SB110 • 2026

MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION GRANTS

An Act establishing the museum construction and major expansion matching grant program; and providing for an effective date.

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: SENATE STATE AFFAIRS
Last action: 2026-05-11
Official status: (S) FIN
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Museum Construction and Expansion Grants

This act establishes a grant program within the Department of Education and Early Development to provide matching funds for museums in Alaska to construct new facilities, expand existing ones by at least 10%, upgrade their spaces for better artifact preservation and public education, with applicants required to match state funding.

What This Bill Does

Creates a museum construction, expansion, and major renovation matching grant program within the Department of Education and Early Development.
Allows museums to apply for grants to build new facilities or expand existing ones by at least 10% in square footage.
Enables museums to receive funds for upgrading their spaces to better preserve and display artifacts.
Permits museums to get grants to improve educational services provided to the public.
Requires applicants to provide matching funds equal to at least half of the total project costs.

Who It Names or Affects

Museums in Alaska that want to build new facilities or expand existing ones.
The Department of Education and Early Development, which will manage the grant program.

Terms To Know

matching grant: A type of financial aid where a museum must provide some funds from other sources to receive state funding for its projects.
square footage: The total area inside a building measured in square feet, used here to determine if an expansion meets the grant requirements.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much money will be available for grants.
It is unclear when the program will start after it passes into law.

Bill History

2026-05-11 Text
(S) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --
2026-05-11 Text
(S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532
2026-03-23 2024
(S) REFERRED TO FINANCE
2026-03-23 2024
(S) FN1: (EED)
2026-03-23 2024
(S) NR: YUNDT, BJORKMAN, STEVENS, KIEHL
2026-03-23 2024
(S) DP: TOBIN
2026-03-23 2024
(S) EDC RPT CS 1DP 4NR NEW TITLE
2026-03-20 Text
(S) Moved CSSB 110(EDC) Out of Committee
2026-03-20 Text
(S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
2026-03-02 Text
(S) Heard & Held
2026-03-02 Text
(S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
2025-04-02 Min
(S) Minutes (SEDC)
2025-04-02 Text
(S) Heard & Held
2025-04-02 Text
(S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
2025-03-07 Text
(S) -- Invited & Public Testimony -- -- MEETING CANCELED --
2025-03-07 Text
(S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
2025-02-26 363
(S) EDC, FIN
2025-02-26 363
(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION GRANTS
An Act establishing the museum construction and major expansion matching grant program; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB0110B -1- CSSB 110(EDC)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0645\G

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 110(EDC)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Offered: 3/23/26
Referred: Finance

Sponsor(s): SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act establishing the museum construction, expansion, and major renovation 1
matching grant program; and providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 14.57 is amended by adding a new section to read: 4
Article 4. Museum Construction, Expansion, and Major Renovation Grants. 5
Sec. 14.57.300. Museum construction, expansion, and major renovation 6
matching grant program. (a) A matching grant program for museum construction, 7
expansion, and major renovation is established in the Department of Education and 8
Early Development. A grant may be awarded to a museum 9
(1) for construction of a new facility; 10
(2) to increase the square footage of an existing facility by at least 10 11
percent; 12
(3) to physically upgrade an existing facility in a way that allows the 13
museum to better preserve and present artifacts to the public; or 14
34-LS0645\G
CSSB 110(EDC) -2- SB0110B
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(4) to improve a space in an existing facility to allow a museum to 1
improve the educational services provided to the public. 2
(b) A person in charge of construction, expansion, or renovation of an eligible 3
museum may apply to the department for a matching grant under regulations adopted 4
by the department. 5
(c) To be eligible for a grant under this section, an applicant must 6
(1) apply on a form provided by the department; 7
(2) be located in the state; and 8
(3) provide matching funds from other sources in an amount equal to at 9
least 50 percent of the total proposed grant project costs. 10
(d) Subject to appropriation, the department shall award not more than 50 11
percent of the total proposed grant project costs to an eligible applicant. 12
(e) The department shall establish regulations to implement this section. 13
(f) In this section, "museum" has the meaning given in AS 14.57.290. 14
* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 15