KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Alaska

HB37 • 2026

ALCOHOL WARNING SIGNS ON LIC. PREMISES

An Act relating to the posting of warning signs for alcoholic beverages.

Children
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY
Last action
2025-01-29
Official status
(H) L&C
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text lists specific license types but uses 'another license or permit' as a catch-all, so the list in who_it_affects is based on explicit mentions plus this general category.

Alcohol Warning Signs on Licensed Premises

This law changes how many warning signs alcohol sellers must post and updates what those signs say about health risks and penalties.

What This Bill Does

  • Reduces the number of required warning signs from three to two for most licensed places selling or serving alcohol.
  • Updates the first sign text to warn that drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects and that alcohol use can cause cancer, including breast and colon cancers.
  • Removes warnings about smoking cigarettes from the health risk sign on premises where people buy or drink alcohol.
  • Requires license holders to display one sign near areas where customers purchase or consume drinks.
  • Requires a second sign at every customer entrance warning of fines for minors entering alone and penalties for serving underage drinkers.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Holders of brewery, winery, distillery, restaurant, club, package store, pub, theater, common carrier dispensary, sporting activity or event, outdoor recreation lodge, fair, golf course, destination resort, and other alcohol licenses.
  • Businesses with permits to serve or sell alcohol at events like fairs, festivals, sports activities, art exhibits, music festivals, nonprofit organization events, package store tasting events, catering services, and conditional contractor's permits.

Terms To Know

Licensed premises
A building or area where a business has official permission from the state to sell or serve alcoholic beverages.
Civilly liable
Legally responsible for paying money damages, such as the $1,500 fine mentioned on the sign.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The text does not state when this law will officially take effect.
  • The bill only changes signs required by AS 04.21.065 and does not mention other types of alcohol regulations or penalties outside the sign requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2025-01-29 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  2. 2025-01-29 Text

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

  3. 2025-01-27 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  4. 2025-01-27 Text

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

  5. 2025-01-22 40

    (H) REFERRED TO LABOR & COMMERCE

  6. 2025-01-22 40

    (H) L&C, FIN

  7. 2025-01-22 40

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  8. 2025-01-22 40

    (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/10/25

Official Summary Text

ALCOHOL WARNING SIGNS ON LIC. PREMISES
An Act relating to the posting of warning signs for alcoholic beverages.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB0037a -1- HB 37
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0359\A

HOUSE BILL NO. 37

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE GRAY

Introduced: 1/22/25
Referred: Labor and Commerce, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to the posting of warning signs for alcoholic beverages." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 04.21.065(a) is amended to read: 3
(a) A holder of one of the following types of licenses or perm its shall post on 4
the licensed or designated premises two [THREE] separate warning signs as described 5
in (b) of this section: 6
(1) brewery manufacturer license under AS 04.09.020 with a 7
manufacturer sampling endorsement under AS 04.09.410; 8
(2) winery manufacturer license under AS 04.09.030 with a 9
manufacturer sampling endorsement under AS 04.09.410; 10
(3) distillery manufacturer license under AS 04.09.040 with a 11
manufacturer sampling endorsement under AS 04.09.410; 12
(4) beverage dispensary license under AS 04.09.200; 13
(5) restaurant or eating place license under AS 04.09.210; 14
(6) club license under AS 04.09.220; 15
34-LS0359\A
HB 37 -2- HB0037a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(7) package store license under AS 04.09.230; 1
(8) pub license under AS 04.09.240; 2
(9) theater license under AS 04.09.250; 3
(10) common carrier dispensary license under AS 04.09.260; 4
(11) sporting activity or event license under AS 04.09.270; 5
(12) outdoor recreation lodge license under AS 04.09.280; 6
(13) fair license under AS 04.09.290; 7
(14) golf course license under AS 04.09.300; 8
(15) destination resort license under AS 04.09.310; 9
(16) brewery retail license under AS 04.09.320; 10
(17) winery retail license under AS 04.09.330; 11
(18) distillery retail license under AS 04.09.340; 12
(19) beverage dispensary tourism license under AS 04.09.350; 13
(20) seasonal restaurant or ea ting place tourism license under 14
AS 04.09.360; 15
(21) beverage dispensary caterer's permit under AS 04.09.610; 16
(22) restaurant caterer's dining permit under AS 04.09.620; 17
(23) club caterer's permit under AS 04.09.630; 18
(24) art exhibit event permit under AS 04.09.640; 19
(25) music festival permit under AS 04.09.650; 20
(26) nonprofit organization event permit under AS 04.09.660; 21
(27) package store tasting event permit under AS 04.09.680; 22
(28) conditional contractor's permit under AS 04.09.710; 23
(29) another license or permit issued by the board authorizing 24
consumption of alcoholic beverages. 25
* Sec. 2. AS 04.21.065(b) is amended to read: 26
(b) The warning signs required by (a) of this section must be at least 11 inches 27
by 14 inches, and the lettering must be at least one-half inch high and in contrasting 28
colors. The first sign must read, "WARNING: Alcohol use [DRINKING 29
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES SUCH AS BEER, WINE, WINE COOLERS, AND 30
DISTILLED SPIRITS OR SMOKING CIGARETTES] during pregnancy can c ause 31
34-LS0359\A
HB0037a -3- HB 37
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

birth defects. Alcohol use can cause cancer, including breast and colon cancer s." 1
The second sign must read, "WARNING: An unaccompanied person under 21 2
years of age who enters these premises in violation of law may, under 3
AS 04.16.049(e), be civilly liable for damages of $1,500. A person who provides 4
alcoholic beverages to a person under 21 years of age, if convi cted under 5
AS 04.16.051, could be imprisoned for up to five years and fine d up to $50,000." 6
[THE THIRD SIGN MUST READ, "WARNING: AN UNACCOMPANIED 7
PERSON UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE WHO ENTERS THESE PREMISES IN 8
VIOLATION OF LAW MAY, UNDER AS 04.16.049(e), BE CIVILLY LIABLE 9
FOR DAMAGES OF $1,500."] The license or permit holder shall dis play the first 10
sign [AND SECOND SIGNS] in a manner that would make it [THEM] conspicuous 11
to a person who will be purchasing or consuming alcoholic bever ages or smoking 12
cigarettes on the licensed or des ignated premises and shall con spicuously display the 13
second [THIRD] sign at each door through which customers enter the li censed 14
premises. 15