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SB140 • 2026

FIRE STATION GRANT PROGRAM

An Act relating to a matching grant program for fire station construction and renovation; and providing for an effective date.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
SENATOR STEDMAN REPRESENTATIVES Tomaszewski, Bynum, Allard
Last action
2026-05-16
Official status
(H) RLS
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not specify exact amounts of money available in the grant fund beyond the requirement to use at least half of the balance from the previous fiscal year.

Fire Station Grant Program

This act establishes a matching grant program for the construction and renovation of fire stations in Alaska.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes a Fire Station Grant Program within the state department to fund fire station construction and renovation.
  • Requires applicants to provide at least half of the project cost as matching funds.
  • Sets up a panel to evaluate and prioritize grant applications based on public safety factors and financial stability of the applicant.
  • Limits total awards to eligible applicants to $10 million per fiscal year.
  • Allows the department to suggest modifications to projects for better results or cost savings.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Communities that want to build or renovate fire stations
  • The state department responsible for community and regional affairs

Terms To Know

Matching Grant Program
A program where the government provides funding, but requires recipients to contribute a portion of the project cost.
Eligible Fire Station
A fire station that meets specific criteria set by the state for receiving grants.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money will be available in the grant fund beyond the requirement to use at least half of the balance from the previous fiscal year.
  • It is unclear which communities or fire stations will qualify as 'eligible'.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-16 2640

    (H) REFERRED TO RULES

  2. 2026-05-16 2640

    (H) FN3: ZERO(CED)

  3. 2026-05-16 2640

    (H) NR: STAPP, GALVIN, JOSEPHSON

  4. 2026-05-16 2640

    (H) DNP: JIMMIE

  5. 2026-05-16 2640

    (H) DP: MOORE, ALLARD, HANNAN, TOMASZEWSKI, BYNUM, FOSTER, SCHRAGE

  6. 2026-05-16 2640

    (H) FIN RPT HCS(FIN) 7DP 1DNP 3NR

  7. 2026-05-15 Text

    (H) Moved HCS CSSB 140(FIN) Out of Committee -- Delayed to 2:15 pm --

  8. 2026-05-15 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  9. 2026-05-15 Text

    (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to a 9:00 A.M. --

  10. 2026-05-15 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 08:00 AM ADAMS 519

  11. 2026-05-12 Text

    (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --

  12. 2026-05-12 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519

  13. 2026-05-06 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  14. 2026-05-06 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  15. 2026-05-06 Text

    (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --

  16. 2026-05-06 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519

  17. 2026-05-06 2428

    (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): ALLARD

  18. 2026-03-20 1898

    (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): BYNUM

  19. 2026-03-05 1790

    (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): TOMASZEWSKI

  20. 2026-03-05 1785

    (H) FIN

  21. 2026-03-05 1785

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  22. 2026-03-04 1835

    (S) VERSION: CSSB 140(FIN)

  23. 2026-03-04 1835

    (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)

  24. 2026-03-04 1833

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  25. 2026-03-04 1832

    (S) PASSED Y18 N- E1 A1

  26. 2026-03-04 1832

    (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 140(FIN)

  27. 2026-03-02 1808

    (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 3/4 CAL

  28. 2026-03-02 1808

    (S) FIN CS ADOPTED UC

  29. 2026-03-02 1808

    (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  30. 2026-03-02 1808

    (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 3/2/2026

  31. 2026-02-18 1712

    (S) FN2: ZERO(CED)

  32. 2026-02-18 1712

    (S) NR: KAUFMAN, KIEHL

  33. 2026-02-18 1712

    (S) DP: OLSON, STEDMAN, HOFFMAN, CRONK, MERRICK

  34. 2026-02-18 1712

    (S) FIN RPT CS 5DP 2NR SAME TITLE

  35. 2026-02-17 Text

    (S) Moved CSSB 140(FIN) Out of Committee

  36. 2026-02-17 Text

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

  37. 2026-02-11 Text

    (S) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --

  38. 2026-02-11 Text

    (S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532

  39. 2025-05-14 1272

    (S) FN1: (CED)

  40. 2025-05-14 1271

    (S) NR: DUNBAR

  41. 2025-05-14 1271

    (S) DP: MERRICK, YUNDT, GRAY-JACKSON, OLSON

  42. 2025-05-14 1271

    (S) CRA RPT 4DP 1NR

  43. 2025-05-13 Min

    (S) Minutes (SCRA)

  44. 2025-05-13 Text

    (S) Moved SB 140 Out of Committee

  45. 2025-05-13 Text

    (S) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  46. 2025-05-06 Min

    (S) Minutes (SCRA)

  47. 2025-05-06 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  48. 2025-05-06 Text

    (S) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  49. 2025-04-22 Text

    (S) -- Testimony <Invitation Only> -- -- MEETING CANCELED --

  50. 2025-04-22 Text

    (S) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  51. 2025-03-24 599

    (S) CRA, FIN

  52. 2025-03-24 599

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

FIRE STATION GRANT PROGRAM
An Act relating to a matching grant program for fire station construction and renovation; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB0140c -1- HCS CSSB 140(FIN)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0489\G

HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 140(FIN)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE

Offered: 5/16/26
Referred: Rules

Sponsor(s): SENATOR STEDMAN

REPRESENTATIVES Tomaszewski, Bynum, Allard
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to a matching grant program for fire station construction and 1
renovation; and providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 29.60 is amended by adding new sections to read: 4
Article 6A. Fire Station Grant Program. 5
Sec. 29.60.750. Fire station grant program. (a) A matching grant program is 6
established in the department for the purpose of funding fire station construction and 7
renovation. 8
(b) A person in charge of construction or renovation of an eligible fire station 9
may apply to the department for a matching grant under regulations adopted by the 10
department. 11
(c) The grant applicant shall provide at least 50 percent of the total project cost 12
as matching funds for the grant. Money received by the grant applicant from the state 13
may not be used for the matching funds except money received under 14
34-LS0489\G
HCS CSSB 140(FIN) -2- SB0140c
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(1) AS 29.60.850 - 29.60.879 (community assistance program); 1
(2) AS 29.60.450, AS 43.75.130, and 43.75.137 (shared fisheries 2
business taxes); or 3
(3) AS 43.52.200 - 43.52.295 (excise tax on overnight 4
accommodations on commercial passenger vessels). 5
(d) The total award to an eligible applicant may not exceed $10,000,000 in a 6
fiscal year. 7
(e) The department shall convene a panel to evaluate and prioritize grant 8
applications. The panel must include 9
(1) the director of the division in the department that is responsible for 10
community and regional affairs, or the director's designee, and at least one other 11
employee of the department; 12
(2) a professional architect registered in the state or professional 13
engineer registered in the state; and 14
(3) two members of a statewide association of fire chiefs who do not 15
have a fire station project grant application under evaluation in the grant cycle. 16
(f) The department shall by regulation establish priorities for the award of 17
grants for proposed fire station projects. The department shall award grants in the 18
order of priority established. In establishing priorities, the department shall consider at 19
least the following: 20
(1) public safety and emergency factors; and 21
(2) the extent to which the grant recipient can demonstrate that the 22
recipient 23
(A) will have sufficient revenue to operate and maintain the fire 24
station in the future without state aid; 25
(B) has a preventive maintenance plan for the fire station; and 26
(C) will secure and maintain adequate property loss insurance 27
for the replacement cost of the fire station or has an adequate program of 28
insurance. 29
(g) The department may suggest modifications to a project application to 30
achieve cost savings or to better serve the public interest and, if the grant applicant 31
34-LS0489\G
SB0140c -3- HCS CSSB 140(FIN)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

agrees, award a fire station construction or renovation grant for the proposed project as 1
modified. 2
Sec. 29.60.760. Fire station grant fund. (a) The fire station grant fund is 3
established in the department and consists of appropriations to the fund. The 4
legislature may appropriate to the fund income earned on money in the fund. 5
(b) Money appropriated to the fire station grant fund may be expended by the 6
department for fire station construction and renovation matching grants without 7
further appropriation. Money in the fund does not lapse and remains available for 8
expenditure in successive fiscal years. 9
(c) Each fiscal year, the department shall use an amount equal to at least 50 10
percent of the balance of the fire station grant fund on June 30 of the preceding fiscal 11
year for fire station construction and renovation matching grants. 12
Sec. 29.60.770. Regulations. The department may adopt regulations to 13
implement AS 29.60.750 - 29.60.770. 14
* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 15