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HB240 • 2026

SCHOOLS: DIGITAL HARASS & IMPERSONATION

An Act requiring school districts to adopt a digital harassment and nonconsensual digital impersonation policy; and providing for an effective date.

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Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVES D.NELSON, Elam
Last action
2026-03-16
Official status
(H) EDC
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text confirms the definition and requirements for nonconsensual digital impersonation.

School Rules for Digital Harassment and Fake Images

This law requires Alaska school districts to create rules against digital harassment and fake images of students made without their permission.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires every school district to adopt a policy that bans digital harassment and nonconsensual digital impersonation.
  • Mandates that schools share this new policy with parents, guardians, students, volunteers, and employees.
  • Allows the state department of education to provide model policies and training materials on these topics to districts.
  • Requires school districts to report incidents involving suspensions or expulsions for digital harassment by November 30 each year.
  • Protects people who report bullying in good faith from being sued, while allowing discipline for false accusations made with bad intent.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School districts across Alaska
  • Students enrolled in these schools
  • Parents and guardians of students
  • School employees and volunteers

Terms To Know

Digital harassment
Harassment, intimidation, or bullying that happens using digital technology.
Nonconsensual digital impersonation
A fake computer-generated image or audio recording of a real person made without their permission to trick others into thinking it is real.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify the exact penalties for breaking these new rules.
  • It is unclear if schools must report digital harassment incidents that do not result in suspension or expulsion.
  • The text states an effective date of January 1, 2027, but does not detail how long districts have to write their policies before then.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-16 Text

    (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>

  2. 2026-03-16 Text

    (H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106

  3. 2026-03-02 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  4. 2026-03-02 Text

    (H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106

  5. 2026-02-23 Min

    (H) Minutes (HEDC)

  6. 2026-02-23 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  7. 2026-02-23 Text

    (H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106

  8. 2026-02-20 1668

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): ELAM

  9. 2026-01-20 1447

    (H) REFERRED TO EDUCATION

  10. 2026-01-20 1447

    (H) EDC, FIN

  11. 2026-01-20 1447

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  12. 2026-01-20 1447

    (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/26

Official Summary Text

SCHOOLS: DIGITAL HARASS & IMPERSONATION
An Act requiring school districts to adopt a digital harassment and nonconsensual digital impersonation policy; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0240a -1- HB 240
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1144\A

HOUSE BILL NO. 240

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVES D.NELSON, Elam

Introduced: 1/20/26
Referred: Education, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act requiring school districts to adopt a digital harassment and nonconsensual 1
digital impersonation policy; and providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 14.33.200(a) is amended to read: 4
(a) Each [BY JULY 1, 2007, EACH] school district shall adopt a policy that 5
prohibits the harassment, intimidation, or bullying of any student. The policy shall 6
specifically address and prohibit digital harassment and nonconsensual digital 7
impersonation. Each school district shall share this policy with parents or guardians, 8
students, volunteers, and school employees. 9
* Sec. 2. AS 14.33.200(c) is amended to read: 10
(c) The [BY JANUARY 1, 2007, THE] department, in consultation with 11
representatives of parents or guardians, school personnel, and other interested parties, 12
may provide to school districts a model harassment, intimidation, and bullying 13
prevention policy and training materials on the components that should be included in 14
34-LS1144\A
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New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

a district policy. If provided, training materials provided under this subsection 1
must include training materials specifically related to digital harassment and 2
nonconsensual digital impersonation. Training materials may be disseminated in a 3
variety of ways, including workshops and other staff developmental activities, and 4
through the Internet website of the department. Materials included on the Internet 5
website must include the model policy and recommended training and instructional 6
materials. The department may provide a link to the school district's Internet website 7
for further information. 8
* Sec. 3. AS 14.33.210 is amended to read: 9
Sec. 14.33.210. Reporting of incidents of harassment, intimidation, or 10
bullying. Each [BEGINNING WITH THE 2007 - 2008 SCHOOL YEAR, EACH] 11
school district shall report to the department by November 30 all incidents resulting in 12
suspension or expulsion for harassment, intimidation, or bullying on school premises 13
or on transportation systems used by schools, and incidents of digital harassment or 14
nonconsensual digital impersonation involving students in the school year 15
preceding the report. The department shall compile the data and report it to the 16
appropriate committees of the Alaska House of Representatives and the Senate. 17
* Sec. 4. AS 14.33.220 is amended to read: 18
Sec. 14.33.220. Reporting; no reprisals. (a) A school employee, student, or 19
volunteer may not engage in reprisal, retaliation, or false accusation against a victim, 20
witness, or person with reliable information about an act of harassment, intimidation, 21
or bullying. 22
(b) A school employee, student, or volunteer who has witnessed, or has 23
reliable information that a student has been subjected to, harassment, intimidation, or 24
bullying, whether verbal or physical, shall report the incident to an appropriate school 25
official. 26
(c) This section does not prohibit discipline or other adverse action taken in 27
compliance with school district policies against a person who falsely and in bad faith 28
accuses a person of engaging in harassment, intimidation, or bullying or who 29
intentionally provides false information in connection with an investigation of an 30
alleged incident of harassment, intimidation, [OR] bullying, or nonconsensual digital 31
34-LS1144\A
HB0240a -3- HB 240
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

impersonation. 1
* Sec. 5. AS 14.33.230 is amended to read: 2
Sec. 14.33.230. Immunity from suit. A school employee, student, or 3
volunteer who reports an incident of harassment, intimidation, [OR] bullying, or 4
nonconsensual digital impersonation to a school official and who makes this report 5
in good faith is immune from a cause of action for damages arising from a failure to 6
remedy the reported incident or for making the report. 7
* Sec. 6. AS 14.33.250 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 8
(4) "nonconsensual digital impersonation" means a computer-9
generated visual representation or audio recording of an actual, identifiable individual 10
or the individual's voice that 11
(A) has been created, adapted, or modified to closely resemble 12
a real visual representation or audio record of the individual; 13
(B) materially misrepresents the appearance, speech, or 14
behavior of the individual in a way that changes the fundamental character of 15
the individual's appearance, speech, or behavior; 16
(C) is likely to deceive a reasonable person to believe that the 17
visual representation or audio recording is genuine; and 18
(D) is created and distributed without the consent of the 19
individual. 20
* Sec. 7. This Act takes effect January 1, 2027. 21