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SB103 • 2026

CNA TRAINING

An Act relating to certified nurse aide training; and providing for an effective date.

Taxes
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
SENATORS GRAY-JACKSON, Giessel, Claman, Dunbar
Last action
2025-04-28
Official status
(S) L&C
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance with training standards.

Certified Nurse Aide Training Requirements

This act updates the requirements for certified nurse aide training programs to ensure clients receive safe and competent care.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds new rules that certified nurse aide training must follow.
  • Requires training to make sure clients get safe and competent care.
  • Teaches aides how to form relationships, communicate, and interact well with clients.
  • Trains aides on the emotional, social, and mental health needs of clients.
  • Helps clients maintain independence by providing support.
  • Ensures that aides respect and promote the rights of clients.
  • Requires training in observing and monitoring client conditions during caregiving.
  • Instructs aides to use a problem-solving approach when providing care.
  • Teaches techniques to ensure and preserve the respect, values, choices, and dignity of clients.
  • Provides knowledge on best practices for client assessment and care planning.
  • Trains in effective communication skills, especially with clients having psychosocial needs or cognitive impairments.
  • Requires training in providing care to cognitively impaired clients.
  • Includes basic knowledge about Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and activities of daily living.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Certified nurse aide training programs
  • People who are getting certified as nurse aides

Terms To Know

Activities of daily living
Basic self-care tasks like eating, dressing, grooming, bathing, and toileting.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the new training requirements will be enforced.
  • It is unclear if there are any penalties for failing to meet these new standards.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-28 Min

    (S) Minutes (SL&C)

  2. 2025-04-28 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  3. 2025-04-28 Text

    (S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  4. 2025-04-25 956

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): DUNBAR

  5. 2025-04-23 Min

    (S) Minutes (SL&C)

  6. 2025-04-23 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  7. 2025-04-23 Text

    (S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  8. 2025-02-20 318

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): CLAMAN

  9. 2025-02-19 305

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): GIESSEL

  10. 2025-02-19 301

    (S) REFERRED TO LABOR & COMMERCE

  11. 2025-02-19 301

    (S) L&C, FIN

  12. 2025-02-19 301

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

CNA TRAINING
An Act relating to certified nurse aide training; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB0103A -1- SB 103
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0559\A

SENATE BILL NO. 103

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY SENATORS GRAY-JACKSON, Giessel, Claman, Dunbar

Introduced: 2/19/25
Referred: Labor and Commerce, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to certified nurse aide training; and providing for an effective date." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 08.68.331 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 3
(c) Regulations adopted under (a )(1) of this section establish ing standards for 4
a certified nurse aide training program must require that the program 5
(1) be conducted in a manner to ensure that clients receive sa fe and 6
competent care; and 7
(2) train a certified nurse aide to 8
(A) form a relationship, communicate, and interact competently 9
with a client; 10
(B) demonstrate sensitivity to the emotional, social, and ment al 11
health needs of a client through skillful and directed interactions; 12
(C) assist a client in reaching and maintaining independence; 13
(D) support and promote the rights of a client; 14
(E) demonstrate the skills of observing and monitoring a clien t 15
34-LS0559\A
SB 103 -2- SB0103A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

during caregiving, as well as reporting those observations to e nable the 1
assessment of the health, physical condition, and well-being of a client; 2
(F) demonstrate knowledge of the abilities and care needs of a 3
client; 4
(G) use a problem-solving approach when providing care; 5
(H) use techniques that ensure a nd preserve the respect, values, 6
choices, and dignity of a client; 7
(I) demonstrate knowledge of client assessment and care 8
planning best practices; 9
(J) use effective communication skills, including while 10
communicating with a client with psychosocial needs or Alzheime r's disease, 11
dementia, a mental illness, an intellectual disability, or anot her cognitive 12
disability or impairment; 13
(K) provide care to a client who is cognitively impaired or ha s 14
a decline in cognitive function related to dementia; and 15
(L) demonstrate basic knowledge of Alzheimer's disease, 16
dementia, dementia-related behaviors, and the activities of dai ly living; in this 17
subparagraph, "activities of dai ly living" means eating, dressi ng, grooming, 18
bathing, and toileting. 19
* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026. 20