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HB377 • 2026

PUBLIC RECORDS: AUDIO & VIDEO; MUNI COSTS

An Act relating to public records; relating to managing and preserving audio and video recordings; and relating to fees for the inspection and copying of public records under the Alaska Public Records Act.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS BY REQUEST
Last action
2026-04-28
Official status
(H) STA
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how municipalities should handle requests if requesters cannot afford fees.

Alaska Public Records Act Changes

This act updates how audio and video recordings are managed, preserved, and accessed under the Alaska Public Records Act, and sets rules for fees related to public records requests.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the definition of 'record' in the Alaska Public Records Act to include audio and video recordings.
  • Allows municipalities to charge requesters for actual personnel costs when searching, reviewing, redacting, and copying requested records.
  • Permits the Department of Public Safety to charge similar fees as municipalities under the same conditions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People requesting public records from municipalities in Alaska
  • The Department of Public Safety in Alaska

Terms To Know

record
Any document, paper, book, letter, electronic mail, drawing, map, photo, photographic file, motion picture film, audio or video recording, microfilm, microphotograph, exhibit, magnetic or paper tape, punched card, electronic record, or other material preserved by an agency for official business.
public records
Books, papers, files, audio or video recordings, accounts, writings, including electronic mail and memorializations of conversations, that are developed or received by a public agency and preserved for informational value or as evidence of the organization's operation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how municipalities should handle requests if requesters cannot afford to pay the fees.
  • It is unclear what constitutes 'actual personnel costs' and how they will be calculated by municipalities and the Department of Public Safety.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-28 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  2. 2026-04-28 Text

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

  3. 2026-04-25 Text

    (H) Scheduled but Not Heard

  4. 2026-04-25 Text

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

  5. 2026-04-21 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  6. 2026-04-21 Text

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

  7. 2026-04-11 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  8. 2026-04-11 Text

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

  9. 2026-04-09 Text

    (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  10. 2026-04-09 Text

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

  11. 2026-04-07 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  12. 2026-04-07 Text

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

  13. 2026-04-01 2018

    (H) REFERRED TO STATE AFFAIRS

  14. 2026-04-01 2018

    (H) FN1: ZERO(LAW)

  15. 2026-04-01 2018

    (H) AM: HOLLAND, ST. CLAIR, HALL, HIMSCHOOT

  16. 2026-04-01 2018

    (H) NR: G.NELSON

  17. 2026-04-01 2018

    (H) DP: PRAX, MEARS

  18. 2026-04-01 2018

    (H) CRA RPT CS(CRA) 2DP 1NR 4AM

  19. 2026-03-31 Text

    (H) Moved CSHB 377(CRA) Out of Committee

  20. 2026-03-31 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  21. 2026-03-26 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  22. 2026-03-26 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  23. 2026-03-17 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  24. 2026-03-17 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  25. 2026-03-09 1806

    (H) CRA, STA

  26. 2026-03-09 1806

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

PUBLIC RECORDS: AUDIO & VIDEO; MUNI COSTS
An Act relating to public records; relating to managing and preserving audio and video recordings; and relating to fees for the inspection and copying of public records under the Alaska Public Records Act.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0377b -1- CSHB 377(CRA)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1196\T

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 377(CRA)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Offered: 4/1/26
Referred: State Affairs

Sponsor(s): HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE BY REQUEST
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to public records; relating to managing and preserving audio and 1
video recordings; and relating to fees for the inspection and copying of public records 2
under the Alaska Public Records Act." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 40.21.150(6) is amended to read: 5
(6) "record" means any document, paper, book, letter, electronic mail, 6
drawing, map, plat, photo, photographic file, motion picture film, audio or video 7
recording, microfilm, microphotograph, exhibit, magnetic or paper tape, punched 8
card, electronic record, or other document of any other material, regardless of physical 9
form or characteristic, developed or received under law or in connection with the 10
transaction of official business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by an 11
agency or a political subdivision, as evidence of the organization, function, policies, 12
decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the state or political 13
subdivision or because of the informational value in them; the term does not include 14
34-LS1196\T
CSHB 377(CRA) -2- HB0377b
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

library and museum material developed or acquired and preserved solely for reference, 1
historical, or exhibition purposes, extra copies of documents preserved solely for 2
convenience of reference, or stocks of publications and processed documents; 3
* Sec. 2. AS 40.25.110 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 4
(j) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, a municipality may require a requester 5
to pay the municipality's actual personnel costs to perform the search, review, 6
redaction, and copying tasks to complete a request for production of a record. The 7
personnel costs may not exceed the actual salary and benefit costs for the personnel 8
time required to complete the request. The requester shall pay the costs before the 9
records are disclosed, and the municipality may require payment in advance of the 10
search. 11
(k) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, the Department of Public Safety may 12
require a requester to pay the actual personnel costs of the Department of Public 13
Safety to perform the search, review, redaction, and copying tasks to complete a 14
request for production of a record. The personnel costs may not exceed the actual 15
salary and benefit costs for the personnel time required to complete the request. The 16
requester shall pay the costs before the records are disclosed, and the Department of 17
Public Safety may require payment in advance of the search. 18
* Sec. 3. AS 40.25.220(3) is amended to read: 19
(3) "public records" means books, papers, files, audio or video 20
recordings, accounts, writings, including electronic mail, drafts, [AND] 21
memorializations of conversations, and other items, regardless of format or physical 22
characteristics, that are developed or received by a public agency, or by a private 23
contractor for a public agency, and that are preserved for [THEIR] informational value 24
or as evidence of the organization or operation of the public agency; "public records" 25
does not include proprietary software programs. 26