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HB216 • 2026

TRANSFER OF RAILROAD LAND TO WHITTIER

An Act approving the transfer of land owned by the Alaska Railroad Corporation to the City of Whittier; and providing for an effective date.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVES HOLLAND, Josephson SENATORS Giessel, Dunbar, Yundt, Claman
Last action
2026-05-16
Official status
(H) CONCURRED(S) AM
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify exact details about how much cash or land will be exchanged, nor does it provide specific surveying changes that will occur before the transfer.

Land Transfer from Alaska Railroad to Whittier

This act allows the Alaska Railroad Corporation to transfer approximately 84.8 acres of land in Whittier to the City of Whittier for fair market value.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the Alaska Railroad Corporation to convey up to 84.8 acres of its land in Whittier to the city for fair market value, subject to valid existing rights.
  • Requires both parties to agree on surveying and platting actions necessary for the transfer.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Alaska Railroad Corporation
  • The City of Whittier

Terms To Know

Fair market value
The price at which a willing buyer and seller would agree to exchange property, with neither being forced to buy or sell.
Surveying and platting actions
Activities that define the boundaries of land parcels through measurements and maps.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact details of how much cash or land will be exchanged are not specified.
  • It is unclear what specific surveying changes will occur before the transfer.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-16 2678

    (H) AWAITING TRANSMITTAL TO GOV

  2. 2026-05-16 2678

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  3. 2026-05-16 2678

    (H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y40

  4. 2026-05-16 2677

    (H) CONCUR MESSAGE TAKEN UP

  5. 2026-05-16 2633

    (H) CONCUR MESSAGE READ AND HELD

  6. 2026-05-15 2672

    (S) VERSION: SCS HB 216(CRA)

  7. 2026-05-15 2672

    (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) AS AMENDED

  8. 2026-05-15 2665

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  9. 2026-05-15 2664

    (S) PASSED Y20 N-

  10. 2026-05-15 2664

    (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SCS HB 216(CRA)

  11. 2026-05-14 2645

    (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): GIESSEL, DUNBAR, YUNDT, CLAMAN

  12. 2026-05-14 2643

    (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/15 CAL

  13. 2026-05-14 2643

    (S) CRA SCS ADOPTED UC

  14. 2026-05-14 2643

    (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  15. 2026-05-14 2643

    (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/14/2026

  16. 2026-05-13 2622

    (S) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  17. 2026-05-13 2622

    (S) DP: DUNBAR, GRAY-JACKSON, YUNDT

  18. 2026-05-13 2622

    (S) CRA RPT SCS 3DP SAME TITLE

  19. 2026-05-12 Text

    (S) Moved SCS HB 216(CRA) Out of Committee

  20. 2026-05-12 Text

    (S) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  21. 2026-04-30 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  22. 2026-04-30 Text

    (S) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  23. 2026-03-30 2091

    (S) CRA

  24. 2026-03-30 2091

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  25. 2026-03-25 1962

    (H) VERSION: HB 216

  26. 2026-03-25 1962

    (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)

  27. 2026-03-25 1956

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  28. 2026-03-25 1956

    (H) PASSED Y40

  29. 2026-03-25 1955

    (H) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 216

  30. 2026-03-23 1943

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): JOSEPHSON

  31. 2026-03-23 1913

    (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 3/25 CALENDAR

  32. 2026-03-23 1912

    (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  33. 2026-03-23 1912

    (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 3/23/2026

  34. 2026-03-18 1870

    (H) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  35. 2026-03-18 1870

    (H) DP: HOLLAND, PRAX, G.NELSON, ST. CLAIR, HALL, HIMSCHOOT, MEARS

  36. 2026-03-18 1870

    (H) CRA RPT 7DP

  37. 2026-03-17 Text

    (H) Moved HB 216 Out of Committee

  38. 2026-03-17 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  39. 2026-02-17 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  40. 2026-02-17 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  41. 2026-02-10 Min

    (H) Minutes (HCRA)

  42. 2026-02-10 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  43. 2026-02-10 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  44. 2026-02-04 1553

    (H) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  45. 2026-02-04 1553

    (H) AM: MCCABE

  46. 2026-02-04 1553

    (H) NR: MINA, STUTES, CARRICK

  47. 2026-02-04 1553

    (H) DP: G.NELSON, ST. CLAIR, EISCHEID

  48. 2026-02-04 1553

    (H) TRA RPT 3DP 3NR 1AM

  49. 2026-02-03 Min

    (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  50. 2026-02-03 Text

    (H) Moved HB 216 Out of Committee

  51. 2026-02-03 Text

    (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  52. 2026-01-29 Min

    (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  53. 2026-01-29 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  54. 2026-01-29 Text

    (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  55. 2025-05-02 994

    (H) TRA, CRA

  56. 2025-05-02 994

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

TRANSFER OF RAILROAD LAND TO WHITTIER
An Act approving the transfer of land owned by the Alaska Railroad Corporation to the City of Whittier; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0216B -1- SCS HB 216(CRA)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0946\H

SENATE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 216(CRA)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE SENATE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Offered: 5/13/26
Referred: Rules

Sponsor(s): REPRESENTATIVES HOLLAND, Josephson
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act approving the transfer of land owned by the Alaska Railroad Corporation to 1
the City of Whittier; and providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 4
to read: 5
APPROVAL OF THE TRANSFER OF REAL PROPERTY TO THE CITY OF 6
WHITTIER. (a) The Alaska Railroad Corporation is authorized to convey the corporation's 7
interest in the surface estate of approximately 84.8 acres of rail land located within five areas 8
of interest within the City of Whittier to the City of Whittier for fair market value, subject to 9
valid existing rights. The five areas of interest are generally described as follows: 10
(1) approximately 0.8 acres located within Section 23 of Township 8 North, 11
Range 4 East, Seward Meridian that consists of a portion of Parcel B of U.S. Survey No. 12
2559, according to the plat of survey officially filed December 14, 1994, together with a 13
portion of Lot 8 of U.S. Survey 9008, according to the plat of survey officially filed 14
34-LS0946\H
SCS HB 216(CRA) -2- HB0216B
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

October 12, 1995; 1
(2) approximately 36 acres located within Section 23 of Township 8 North, 2
Range 4 East, Seward Meridian that consists of a portion of Lot 8 of U.S. Survey No. 9008, 3
according to the plat of survey officially filed October 12, 1995, together with a portion of 4
Parcel A of U.S. Survey No. 2559 according to the plat of survey officially filed 5
December 14, 1994, in the land records of the federal Bureau of Land Management, 6
Anchorage Field Office; 7
(3) approximately 10.2 acres located within Sections 13, 14, 23, and 24 of 8
Township 8 North, Range 4 East, Seward Meridian that consists of Parcels I, J, and H, 9
together with Lot 11 and a portion of Lot 8 of U.S. Survey No. 9008, according to the plat of 10
survey officially filed October 12, 1995, in the land records of the federal Bureau of Land 11
Management, Anchorage Field Office; 12
(4) approximately 22.3 acres located within Sections 14, 15, 22, and 23 of 13
Township 8 North, Range 4 East, Seward Meridian that consists of Lot 2, Lot 4, and a portion 14
of Lot 8 of U.S. Survey No. 9008, according to the plat of survey officially filed October 12, 15
1995, in the land records of the federal Bureau of Land Management, Anchorage Field Office; 16
(5) approximately 15.5 acres located within Section 15 of Township 8 North, 17
Range 4 East, Seward Meridian that consists of a portion of Lot 1, U.S. Survey No. 9008, 18
according to the plat of survey officially filed October 12, 1995, in the land records of the 19
federal Bureau of Land Management, Anchorage Field Office. 20
(b) The legislature recognizes that the real property in the areas of interest described 21
in (a) of this section includes portions of existing lots, which are not currently discrete and 22
separate parcels, and that surveying and platting actions necessary to convey the real property 23
in the areas of interest described in (a) of this section will change the legal description of the 24
real property. It is the intent of the legislature that the land transfer approved in this Act 25
include any land described by a reasonable modification to the legal description of the real 26
property described in (a) of this section to the extent that the transfer of that land is approved 27
by the board of directors of the Alaska Railroad Corporation under AS 42.40. The Alaska 28
Railroad Corporation and the City of Whittier shall make and execute an agreement to 29
conduct any necessary surveying and platting actions. 30
(c) In consideration for the conveyance authorized in (a) of this section, the Alaska 31
34-LS0946\H
HB0216B -3- SCS HB 216(CRA)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

Railroad Corporation may accept cash equivalent to the fair market value of the land being 1
conveyed, conveyance of land of equivalent fair market value, or a combination of land and 2
cash sufficient to equalize the value of assets being exchanged. Land conveyed under this 3
section to the Alaska Railroad Corporation shall be held and managed by the Alaska Railroad 4
Corporation in accordance with AS 42.40. 5
(d) This section constitutes legislative approval under AS 42.40.285(1) for the Alaska 6
Railroad Corporation to convey its entire interest in the land described in (a) of this section. 7
* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 8