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SB116 • 2026

CAMPAIGN FINANCE, CONTRIBUTION LIMITS

An Act amending campaign contribution limits for state and local office; directing the Alaska Public Offices Commission to adjust campaign contribution limits for state and local office once each decade beginning in 2031; and relating to campaign contribution reporting requirements.

Elections
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
2025-05-01
Official status
(S) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide a specific effective date for when these changes begin.

Alaska Campaign Contribution Limits and Reporting Changes

This bill raises contribution limits for state and local elections in Alaska, changes how often these limits apply from yearly to per-election-cycle, removes limits on donations to groups that only make independent expenditures, and sets a schedule for future adjustments based on inflation.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the limit individuals can give to candidates or nongroup entities to $2,000 each election cycle instead of $500 per year.
  • Allows groups that are not political parties to contribute up to $4,000 each election cycle to a candidate or write-in campaign.
  • Permits nongroup entities to give up to $4,000 each election cycle to candidates or other nongroup entities for influencing elections.
  • Sets the limit for individuals contributing to joint governor and lieutenant governor campaigns at $4,000 per election cycle.
  • Removes contribution limits for donations made to groups that only make independent expenditures.
  • Requires the Alaska Public Offices Commission to adjust these limits every ten years starting in 2031 based on inflation data from the Consumer Price Index.
  • Defines 'election cycle' as the time a candidate can receive contributions until their final report is due.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Individuals who donate money to political campaigns or groups
  • Groups and nongroup entities that contribute to candidates, other groups, or parties
  • Candidates running for state or local office, including write-in candidates
  • The Alaska Public Offices Commission

Terms To Know

Election cycle
The period starting when a candidate can legally receive contributions and ending when they must file their final campaign report.
Independent expenditures
Spending money to support or oppose a candidate without coordinating with that candidate's campaign committee, which is not subject to the new contribution limits in this bill.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
A measure of inflation for urban Alaska used by the government to calculate adjustments to contribution limits every ten years starting in 2031.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify an exact effective date.
  • Future dollar amounts after 2031 depend on inflation data that has not yet been calculated.
  • This change only applies to elections occurring after the law becomes effective, not past ones.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-01 Min

    (S) Minutes (SFIN)

  2. 2025-05-01 Text

    (S) <Bill Hearing Canceled>

  3. 2025-05-01 Text

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

  4. 2025-04-23 933

    (S) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  5. 2025-04-23 933

    (S) FN1: ZERO(ADM)

  6. 2025-04-23 933

    (S) NR: BJORKMAN

  7. 2025-04-23 933

    (S) DNP: YUNDT

  8. 2025-04-23 933

    (S) DP: KAWASAKI, WIELECHOWSKI, GRAY-JACKSON

  9. 2025-04-23 933

    (S) STA RPT 3DP 1DNP 1NR

  10. 2025-04-22 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  11. 2025-04-22 Text

    (S) Moved SB 116 Out of Committee

  12. 2025-04-22 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  13. 2025-04-15 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  14. 2025-04-15 Text

    (S) Scheduled but Not Heard

  15. 2025-04-15 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  16. 2025-03-27 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  17. 2025-03-27 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  18. 2025-03-27 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  19. 2025-03-05 422

    (S) STA, FIN

  20. 2025-03-05 422

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

CAMPAIGN FINANCE, CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
An Act amending campaign contribution limits for state and local office; directing the Alaska Public Offices Commission to adjust campaign contribution limits for state and local office once each decade beginning in 2031; and relating to campaign contribution reporting requirements.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB0116A -1- SB 116
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0699\A

SENATE BILL NO. 116

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY THE SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Introduced: 3/5/25
Referred: State Affairs, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act amending campaign contribution limits for state and loc al office; directing the 1
Alaska Public Offices Commission t o adjust campaign contributio n limits for state and 2
local office once each decade beginning in 2031; and relating t o campaign contribution 3
reporting requirements." 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 5
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State o f Alaska is amended by adding a new section 6
to read: 7
LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The legislature finds that the people of the state believe 8
that political power and influence with public officials should not be allocated solely based on 9
wealth. Instead, reasonable limits on the amount of campaign co ntributions are necessary to 10
secure equal rights for Alaskans and to preserve the integrity of our elections. 11
* Sec. 2. AS 15.13.070(b) is amended to read: 12
(b) E x c e p t a s p r o v i d e d i n ( h ) o f t h i s s e c t i o n , a n [AN] individual may 13
contribute not more than 14
34-LS0699\A
SB 116 -2- SB0116A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(1) $2,000 each election cycle [$500 PER YEAR] to a nongroup entity 1
for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of a candidate, to a 2
candidate, or to an individual who conducts a w rite-in campaign as a candida te [, OR 3
TO A GROUP THAT IS NOT A POLITICAL PARTY]; 4
(2) $5,000 each [PER] year to a political party or other group. 5
* Sec. 3. AS 15.13.070(c) is amended to read: 6
(c) Except as provided in (h) of this section, a [A] group that is not a 7
political party may contribute not more than [$1,000 PER YEAR] 8
(1) $4,000 each election cycle to a candidate [,] or to an individual 9
who conducts a write-in campaign as a candidate; 10
(2) $5,000 each year to another group, to a nongroup entity, or to a 11
political party. 12
* Sec. 4. AS 15.13.070(f) is amended to read: 13
(f) E x c e p t a s p r o v i d e d i n ( h ) o f t h i s s e c t i o n , a [A] nongroup entity may 14
contribute not more than 15
(1) $4,000 each election cycle [$1,000 A YEAR] to another nongroup 16
entity for the purpose of influencing the nomination or electio n of a candidate, to a 17
candidate, or to an individual who conducts a write-in campaign as a candidate; 18
(2) $5,000 each year [, TO A GROUP, OR] to a political party or 19
other group. 20
* Sec. 5. AS 15.13.070(g) is amended to read: 21
(g) Where contributions are made to a joint campaign for gover nor and 22
lieutenant governor, 23
(1) an individual may contribute not more than $4,000 each election 24
cycle [$1,000 PER YEAR]; and 25
(2) a group may contribute not more than $8,000 each election cycle 26
[$2,000 PER YEAR]. 27
* Sec. 6. AS 15.13.070 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 28
(h) The contribution limits set out in (b)(1), (c)(2), and (f) of this section do 29
not apply to an individual, group, or nongroup entity contribut ing to a group or 30
nongroup entity that makes only independent expenditures. 31
34-LS0699\A
SB0116A -3- SB 116
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(i) Beginning in the first quarter of calendar year 2031 and o nce every 10 1
years thereafter, the commission shall by regulation adjust the contribution limits set 2
out in this section by a percentage equal to the percentage of increase over the 3
preceding 10-year period in the Consumer Price Index for all ur ban consumers for 4
urban Alaska prepared by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor 5
Statistics, rounded to the nearest $50 increment. 6
* Sec. 7. AS 15.13.110(i) is amended to read: 7
(i) During an election cycle [A CAMPAIGN PERIOD], the commission may 8
not change the manner or format in which reports required of a candidate under this 9
chapter must be filed. [IN THIS SUBSECTION, "CAMPAIGN PERIOD" M EANS 10
THE PERIOD BEGINNING ON THE DATE THAT A CANDIDATE BECOMES 11
ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER THIS 12
CHAPTER AND ENDING ON THE DATE THAT A FINAL REPORT FOR THAT 13
SAME CAMPAIGN MUST BE FILED.] 14
* Sec. 8. AS 15.13.400 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 15
(20) "election cycle" means the period beginning on the date t hat a 16
candidate becomes eligible to re ceive campaign contributions un der this chapter and 17
ending on the date that a final report for that same campaign must be filed. 18
* Sec. 9. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 19
read: 20
APPLICABILITY. This Act does not apply to contributions made to influence the 21
outcome of an election that occurred before the effective date of this Act. 22