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HB0332a -1- HB 332
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HOUSE BILL NO. 332
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY REPRESENTATIVES MINA, Foster, Fields
Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: State Affairs, Finance
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act relating to microplastic testing; and relating to a microplastic strategy plan." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 46.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 3
Sec. 46.03.042. Testing for microplastic. (a) The department shall, in 4
consultation with the Department of Health, develop and implement a statewide 5
schedule and plan to regularly test water, soil, fish, wildlife, and other environmental 6
media for the presence of microplastic, including microplastic that originated from 7
vehicle tires. When testing for the presence of microplastic, the department shall use 8
analytic methods that are consistent with the best available science. The department 9
shall update and publish the microplastic testing schedule and plan before July 1 in 10
even-numbered years. 11
(b) In this section, 12
(1) "microplastic" means a plastic particle or fiber that is smaller than 13
five millimeters; 14
(2) "plastic" has the meaning given in AS 46.06.095. 15
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* Sec. 2. AS 47.05.010 is amended to read: 1
Sec. 47.05.010. Duties of Department of Health. The Department of Health 2
shall 3
(1) administer adult public assistance, the Alaska temporary assistance 4
program, and all other assistance programs, and receive and spend money made 5
available to it; 6
(2) adopt regulations necessary for the conduct of its business and for 7
carrying out federal and state laws granting adult public assistance, temporary cash 8
assistance, diversion payments, or self-sufficiency services for needy families under 9
the Alaska temporary assistance program, and other assistance; 10
(3) establish minimum standards for personnel employed by the 11
department and adopt necessary regulations to maintain those standards; 12
(4) require those bonds and undertakings from persons employed by it 13
that, in its judgment, are necessary, and pay the premiums on them; 14
(5) cooperate with the federal government in matters of mutual 15
concern pertaining to adult public assistance, the Alaska temporary assistance 16
program, and other forms of public assistance; 17
(6) make the reports, in the form and containing the information, that 18
the federal government from time to time requires; 19
(7) cooperate with the federal government in adopting state plans to 20
make the state eligible for federal matching in appropriate categories of assistance, and 21
in all matters of mutual concern, including adoption of the methods of administration 22
that are found by the federal government to be necessary for the efficient operation of 23
welfare programs; 24
(8) adopt regulations, not inconsistent with law, defining need, 25
prescribing the conditions of eligibility for assistance, and establishing standards for 26
determining the amount of assistance that an eligible person is entitled to receive; the 27
amount of the assistance is sufficient when, added to all other income and resources 28
available to an individual, it provides the individual with a reasonable subsistence 29
compatible with health and well-being; an individual who meets the requirements for 30
eligibility for assistance shall be granted the assistance promptly upon application for 31
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it; 1
(9) grant to a person claiming or receiving assistance and who is 2
aggrieved because of the department's action or failure to act, reasonable notice and an 3
opportunity for a fair hearing by the office of administrative hearings (AS 44.64.010), 4
and the department shall adopt regulations relative to this; 5
(10) enter into reciprocal agreements with other states relative to 6
public assistance that are considered advisable; 7
(11) establish the requirements of residence for public assistance that 8
are considered advisable, subject to the limitations of other laws of the state, or law or 9
regulation imposed as conditions for federal financial participation; 10
(12) establish the divisions and local offices that are considered 11
necessary or expedient to carry out a duty or authority assigned to it and appoint and 12
employ the assistants and personnel that are necessary to carry on the work of the 13
divisions and offices, and fix the compensation of the assistants or employees, except 14
that a person engaged in business as a retail vendor of general merchandise, or a 15
member of the immediate family of a person who is so engaged, may not serve as an 16
acting, temporary, or permanent local agent of the department, unless the 17
commissioner of health certifies in writing to the governor, with relation to a particular 18
community, that no other qualified person is available in the community to serve as 19
local welfare agent; for the purposes of this paragraph, a "member of the immediate 20
family" includes a spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, 21
or sister-in-law; 22
(13) provide education and health-related services and referrals 23
designed to reduce the number of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and the number of 24
induced pregnancy terminations in the state; 25
(14) investigate reports of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of 26
property by certified nurse aides in facilities licensed by the department under 27
AS 47.32; 28
(15) establish state policy relating to and administer federal programs 29
subject to state control as provided under 42 U.S.C. 3001 - 3058ee (Older Americans 30
Act of 1965), as amended, and related federal regulations; 31
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(16) administer the older Alaskans service grants under AS 47.65.010 - 1
47.65.050 and the adult day care and family respite care grants under AS 47.65.100; 2
(17) establish an electronic application process for all assistance 3
programs administered by the department and allow an applicant to submit either a 4
written or an electronic application; the electronic application must inform an 5
applicant that a false statement made on the application will be investigated and is 6
punishable under AS 11.56.210; in this paragraph, "electronic application" means an 7
application for benefits or renewal of benefits, whether the department exclusively 8
administers the benefits or administers the benefits in coordination with another state 9
agency or federal agency, electronically completed and submitted through the 10
department's Internet website; 11
(18) assist the Department of Environmental Conservation in 12
formulating and administering a statewide schedule and plan to test for 13
microplastic under AS 46.03.042. 14
* Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 15
read: 16
REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. Not later than January 1, 2029, the Department of 17
Environmental Conservation shall provide a report to the legislature detailing a statewide 18
microplastic strategy plan. When preparing the report, the Department of Environmental 19
Conservation must consult with and seek input from tribes and the general public during a 20
public comment period. The Department of Environmental Conservation must provide 21
reasonable public notice of the comment period. The commissioner of environmental 22
conservation shall submit the report to the senate secretary and chief clerk of the house of 23
representatives and notify the legislature that the report is available. The report must include 24
(1) the results of microplastic testing conducted under AS 46.03.042, enacted 25
by sec. 1 of this Act; 26
(2) an analysis of the impacts that microplastic at the assessed ambient 27
concentration pose to human health and environmental health; 28
(3) an investigation into the primary sources and pathways of environmental 29
microplastic contamination; 30
(4) an assessment of peer-reviewed research on health and environmental 31
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impacts of ambient microplastic concentrations; 1
(5) a summary of peer-reviewed research on methods to reduce the 2
introduction of microplastic into the environment; and 3
(6) recommended policy changes, including changes to statute, that will 4
reduce the introduction of microplastic into the environment. 5
* Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 6
read: 7
TRANSITION. The Department of Environmental Conservation shall make the first 8
microplastic testing schedule and plan required under AS 46.03.042 available to the public 9
before July 1, 2028. 10