DEFINITIONS OF PERSON/LIFE

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about how these definitions will be applied in legal or criminal proceedings.

Defining 'Person' and 'Life' in Alaska Laws

This bill changes the definition of 'person' to include only natural persons or human entities with moral rights, excluding environmental elements, artificial intelligence, animals, and inanimate objects. It also defines 'life' as a quality that distinguishes living humans from non-living things based on specific functions.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the definition of 'person' to include only natural persons or human entities with moral rights, excluding environmental elements, artificial intelligence, animals, and inanimate objects.
• Updates criminal law definitions to align with the new definition of 'person'.
• Adds a new definition for 'life', describing it as a quality that distinguishes living humans from non-living things based on functions like metabolism, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, or adaptation to the environment.

Who It Names or Affects

• People involved in legal and criminal proceedings in Alaska.
• Government agencies responsible for enforcing laws related to 'person' and 'life'.

Terms To Know

moral right of self-determination

The ability of a person or entity to make decisions about their own life based on ethical principles.

environmental element

Natural elements like air, water, and land that are part of the environment.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how these definitions will be applied in specific cases.
• It is unclear what impact this change will have on existing laws or court decisions.

Official Summary Text

DEFINITIONS OF PERSON/LIFE
An Act relating to the definition of 'person' in Alaska Statutes; relating to criminal law definitions; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

HB0251a -1- HB 251
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0159\N

HOUSE BILL NO. 251

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE

Introduced: 1/20/26
Referred: Health and Social Services, Judiciary

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to the definition of 'person' in Alaska Statutes; relating to criminal law 1
definitions; and providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 01.10.060(a)(8) is amended to read: 4
(8) "person" includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, 5
association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person; or a 6
human entity that has the moral right of self-determination; "person" does not 7
include an environmental element, artificial intelligence, animal, or inanimate 8
object; 9
* Sec. 2. AS 11.81.900(b)(48) is amended to read: 10
(48) "person" means a natural person or a human entity that has the 11
moral right of self-determination and, when appropriate, an organization, 12
government, or governmental instrumentality; "person" does not include an 13
environmental element, artificial intelligence, animal, or inanimate object; 14
34-LS0159\N
HB 251 -2- HB0251a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

* Sec. 3. AS 11.81.900(b) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 1
(71) "life" means the property or quality that distinguishes a living 2
human organism from a dead organism or inanimate matter and that is manifested in 3
the function of metabolism, growth, or reproduction, a response to stimuli, or 4
adaptation to the environment, each of which originates within the organism. 5
* Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 6
read: 7
APPLICABILITY. AS 11.81.900(b)(48), as amended by sec. 2 of this Act, and AS 8
11.81.900(b)(71), enacted by sec. 3 of this Act, apply to offenses committed on or after the 9
effective date of this Act. 10
* Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 11