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HB65 • 2026

RAILROAD CORP. FINANCING

An Act authorizing the Alaska Railroad Corporation to issue revenue bonds to finance the replacement of the Alaska Railroad Corporation's passenger dock and related terminal facility in Seward, Alaska; and providing for an effective date.

Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVES STUTES, Tomaszewski, Prax, Galvin, Saddler, Bynum, Elam, McCabe, Costello, Schrage, D.Nelson, Josephson, Rauscher SENATORS Bjorkman, Hughes, Cronk, Stevens, Kaufman, Claman, Stedman, Yundt
Last action
2025-03-10
Official status
CHAPTER 1 SLA 25
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source confirms all specific dollar amounts, technical requirements (side loading doors), and repayment restrictions found in the candidate explanation.

Alaska Railroad Dock Replacement Funding

This law allows the Alaska Railroad Corporation to sell special bonds worth up to $135 million to pay for a new passenger dock and terminal in Seward.

What This Bill Does

  • Authorizes the Alaska Railroad Corporation to issue revenue bonds to fund construction costs, reserves for debt service, capitalized interest, and issuance costs.
  • Sets a maximum limit of $135,000,000 on the total amount of bonds that can be sold.
  • Requires the new dock and terminal facility to accommodate Alaska marine highway system vessels with side loading doors.
  • States that bond repayment must come from dock revenue or other funds available to the Alaska Railroad Corporation.
  • Prohibits using the general credit of the Alaska Railroad Corporation or the state for repayment.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Alaska Railroad Corporation
  • Users of the passenger dock and terminal facility in Seward, Alaska

Terms To Know

Revenue bonds
Loans sold to investors that are paid back using money earned from a specific project or service.
Alaska marine highway system vessels with side loading doors
Boats and ships used for transporting passengers and freight along Alaska's water routes that have doors on the side of the vessel.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not state when the construction will begin or finish.
  • It is unclear how much of the $135 million limit will actually be needed for the project.
  • The text does not specify which other funds might be used if dock revenue is insufficient.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-10 316

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 3/7/25

  2. 2025-03-10 316

    (H) SIGNED INTO LAW 3/6 CHAPTER 1 SLA 25

  3. 2025-02-28 271

    (H) 11:58 A.M. 2/28/25 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR

  4. 2025-02-26 365

    (S) VERSION: HB 65

  5. 2025-02-26 365

    (S) RETURN TO (H), TRANSMIT TO GOV NEXT

  6. 2025-02-26 366

    (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): KAUFMAN, CLAMAN, STEDMAN, YUNDT

  7. 2025-02-26 365

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  8. 2025-02-26 364

    (S) PASSED Y18 N- E2

  9. 2025-02-26 364

    (S) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 65

  10. 2025-02-24 Min

    (S) Minutes (SFIN)

  11. 2025-02-24 Text

    (S) Moved HB 65 Out of Committee

  12. 2025-02-24 Text

    (S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532

  13. 2025-02-24 343

    (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 2/26 CAL

  14. 2025-02-24 343

    (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  15. 2025-02-24 340

    (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 2/24/2025

  16. 2025-02-24 340

    (S) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  17. 2025-02-24 340

    (S) DP: STEDMAN, HOFFMAN, KAUFMAN, CRONK, MERRICK, KIEHL

  18. 2025-02-24 340

    (S) FIN RPT 6DP

  19. 2025-02-19 Min

    (S) Minutes (SFIN)

  20. 2025-02-19 Text

    (S) Scheduled but Not Heard

  21. 2025-02-19 Text

    (S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532

  22. 2025-02-19 305

    (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): BJORKMAN, HUGHES, CRONK, STEVENS

  23. 2025-02-19 296

    (S) FIN

  24. 2025-02-19 296

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  25. 2025-02-17 203

    (H) VERSION: HB 65

  26. 2025-02-17 203

    (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)

  27. 2025-02-17 202

    (H) JOSEPHSON, RAUSCHER

  28. 2025-02-17 202

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): SADDLER, BYNUM, ELAM, MCCABE, COSTELLO, SCHRAGE, NELSON,

  29. 2025-02-17 202

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  30. 2025-02-17 201

    (H) PASSED Y36 E4

  31. 2025-02-17 201

    (H) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 65

  32. 2025-02-17 201

    (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UC

  33. 2025-02-17 201

    (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  34. 2025-02-17 201

    (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 2/17/2025

  35. 2025-02-14 189

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN

  36. 2025-02-14 183

    (H) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  37. 2025-02-14 183

    (H) DP: TOMASZEWSKI, BYNUM, JIMMIE, GALVIN, STAPP, ALLARD, HANNAN, FOSTER, JOSEPHSON

  38. 2025-02-14 183

    (H) FIN RPT 9DP

  39. 2025-02-12 Min

    (H) Minutes (HFIN)

  40. 2025-02-12 Text

    (H) Moved HB 65 Out of Committee

  41. 2025-02-12 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  42. 2025-01-24 66

    (H) FIN

  43. 2025-01-24 66

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

RAILROAD CORP. FINANCING
An Act authorizing the Alaska Railroad Corporation to issue revenue bonds to finance the replacement of the Alaska Railroad Corporation's passenger dock and related terminal facility in Seward, Alaska; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Enrolled HB 65
LAWS OF ALASKA

2025

Source Chapter No.
HB 65 _______

AN ACT

Authorizing the Alaska Railroad Corporation to issue revenue bo nds to finance the
replacement of the Alaska Railroad Corporation's passenger dock and related terminal facility
in Seward, Alaska; and providing for an effective date.

_______________

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1

-1- Enrolled HB 65

AN ACT

Authorizing the Alaska Railroad Corporation to issue revenue bo nds to finance the 1
replacement of the Alaska Railroad Corporation's passenger dock and related terminal facility 2
in Seward, Alaska; and providing for an effective date. 3
_______________ 4
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska enacted in sec. 4(a), ch. 30, SLA 5
2022, is amended to read: 6
(a) The Alaska Railroad Corpora tion is authorized to issue rev enue bonds 7
under AS 42.40.250 to finance the replacement of the Alaska Rai lroad Corporation's 8
passenger dock and related terminal facility in Seward, Alaska, and associated costs, 9
including, without limitation, reserves for debt service and ca pitalized interest, if 10
necessary or appropriate, and costs of issuance. The replacement dock and terminal 11
facility must accommodate Alaska marine highway system vessels with side 12
loading doors. The maximum principal amount of bonds that the Alaska Railroad 13
Corporation may issue under this section is $135,000,000 [$60,000,000]. The Alaska 14

Enrolled HB 65 -2-
Railroad Corporation may issue the bonds in a single issuance o r in several issuances, 1
without limitation as to number of issuances or timing, and as the Alaska Railroad 2
Corporation determines best furt hers the purpose of financing t he replacement of the 3
Alaska Railroad Corporation's passenger dock and related termin al facility in Seward, 4
Alaska, and associated costs. The bonds shall be repaid from do ck revenue or other 5
funds available to the Alaska Ra ilroad Corporation. The general credit of the Alaska 6
Railroad Corporation and the state may not be pledged for the repayment of the bonds. 7
* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 8