CNA TRAINING

An Act relating to certified nurse aide training; and providing for an effective date.

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: REPRESENTATIVES UNDERWOOD, Costello, Fields, Frier, Tomaszewski, Mina, Josephson, Story, McCabe SENATORS Gray-Jackson, Dunbar, Bjorkman, Kawasaki, Tilton, Rauscher, Yundt, Cronk, Claman
Last action: 2026-07-03
Official status: CHAPTER 44 SLA 26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

New Training Rules for Certified Nurse Aides in Alaska

This law updates training requirements for certified nurse aides to include specific skills on communication, safety, client rights, and caring for people with cognitive disabilities or mental health needs.

What This Bill Does

Requires that training programs ensure clients receive safe and competent care.
Mandates training on how to form relationships, communicate, and interact competently with clients.
Adds lessons on showing sensitivity to a client's emotional, social, and mental health needs.
Includes instruction on helping clients reach independence and supporting their rights.
Teaches aides how to observe and report on a client's health condition during caregiving.
Requires training in using problem-solving approaches when providing care.
Mandates techniques that preserve the respect, values, choices, and dignity of a client.
Includes specific instruction for communicating with clients who have psychosocial needs or cognitive disabilities like Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
Teaches basic knowledge about Alzheimer's disease, dementia-related behaviors, and activities of daily living.

Who It Names or Affects

Certified nurse aide training programs in Alaska
Students learning to become certified nurse aides

Terms To Know

Activities of Daily Living: Eating, dressing, grooming, bathing, and toileting.

Bill History

2026-07-03 3161
(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 1/1/27
2026-07-03 3161
(H) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 6/30 CH 44 SLA 26
2026-06-17 3095
(H) 3:10 P.M. 6/15/26 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR
2026-05-19 2797
(S) VERSION: HB 244
2026-05-19 2797
(S) RETURN TO (H), TRANSMIT TO GOV NEXT
2026-05-19 2804
(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): YUNDT, CRONK, CLAMAN
2026-05-19 2797
(S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
2026-05-19 2796
(S) PASSED Y20 N-
2026-05-19 2796
(S) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 244
2026-05-18 2762
(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): RAUSCHER
2026-05-18 2759
(S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/19 CAL
2026-05-18 2759
(S) READ THE SECOND TIME
2026-05-18 2759
(S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/18/2026
2026-05-14 2640
(S) FN1: ZERO(CED)
2026-05-14 2640
(S) DP: BJORKMAN, DUNBAR, MERRICK, GRAY-JACKSON, YUNDT
2026-05-14 2640
(S) L&C RPT 5DP
2026-05-13 Text
(S) Moved HB 244 Out of Committee
2026-05-13 Text
(S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
2026-05-13 2628
(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): DUNBAR, BJORKMAN, KAWASAKI, TILTON
2026-05-11 Text
(S) Heard & Held
2026-05-11 Text
(S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
2026-05-11 2578
(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): GRAY-JACKSON
2026-05-01 2430
(S) L&C
2026-05-01 2430
(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
2026-04-30 2365
(H) VERSION: HB 244
2026-04-30 2365
(H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
2026-04-30 2364
(H) COSPONSOR(S): MINA, JOSEPHSON, STORY, MCCABE
2026-04-30 2358
(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
2026-04-30 2357
(H) PASSED Y39 E1
2026-04-30 2357
(H) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 244
2026-04-29 2343
(H) COSPONSOR(S): FRIER, TOMASZEWSKI
2026-04-29 2337
(H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 4/30 CALENDAR
2026-04-29 2337
(H) READ THE SECOND TIME
2026-04-29 2337
(H) RULES TO CALENDAR 4/29/2026
2026-04-20 2214
(H) FN1: ZERO(CED)
2026-04-20 2214
(H) DP: FRIER, COULOMBE, SADDLER, D.NELSON, HALL, FIELDS
2026-04-20 2214
(H) L&C RPT 6DP
2026-04-17 Text
(H) Moved HB 244 Out of Committee
2026-04-17 Text
(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
2026-04-15 Text
(H) Heard & Held -- Meeting Postponed from 3:15 pm 4/13/2026--
2026-04-15 Text
(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 08:00 AM BARNES 124
2026-04-13 Text
(H) -- Testimony <Invitation Only> -- -- Meeting Postponed to 8:00 am 4/15/2026--
2026-04-13 Text
(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
2026-04-08 2049
(H) FN1: ZERO(CED)
2026-04-08 2049
(H) DP: PRAX, GRAY, MEARS, SCHWANKE, MINA
2026-04-08 2049
(H) HSS RPT 5DP
2026-04-02 Text
(H) Moved HB 244 Out of Committee
2026-04-02 Text
(H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106
2026-04-01 2025
(H) COSPONSOR(S): FIELDS
2026-03-19 Text
(H) Heard & Held
2026-03-19 Text
(H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106
2026-02-11 1604
(H) COSPONSOR(S): COSTELLO
2026-01-20 1448
(H) HSS, L&C
2026-01-20 1448
(H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
2026-01-20 1448
(H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/26

Official Summary Text

CNA TRAINING
An Act relating to certified nurse aide training; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Enrolled HB 244
LAWS OF ALASKA

2026

Source Chapter No.
HB 244 _______

AN ACT

Relating to certified nurse aide training; and providing for an effective date.

_______________

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1

-1- Enrolled HB 244

AN ACT

Relating to certified nurse aide training; and providing for an effective date. 1
_______________ 2
* Section 1. AS 08.68.331 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 3
(c) Regulations adopted under (a)(1) of this section establishing standards for a 4
certified nurse aide training program must require that the program 5
(1) be conducted in a manner to ensure that clients receive safe and 6
competent care; and 7
(2) train a certified nurse aide to 8
(A) form a relationship, communicate, and interact competently 9
with a client; 10
(B) demonstrate sensitivity to the emotional, social, and mental 11
health needs of a client through skillful and directed interactions; 12
(C) assist a client in reaching and maintaining independence; 13
(D) support and promote the rights of a client; 14
(E) demonstrate the skills of observing and monitoring a client 15

Enrolled HB 244 -2-
during caregiving, as well as reporting those observations to enable the 1
assessment of the health, physical condition, and well-being of a client; 2
(F) demonstrate knowledge of the abilities and care needs of a 3
client; 4
(G) use a problem-solving approach when providing care; 5
(H) use techniques that ensure and preserve the respect, values, 6
choices, and dignity of a client; 7
(I) demonstrate knowledge of client assessment and care 8
planning best practices; 9
(J) use effective communication skills, including while 10
communicating with a client with psychosocial needs or Alzheimer's disease, 11
dementia, a mental illness, an intellectual disability, or another cognitive 12
disability or impairment; 13
(K) provide care to a client who is cognitively impaired or has a 14
decline in cognitive function related to dementia; and 15
(L) demonstrate basic knowledge of Alzheimer's disease, 16
dementia, dementia-related behaviors, and the activities of daily living; in this 17
subparagraph, "activities of daily living" means eating, dressing, grooming, 18
bathing, and toileting. 19
* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2027. 20