- Delayed to 10 minutes Following Session --

  21. 2026-03-12 Text

    (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120

  22. 2026-03-10 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  23. 2026-03-10 Text

    (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120

  24. 2025-04-14 718

    (H) STA, JUD

  25. 2025-04-14 718

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0189b -1- CSHB 189(STA)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0895\N

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 189(STA)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Offered: 3/25/26
Referred: Judiciary

Sponsor(s): REPRESENTATIVE MEARS
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to a permanent fund dividend for an individual whose conviction has 1
been vacated, reversed, or dismissed; and relating to the calculation of the value of the 2
permanent fund dividend by including payment to individuals eligible for a permanent 3
fund dividend because of a conviction that has been vacated, reversed, or dismissed." 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 5
* Section 1. AS 43.23.005 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 6
(i) An individual who was ineligible to receive a permanent fund dividend for 7
a dividend year under (d) of this section because of a conviction is eligible to receive 8
the permanent fund dividend for each year the individual was ineligible if the 9
individual's conviction is vacated or reversed, and 10
(1) the charges on which the conviction was based are later dismissed 11
and the dismissal was not part of a plea agreement in another criminal case under Rule 12
11, Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure; or 13
(2) the individual is retried and found not guilty. 14
34-LS0895\N
CSHB 189(STA) -2- HB0189b
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(j) To receive a permanent fund dividend under (i) of this section, the 1
individual shall apply for the permanent fund dividend not later than one year after the 2
dismissal or not guilty finding under (i) of this section. An individual eligible to 3
receive a permanent fund dividend under (i) of this section is eligible even if, having 4
previously been determined ineligible under (d) of this section, a transfer has been 5
made into the restorative justice account under AS 43.23.048(a) in an amount equal to 6
the amount that would have been paid to the individual as a permanent fund dividend 7
for the applicable fiscal year. 8
* Sec. 2. AS 43.23.025(a) is amended to read: 9
(a) By October 1 of each year, the commissioner shall determine the value of 10
each permanent fund dividend for that year by 11
(1) determining the total amount available for dividend payments, 12
which equals 13
(A) the amount of income of the Alaska permanent fund 14
transferred to the dividend fund under AS 37.13.145(b) during the current year; 15
(B) plus the unexpended and unobligated balances of prior 16
fiscal year appropriations that lapse into the dividend fund under 17
AS 43.23.045(d); 18
(C) less the amount necessary to pay prior year dividends from 19
the dividend fund in the current year under AS 43.23.005(h) and (i), 20
43.23.021, and 43.23.055(3) and (7); 21
(D) less the amount necessary to pay dividends from the 22
dividend fund due to eligible applicants who, as determined by the department, 23
filed for a previous year's dividend by the filing deadline but who were not 24
included in a previous year's dividend computation; 25
(E) less appropriations from the dividend fund during the 26
current year, including amounts to pay costs of administering the dividend 27
program and the hold harmless provisions of AS 43.23.240; 28
(2) determining the number of individuals eligible to receive a 29
dividend payment for the current year and the number of estates and successors 30
eligible to receive a dividend payment for the current year under AS 43.23.005(h); and 31
34-LS0895\N
HB0189b -3- CSHB 189(STA)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(3) dividing the amount determined under (1) of this subsection by the 1
amount determined under (2) of this subsection. 2
* Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 3
read: 4
TRANSITION. Notwithstanding the time limit for applying for a permanent fund 5
dividend under AS 43.23.005(j), added by sec. 1 of this Act, an individual who is eligible 6
under AS 43.23.005(i), added by sec. 1 of this Act, and whose dismissal or not guilty finding 7
occurred before the effective date of this Act, shall apply for a permanent fund dividend under 8
AS 43.23.005(j), added by sec. 1 of this Act, not later than one year after the effective date of 9
this Act. 10