HB329 • 2026

ELECTRIC UTILITY: CERTIFICATE OF FITNESS

An Act relating to certificates of fitness for employees of an electric utility.

Education Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: HOUSE COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
Last action: 2026-04-01
Official status: (H) RLS
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed information on enforcement mechanisms and consequences for non-qualified workers.

Electric Utility Worker Certificates

This act changes requirements for certificates of fitness needed by workers in electric utilities.

What This Bill Does

Removes the requirement that employees of an electric utility need a certificate of fitness to perform work under certain conditions.
Allows qualified local municipal or tribal government employees working on behalf of an electric utility to be exempt from needing a certificate of fitness if they meet specific criteria.

Who It Names or Affects

Employees of electric utilities
Local municipal or tribal government employees performing tasks for an electric utility

Terms To Know

Certificate of fitness: A document that proves a worker is qualified to do certain jobs safely.
Qualified employee: Someone who has the right education, training, and experience to perform their job safely.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a local government worker is not qualified.
It's unclear how this change will be enforced or monitored by electric utilities.

Bill History

2026-04-01 2017
(H) REFERRED TO RULES
2026-04-01 2017
(H) FN1: ZERO(LWF)
2026-04-01 2017
(H) NR: COULOMBE, SADDLER
2026-04-01 2017
(H) DP: FRIER, CARRICK, HALL, FIELDS
2026-04-01 2017
(H) L&C RPT CS(L&C) 4DP 2NR
2026-03-30 Text
(H) Moved CSHB 329(L&C) Out of Committee
2026-03-30 Text
(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
2026-03-25 Text
(H) Heard & Held
2026-03-25 Text
(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
2026-03-05 Text
(H) Moved HB 329 Out of Committee
2026-03-05 Text
(H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124
2026-03-05 1787
(H) FN1: ZERO(LWF)
2026-03-05 1787
(H) NR: HALL
2026-03-05 1787
(H) DP: HOLLAND, PRAX, G.NELSON, ST. CLAIR, MEARS, HIMSCHOOT
2026-03-05 1787
(H) CRA RPT 6DP 1NR
2026-02-24 Text
(H) Heard & Held
2026-02-24 Text
(H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124
2026-02-23 1684
(H) CRA, L&C
2026-02-23 1684
(H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

ELECTRIC UTILITY: CERTIFICATE OF FITNESS
An Act relating to certificates of fitness for employees of an electric utility.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB0329b -1- CSHB 329(L&C)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1412\G

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 329(L&C)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE

Offered: 4/1/26
Referred: Rules

Sponsor(s): HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to certificates of fitness for employees of an electric utility." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 18.62.010 is amended to read: 3
Sec. 18.62.010. Certificate of fitness required. In connection with work 4
performed subject to the standards established in AS 18.60.580 and AS 18.60.705, a 5
person may not be employed without a certificate of fitness to perform the work, 6
except that a certificate of fitness may not be required of employees of an electric 7
utility, or qualified employees of the local municipal or tribal government 8
performing work on behalf of the utility, 9
(1) within a service area that does not contain [HAVE WITHIN ITS 10
SERVICE AREA] any portion of a city or unified municipality having more than 11
2,500 population; or 12
(2) within a portion of a service area that is not 13
(A) electrically interconnected with another portion of the 14
electric utility's service area; and 15
34-LS1412\G
CSHB 329(L&C) -2- HB0329b
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(B) a city or unified municipality having more than 2,500 1
population. 2
* Sec. 2. AS 18.62.010 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 3
(b) An electric utility shall ensure that an employee of a local municipal or 4
tribal government performing work on behalf of the electric utility is a qualified 5
employee and all work is performed in accordance with electrical safety standards 6
established in AS 18.60.580. 7
(c) In this section, "qualified employee" means a person who, through 8
possession of a recognized degree, certificate, professional standing, or knowledge, 9
training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to safely perform 10
the work assigned. 11