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HB77 • 2026

MAIL THEFT

An Act making the theft of mail or an article within mail theft in the second degree.

Children Crime Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVES COULOMBE, Tomaszewski, Vance, Costello, Eischeid, Stapp, Johnson, Schwanke, Rauscher, Bynum, Underwood, Ruffridge, McCabe, Kopp, Saddler, Moore, Allard
Last action
2026-04-29
Official status
(H) RLS
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the definitions will be interpreted or enforced by courts.

Making Mail Theft a Second-Degree Crime

This act changes Alaska law so that stealing mail or items inside mail is considered theft in the second degree.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the definition of theft in the second degree to include taking mail or an item within mail.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who steal mail or items inside mail will be charged with theft in the second degree.
  • Employees at juvenile treatment facilities, detention centers, and correctional facilities are allowed to take mail as part of their job duties.

Terms To Know

authorized depository
A place like a mailbox or post office box where people can put out-going mail or receive incoming mail.
mail receptacle
A location used by the postal service, private companies, or customers for putting outgoing mail or receiving incoming mail.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens to people who stole mail before this law was passed.
  • It is unclear how strictly 'authorized depository' and similar terms will be interpreted by courts.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) REFERRED TO RULES

  2. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) FN10: ZERO(AJS)

  3. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) FN9: ZERO(DPS)

  4. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) FN8: ZERO(LAW)

  5. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) FN7: INDETERMINATE(ADM)

  6. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) FN6: INDETERMINATE(ADM)

  7. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) JOSEPHSON, FOSTER

  8. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) DP: JIMMIE, GALVIN, TOMASZEWSKI, HANNAN, ALLARD, STAPP, MOORE, BYNUM, SCHRAGE,

  9. 2026-04-29 Alaska State Legislature

    (H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) 11DP

  10. 2026-04-28 Text

    (H) Moved CSHB 77(FIN) Out of Committee

  11. 2026-04-28 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  12. 2026-04-16 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  13. 2026-04-16 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  14. 2026-04-16 2202

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): ALLARD

  15. 2026-04-13 Text

    (H) -- Public Testimony -- -- MEETING CANCELED --

  16. 2026-04-13 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  17. 2026-04-08 Text

    (H) -- Public Testimony -- -- MEETING CANCELED --

  18. 2026-04-08 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  19. 2026-03-27 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  20. 2026-03-27 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  21. 2026-03-20 1896

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): MOORE

  22. 2026-02-09 1587

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): SADDLER

  23. 2025-04-16 Text

    (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  24. 2025-04-16 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  25. 2025-04-11 667

    (H) FN5: INDETERMINATE(ADM)

  26. 2025-04-11 667

    (H) FN4: INDETERMINATE(ADM)

  27. 2025-04-11 667

    (H) FN3: ZERO(LAW)

  28. 2025-04-11 667

    (H) FN2: ZERO(DPS)

  29. 2025-04-11 667

    (H) FN1: ZERO(AJS)

  30. 2025-04-11 667

    (H) AM: GRAY

  31. 2025-04-11 667

    (H) DP: VANCE, EISCHEID, UNDERWOOD, COSTELLO

  32. 2025-04-11 667

    (H) JUD RPT 4DP 1AM

  33. 2025-04-09 Min

    (H) Minutes (HJUD)

  34. 2025-04-09 Text

    (H) Moved HB 77 Out of Committee

  35. 2025-04-09 Text

    (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  36. 2025-04-02 600

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): MCCABE, KOPP

  37. 2025-03-31 584

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): STAPP, JOHNSON, SCHWANKE, RAUSCHER, BYNUM, UNDERWOOD, RUFFRIDGE

  38. 2025-03-05 Min

    (H) Minutes (HJUD)

  39. 2025-03-05 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  40. 2025-03-05 Text

    (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  41. 2025-02-24 Min

    (H) Minutes (HJUD)

  42. 2025-02-24 Text

    (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  43. 2025-02-24 240

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): EISCHEID

  44. 2025-02-21 Min

    (H) Minutes (HJUD)

  45. 2025-02-21 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  46. 2025-02-21 Text

    (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  47. 2025-02-19 217

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): VANCE, COSTELLO

  48. 2025-01-31 113

    (H) JUD, FIN

  49. 2025-01-31 113

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

MAIL THEFT
An Act making the theft of mail or an article within mail theft in the second degree.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0077b -1- CSHB 77(FIN)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0144\O

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 77(FIN)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE

Offered: 4/29/26
Referred: Rules

Sponsor(s): REPRESENTATIVES COULOMBE, Tomaszewski, Vance, Costello, Eischeid, Stapp, Johnson,
Schwanke, Rauscher, Bynum, Underwood, Ruffridge, McCabe, Kopp, Saddler, Moore
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act making the theft of mail or an article within mail theft in the second degree." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 11.46.130(a) is amended to read: 3
(a) A person commits the crime of theft in the second degree if the person 4
commits theft as defined in AS 11.46.100 and 5
(1) the value of the property or services is $750 or more but less than 6
$25,000; 7
(2) the property is a firearm or explosive; 8
(3) the property is taken from the person of another; 9
(4) the property is taken from a vessel and is vessel safety or survival 10
equipment; 11
(5) the property is taken from an aircraft and the property is aircraft 12
safety or survival equipment; 13
(6) the value of the property is $250 or more but less than $750 and, 14
within the preceding five years, the person has been convicted and sentenced on two 15
34-LS0144\O
CSHB 77(FIN) -2- HB0077b
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

or more separate occasions in this or another jurisdiction of 1
(A) an offense under AS 11.46.120, or an offense under 2
another law or ordinance with similar elements; 3
(B) a crime set out in this subsection or an offense under 4
another law or ordinance with similar elements; 5
(C) an offense under AS 11.46.140(a)(1), or an offense under 6
another law or ordinance with similar elements; or 7
(D) an offense under AS 11.46.220(c)(1) or (c)(2)(A), or an 8
offense under another law or ordinance with similar elements; [OR] 9
(7) the property is an access device or identification document; or 10
(8) the property is mail or an article within mail. 11
* Sec. 2. AS 11.46.130(b) is amended by adding new paragraphs to read: 12
(5) "authorized depository" means a mailbox, letter box, post office 13
box, or rural box used by postal customers for the deposit of outgoing mail or used by 14
the United States Postal Service or a private mail delivery company for the delivery of 15
incoming mail; 16
(6) "juvenile detention facility" and "juvenile treatment facility" have 17
the meanings given in AS 47.12.990; 18
(7) "mail" means a letter, a card, a parcel, or material that 19
(A) is sent or delivered by means of the United States Postal 20
Service or a private mail delivery company; 21
(B) has postage affixed to it by the postal customer, the United 22
States Postal Service, or a private mail delivery company or has been accepted 23
for delivery by the United States Postal Service or a private mail delivery 24
company; and 25
(C) is placed in an authorized depository or mail receptacle or 26
given to an employee of the United States Postal Service or a private mail 27
delivery company for delivery; 28
(8) "mail receptacle" means a location used by the United States Postal 29
Service, a private mail delivery company, or a postal customer for the placement of 30
outgoing mail or the receipt of incoming mail; 31
34-LS0144\O
HB0077b -3- CSHB 77(FIN)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(9) "postage" means a United States Postal Service stamp, permit 1
imprint, meter strip, or other authorized indication of prepayment for services 2
provided or authorized by the United States Postal Service or a private mail delivery 3
company for the collection and delivery of mail. 4
* Sec. 3. AS 11.46.130 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 5
(d) The provisions of (a)(8) of this section do not apply to an act carried out in 6
accordance with the official duties of an employee charged with the operation of a 7
juvenile treatment facility, juvenile detention facility, or correctional facility. 8
* Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 9
read: 10
APPLICABILITY. AS 11.46.130, as amended by secs. 1 - 3 of this Act, applies to 11
offenses committed on or after the effective date of this Act. 12