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HB30 • 2026

OFFICE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

An Act establishing the office of entrepreneurship; relating to new businesses in the state; relating to reports concerning procurements by agencies; and relating to initial business license fees for new businesses in the state.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVES HOLLAND, Foster
Last action
2025-05-12
Official status
(H) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not provide specific details on how the Office of Entrepreneurship will be funded.

Creating the Office of Entrepreneurship

This act establishes an office to support new businesses in Alaska by providing information and services, promoting economic development, and reporting on legislation that affects these businesses.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates an Office of Entrepreneurship within the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development.
  • Requires the Office to promote innovation-based economic growth and provide resources for new businesses in Alaska.
  • Directs the Office to facilitate communication between state entities and new businesses to increase use of goods and services from these businesses.
  • Establishes an annual report on legislation that impacts new businesses in Alaska, which must be submitted to government officials.

Who It Names or Affects

  • New businesses operating in Alaska for less than five years.
  • State agencies responsible for economic development and procurement.
  • Government officials who receive reports from the Office of Entrepreneurship.

Terms To Know

new business in the state
A business that qualifies as an Alaska bidder under state law and has been operating for less than five years.
procurement report
A biennial report by the commissioner detailing procurements made from both out-of-state and in-state sources, including recommendations to improve access for new businesses.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The specific details of how the Office will be funded are not provided.
  • It is unclear what actions state agencies must take if they do not have sufficient funds to support organizations or programs that serve new businesses.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-12 Min

    (H) Minutes (HFIN)

  2. 2025-05-12 Text

    (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --

  3. 2025-05-12 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519

  4. 2025-04-25 916

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): FOSTER

  5. 2025-04-24 Min

    (H) Minutes (HFIN)

  6. 2025-04-24 Text

    (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 2:30 pm --

  7. 2025-04-24 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  8. 2025-04-24 Min

    (H) Minutes (HFIN)

  9. 2025-04-24 Text

    (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --

  10. 2025-04-24 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 10:00 AM ADAMS 519

  11. 2025-04-10 Min

    (H) Minutes (HFIN)

  12. 2025-04-10 Text

    (H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Delayed to 6:10 pm --

  13. 2025-04-10 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  14. 2025-03-26 550

    (H) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  15. 2025-03-26 550

    (H) FIN REFERRAL ADDED AFTER L&C

  16. 2025-03-21 499

    (H) FN5: (CED)

  17. 2025-03-21 499

    (H) FN4: ZERO(CED)

  18. 2025-03-21 499

    (H) FN1: (ADM)

  19. 2025-03-21 499

    (H) AM: NELSON, SADDLER

  20. 2025-03-21 499

    (H) NR: COULOMBE

  21. 2025-03-21 499

    (H) DP: CARRICK, BURKE, HALL, FIELDS

  22. 2025-03-21 499

    (H) L&C RPT CS(L&C) NEW TITLE 4DP 1NR 2AM

  23. 2025-03-19 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  24. 2025-03-19 Text

    (H) Moved CSHB 30(L&C) Out of Committee

  25. 2025-03-19 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  26. 2025-03-17 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  27. 2025-03-17 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  28. 2025-03-17 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  29. 2025-03-12 444

    (H) FN3: (CED)

  30. 2025-03-12 444

    (H) FN2: (CED)

  31. 2025-03-12 444

    (H) FN1: (ADM)

  32. 2025-03-12 444

    (H) NR: VANCE, MOORE, HIMSCHOOT, STORY, CARRICK

  33. 2025-03-12 444

    (H) DNP: MCCABE

  34. 2025-03-12 444

    (H) DP: HOLLAND

  35. 2025-03-12 444

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

  36. 2025-03-11 Min

    (H) Minutes (HSTA)

  37. 2025-03-11 Text

    (H) Moved CSHB 30(STA) Out of Committee -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --

  38. 2025-03-11 Text

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

  39. 2025-03-06 Min

    (H) Minutes (HSTA)

  40. 2025-03-06 Text

    (H) Scheduled but Not Heard

  41. 2025-03-06 Text

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

  42. 2025-02-27 Min

    (H) Minutes (HSTA)

  43. 2025-02-27 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  44. 2025-02-27 Text

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

  45. 2025-02-22 Min

    (H) Minutes (HSTA)

  46. 2025-02-22 Text

    (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --

  47. 2025-02-22 Text

    (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  48. 2025-02-10 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  49. 2025-02-10 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  50. 2025-01-22 39

    (H) STA, L&C

  51. 2025-01-22 39

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  52. 2025-01-22 39

    (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/10/25

Official Summary Text

OFFICE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
An Act establishing the office of entrepreneurship; relating to new businesses in the state; relating to reports concerning procurements by agencies; and relating to initial business license fees for new businesses in the state.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0030c -1- CSHB 30(L&C)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0320\H

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 30(L&C)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY THE HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE

Offered: 3/21/25
Referred: Finance

Sponsor(s): REPRESENTATIVES HOLLAND, Foster
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act establishing the office of entrepreneurship; relating t o new businesses in the 1
state; relating to reports concerning procurements by agencies; and providing for an 2
effective date." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 36.30.540 is amended to read: 5
Sec. 36.30.540. Procurement report. The commissioner shall biennially 6
prepare a report concerning procurements by agencies and notify the leg islature that 7
the report is available. The report must include 8
(1) the records maintained by the commissioner under AS 36.30. 510 9
and the records maintained under AS 36.30.520(a) for the previous two fiscal years; 10
(2) a list of procurements made under this chapter from out-of -state 11
sources during the previous two fiscal years , together with the total number of 12
procurement contracts entered into during that period with out-of-state contractors and 13
the total value of these contr acts; this paragraph does not app ly to procurements made 14
34-LS0320\H
CSHB 30(L&C) -2- HB0030c
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

under AS 36.30.320; and 1
(3) a list of procurements made under this chapter from state sources 2
during the previous two fiscal years , together with the total number of procurement 3
contracts entered into during that period with state contractor s and the total value of 4
these contracts; this paragraph does not apply to procurements made under 5
AS 36.30.320; 6
(4) the total number of procurement contracts entered into dur ing 7
the previous two fiscal years with new businesses in the state, the total value of 8
these contracts, and details on the demographic and geographic areas of these 9
businesses; 10
(5) the percentage of the total number and total value of 11
procurement contracts entered into in the previous two fiscal y ears that were 12
entered into with new businesses in the state; and 13
(6) recommendations on improving access to procurement 14
contracts for new businesses in the state, including details on new businesses in 15
the state in statistically underrepresented demographic segment s and geographic 16
areas of the state. 17
* Sec. 2. AS 36.30.540 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 18
(b) In this section, "new busine ss in the state" has the meani ng given in 19
AS 44.33.859. 20
* Sec. 3. AS 44.33 is amended by adding new sections to read: 21
Article 13A. Entrepreneurship. 22
Sec. 44.33.850. Office of entrepreneurship. The office of entrepreneurship is 23
created in the department. 24
Sec. 44.33.853. Duties. (a) The office shall 25
(1) promote innovation-based ec onomic development, business 26
development, and the creation of jobs in emerging sectors; 27
(2) provide a new business in the state with information on av ailable 28
resources and state services and the laws relevant to starting a new business; 29
(3) facilitate engagement between the state and a new business in the 30
state to increase the use of goods and services from state sources; 31
34-LS0320\H
HB0030c -3- CSHB 30(L&C)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(4) in coordination with community entrepreneurship programs, 1
economic development organizations, local government agencies, military 2
installations, regional development organizations, small business development centers, 3
and the University of Alaska's innovation and technology transfer programs, 4
(A) identify and address the needs of a new business in the 5
state; 6
(B) facilitate communication to enhance the range and quality 7
of services of a new business in the state; 8
(C) streamline the delivery of services of a new business in t he 9
state; and 10
(D) share data and information with a new business in the state; 11
and 12
(5) actively seek and use volunt eers to assist in the performa nce of the 13
duties described in this section. 14
(b) If requested by a borough, city, or municipality, the offi ce shall assist in 15
the development and training o f a business ecosystem liaison po sition in the borough, 16
city, or municipality for the purpose of improving the delivery of services of a small 17
business in the state and interactions among small businesses i n the state, other 18
businesses, and the state. 19
(c) The department may provide to the office facilities to imp lement the duties 20
described under this section. If the department determines that facilities are not 21
necessary to perform a duty of the office, the office shall per form the duty using 22
electronic or telephonic means. 23
(d) In this section, 24
(1) "department" means the Department of Commerce, Community, 25
and Economic Development; 26
(2) "military installation" has the meaning given in AS 14.03.080(g); 27
(3) "regional development organization" means a nonprofit 28
organization or nonprofit corpora tion formed to encourage econo mic development 29
within a particular region of the state that includes the entir e area of each municipality 30
within that region and that has a board of directors that repre sents the region's 31
34-LS0320\H
CSHB 30(L&C) -4- HB0030c
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

economic, political, and social interests. 1
Sec. 44.33.855. Annual report. On or before January 1 of each year, the office 2
shall prepare a report detailing legislation enacted in the pre vious year that supports, 3
hinders, or otherwise affects ne w businesses in the state. The office shall submit the 4
report to the governor, senate secretary, and chief clerk of the house of representatives 5
and notify the legislature that the report is available. 6
Sec. 44.33.857. New state business development. (a) Subject to 7
appropriation, each fiscal year, state agencies shall collectiv ely expend an amount 8
equal to five percent of the t otal amount appropriated for econ omic development 9
programs related to business grow th or diversification in emerg ing sectors in a fiscal 10
year for the support and expansi on of organizations or programs that provide services 11
to new businesses in the state. 12
(b) A state agency shall notify the office of the expenditure of funds under this 13
section. The notification must i nclude the amount of the expend iture and identify the 14
organization or program that received the funds. 15
Sec. 44.33.859. Definitions. In AS 44.33.850 - 44.33.859, 16
(1) "new business in the state" means a business that qualifie s as an 17
Alaska bidder as defined in AS 36.30.990 and has been in operat ion for less than five 18
years; 19
(2) "office" means the office of entrepreneurship; 20
(3) "state agency" means a department, institution, board, com mission, 21
division, authority, public corporation, committee, or other ad ministrative unit of the 22
executive branch of state government. 23
* Sec. 4. AS 36.30.540(a)(4), 36.30.540(a)(5), 36.30.540(a)(6), 36.30.540(b); AS 44.33.850, 24
44.33.853, 44.33.855, 44.33.857, and 44.33.859 are repealed. 25
* Sec. 5. Section 4 of this Act takes effect December 31, 2030. 26