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SB200 • 2026

MUNI: SVC AREAS; FARM & AGRICULTURAL LAND

An Act relating to service areas; relating to municipal assessments of farm or agricultural land; and providing for an effective date.

Agriculture Elections Taxes
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
SENATORS BJORKMAN, Myers, Rauscher
Last action
2026-07-01
Official status
CHAPTER 33 SLA 26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective dates differ: service area rules take effect July 1, 2026, while farm land tax rules take effect February 1, 2027.

Changes to Service Area Voting and Farm Land Tax Rules

This law changes how voters must approve certain changes to local service areas for roads, fire protection, or parks, and updates the rules for getting special tax assessments on farm land.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires a majority vote from residents in affected areas before abolishing, replacing with a larger area, altering, or combining service areas that provide road, fire, or park services.
  • Allows small changes to fire protection service areas without voter approval if the change adds no more than six percent of land parcels and 1,000 people.
  • Removes the need for voter approval in specific cases where a second-class borough abolishes inactive road service areas with no funds or fails to meet legal standards.
  • Updates application rules so farm land owners must submit information required on IRS Schedule F (Form 1040) by May 15 each year.
  • Allows new farmers with no past income history to file a declaration of intent and then provide proof of filing taxes the following April.
  • Defines 'farm use' as producing crops or livestock worth at least $2,500 in sales during the tax year.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Residents living inside service areas that offer road maintenance, fire protection, or parks and recreation services.
  • Owners of land who want to receive a special property tax assessment for using their land for farming.
  • Local assessors in Alaska boroughs who review applications for farm use classification.

Terms To Know

Service Area
A specific geographic zone where residents pay taxes or fees to get services like road repair, fire protection, or park maintenance.
Farm Use Assessment
A special property tax classification for land used for growing crops or raising livestock based on its farming use rather than market price.
Schedule F (Form 1040)
An Internal Revenue Service form used to report profit or loss from a farm business, which is now required proof for tax assessments in Alaska.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The rules about voter approval do not apply if the change involves land that does not rely on service area roads as its only access.
  • Farmers who fail to file their IRS Schedule F form by April 15 of the following year will lose their tax exemption for that period.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

AM 1

2667

AM NO 1 FAILED Y16 N24

Plain English: AM NO 1 FAILED Y16 N24 2667

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
AM 2

2672

AM NO 2 ADOPTED UC

Plain English: AM NO 2 ADOPTED UC 2672

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
AM 3

2675

AM NOS 3 AND 4 NOT OFFERED

Plain English: AM NOS 3 AND 4 NOT OFFERED 2675

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
AM 5

2675

AM NO 5 OFFERED AND PENDING

Plain English: AM NO 5 OFFERED AND PENDING 2675

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
AM 6

2709

AM NOS 6 AND 7 NOT OFFERED

Plain English: AM NOS 6 AND 7 NOT OFFERED 2709

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
AM 8

2709

AM NO 8 ADOPTED UC

Plain English: AM NO 8 ADOPTED UC 2709

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2026-07-01 3129

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW SEE CHAPTER

  2. 2026-07-01 3129

    (S) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 6/25 CH 33 SLA 26

  3. 2026-06-15 2991

    (S) 10:45 A.M. 6/8/26 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR

  4. 2026-05-20 2822

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  5. 2026-05-20 2821

    (S) CONCUR AM OF (H) Y15 N5

  6. 2026-05-20 2821

    (S) CONCUR MESSAGE READ AND TAKE UP

  7. 2026-05-19 2957

    (H) VERSION: HCS CSSB 200(CRA) AM H

  8. 2026-05-19 2957

    (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) AS AMENDED

  9. 2026-05-19 2923

    (H) TITLE CHANGE: HCR 24

  10. 2026-05-19 2923

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  11. 2026-05-19 2922

    (H) PASSED Y39 N1

  12. 2026-05-19 2922

    (H) READ THE THIRD TIME HCS CSSB 200(CRA) AM H

  13. 2026-05-18 2884

    (H) NOT TAKEN UP 5/18 - ON 5/19 CALENDAR

  14. 2026-05-17 2709

    (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/18 CALENDAR

  15. 2026-05-17 2709

    (H) AM NO 8 ADOPTED UC

  16. 2026-05-17 2709

    (H) AM NOS 6 AND 7 NOT OFFERED

  17. 2026-05-17 2708

    (H) AM NO 5 FAILED Y20 N20

  18. 2026-05-17 2708

    (H) BEFORE HOUSE IN SECOND READING

  19. 2026-05-16 2676

    (H) HELD IN SECOND READING TO 5/17 CALENDAR

  20. 2026-05-16 2675

    (H) AM NO 5 OFFERED AND PENDING

  21. 2026-05-16 2675

    (H) AM NOS 3 AND 4 NOT OFFERED

  22. 2026-05-16 2675

    (H) ...CHANGES TITLE OF LEGISLATION

  23. 2026-05-16 2672

    (H) AM NO 2 ADOPTED UC

  24. 2026-05-16 2667

    (H) AM NO 1 FAILED Y16 N24

  25. 2026-05-16 2667

    (H) CRA HCS ADOPTED UC

  26. 2026-05-16 2667

    (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  27. 2026-05-16 2667

    (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/16/2026

  28. 2026-05-14 Text

    (H) Moved HCS CSSB 200(CRA) Out of Committee

  29. 2026-05-14 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  30. 2026-05-14 2571

    (H) FN2: ZERO(CED)

  31. 2026-05-14 2571

    (H) AM: ST. CLAIR

  32. 2026-05-14 2571

    (H) NR: PRAX

  33. 2026-05-14 2571

    (H) DP: HALL, HOLLAND, G.NELSON, HIMSCHOOT, MEARS

  34. 2026-05-14 2571

    (H) CRA RPT HCS(CRA) 5DP 1NR 1AM

  35. 2026-05-12 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  36. 2026-05-12 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  37. 2026-05-07 Text

    (H) Scheduled but Not Heard

  38. 2026-05-07 Text

    (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  39. 2026-05-07 2432

    (H) CRA

  40. 2026-05-07 2432

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  41. 2026-05-06 2494

    (S) VERSION: CSSB 200(RES) AM

  42. 2026-05-06 2494

    (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)

  43. 2026-05-06 2491

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  44. 2026-05-06 2491

    (S) PASSED Y18 N2

  45. 2026-05-06 2491

    (S) AUTOMATICALLY IN THIRD READING

  46. 2026-05-06 2491

    (S) AM NO 1 ADOPTED Y15 N5

  47. 2026-05-06 2489

    (S) RETURN TO SECOND FOR AM 1 UC

  48. 2026-05-06 2489

    (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 200(RES)

  49. 2026-05-04 2466

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): MYERS, RAUSCHER

  50. 2026-05-04 2466

    (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/6 CAL

  51. 2026-05-04 2466

    (S) RES CS ADOPTED UC

  52. 2026-05-04 2466

    (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  53. 2026-05-04 2466

    (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/4/2026

  54. 2026-03-27 2072

    (S) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  55. 2026-03-27 2072

    (S) AM: KAWASAKI

  56. 2026-03-27 2072

    (S) NR: CLAMAN, RAUSCHER, MYERS, WIELECHOWSKI

  57. 2026-03-27 2072

    (S) DP: GIESSEL, DUNBAR

  58. 2026-03-27 2072

    (S) RES RPT CS 2DP 4NR 1AM SAME TITLE

  59. 2026-03-25 Text

    (S) Moved CSSB 200(RES) Out of Committee

  60. 2026-03-25 Text

    (S) RESOURCES at 03:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  61. 2026-03-16 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  62. 2026-03-16 Text

    (S) RESOURCES at 03:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  63. 2026-02-18 1712

    (S) FN1: ZERO(CED)

  64. 2026-02-18 1712

    (S) DP: OLSON

  65. 2026-02-18 1712

    (S) NR: MERRICK, DUNBAR, GRAY-JACKSON, YUNDT

  66. 2026-02-18 1712

    (S) CRA RPT CS 4NR 1DP SAME TITLE

  67. 2026-02-17 Text

    (S) Moved CSSB 200(CRA) Out of Committee

  68. 2026-02-17 Text

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

  69. 2026-02-10 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  70. 2026-02-10 Text

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

  71. 2026-01-21 1478

    (S) CRA, RES

  72. 2026-01-21 1478

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  73. 2026-01-21 1478

    (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/26

Official Summary Text

MUNI: SVC AREAS; FARM & AGRICULTURAL LAND
An Act relating to service areas; relating to municipal assessments of farm or agricultural land; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Enrolled SB 200
LAWS OF ALASKA

2026

Source Chapter No.
HCS CSSB 200(CRA) am H _______

AN ACT

Relating to service areas; relating to municipal assessments of farm or agricultural land; and
providing for an effective date.

_______________

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1

-1- Enrolled SB 200

AN ACT

Relating to service areas; relating to municipal assessments of farm or agricultural land; and 1
providing for an effective date. 2
_______________ 3
* Section 1. AS 29.35.450(c) is amended to read: 4
(c) If voters reside within a service area that provides road, fire protection, or 5
parks and recreation services, abolishment of the service area is subject to approval by 6
the majority of the voters residing in the service area who vote on the question. A 7
service area that provides road, fire protection, or parks and recreation services in 8
which voters reside may not be abolished and replaced by a larger service area unless 9
that proposal is approved, separately, by a majority of the voters who vote on the 10
question residing in the existing service area and by a majority of the voters who vote 11
on the question residing in the area proposed to be included within the new service 12
area but outside of the existing service area. A service area that provides road, fire 13
protection, or parks and recreation services in which voters reside may not be altered 14

Enrolled SB 200 -2-
or combined with another service area unless that proposal is approved, separately, by 1
a majority of the voters who vote on the question and who reside in each of the service 2
areas or in the area outside of service areas that is affected by the proposal. This 3
subsection does not apply 4
(1) to a proposed change to a service area that provides fire protection 5
services 6
(A) that would result in increasing the number of parcels of 7
land in the service area or successor service area if the increase is not more 8
than six percent and would add not more than 1,000 residents; 9
(B) in a second class borough that would result in 10
(i) decreasing the number of parcels of land in the 11
service area or successor service area if the owner of the property to be 12
removed from the area requests removal and the removal meets criteria 13
adopted by ordinance; or 14
(ii) increasing or decreasing the number of parcels of 15
land in the service area or successor service area if the parcel is 16
transferred to a service area that provides more accessible fire 17
protection services to the transferred parcel; 18
(2) in a second class borough to abolishment of a road service area or 19
consolidation of two or more road service areas if 20
(A) taxes have not been levied in the service area for road 21
maintenance or construction during the last 12 months and there is no balance 22
in any account available to pay for these road services for the service area; 23
(B) during the last 12 months, the service area board has not 24
met with a quorum present and in accordance with law; or 25
(C) there are no road maintenance contracts in effect for the 26
service area or the existing road maintenance contracts fail to provide for 27
minimum road standards required by law that are necessary to protect the 28
borough from civil liability; 29
(3) to require approval by the voters residing in a subdivision or parcel 30
proposed to be added to a road service area if roads maintained by the service area 31

-3- Enrolled SB 200
provide the only access to the subdivision or parcel or provide access to the 1
subdivision or parcel that is required by the subdivision plat or by other regulation or 2
ordinance; 3
(4) to a change in the boundaries of a road service area to exclude a 4
subdivision or parcel that does not rely on the use of roads maintained by the service 5
area for the subdivision's or parcel's only access or for access that is required by the 6
subdivision plat or by other regulation or ordinance; 7
(5) to a change in the boundaries of a road service area to include or 8
exclude a parcel that is located in more than one service area so that the parcel is only 9
located in one road service area; 10
(6) to a change in the boundaries of a road service area to include a 11
parcel that is partially located in the road service area if roads maintained by the 12
service area provide the only access to the parcel; 13
(7) in a second class borough to abolishment, replacement, or 14
alteration of a service area created on or after July 1, 2026, or combination of two 15
or more service areas created on or after July 1, 2026. 16
* Sec. 2. AS 29.45.060(b) is amended to read: 17
(b) An owner of farm use land shall, to secure the assessment under this 18
section, apply to the assessor on or before May 15 of each year in which the 19
assessment is desired. The application shall be made on forms prescribed by the state 20
assessor for the use of the local assessor, and must include information required on a 21
Schedule F (Form 1040) and other information that may reasonably be required to 22
determine the entitlement of the applicant. If the applicant is required by the 23
Internal Revenue Service to file an Internal Revenue Service Schedule F (Form 24
1040), the applicant shall provide the local assessor with a copy of the applicant's 25
Schedule F (Form 1040). If the applicant is an S corporation, the applicant shall 26
provide the local assessor with the same information required on a Schedule F 27
(Form 1040). If the land is leased for farm use purposes, the applicant shall furnish to 28
the assessor a copy of the lease bearing the signatures of both lessee and lessor along 29
with the completed application. The applicant shall furnish the assessor a copy of the 30
lease covering the period for which the exemption is requested. This subsection does 31

Enrolled SB 200 -4-
not apply to a person with an interest in land that is classified by the state for 1
agricultural use or that is restricted by the state for agricultural purposes. 2
* Sec. 3. AS 29.45.060(f) is amended to read: 3
(f) This section does not apply to land for which the owner has granted, and 4
has outstanding, a lease or option to buy the surface rights. A property owner wishing 5
to file for farm use classification having no history of farm-related income may submit 6
a declaration of intent at the time of filing the application with the assessor setting out 7
the intended use of the land and certifying that the property owner intends to file an 8
Internal Revenue Service Schedule F (Form 1040) with the United States Internal 9
Revenue Service for the current tax year. An applicant using this procedure shall file 10
with the assessor on or before April 15 of the following year a copy of the Schedule F 11
(Form 1040) the applicant files with the Internal Revenue Service. If the applicant is 12
an S corporation, the applicant does not need to certify that it intends to file a 13
Schedule F (Form 1040) with the United States Internal Revenue Service for the 14
current tax year, but the applicant shall file with the assessor on or before 15
April 15 of the following year the same information required on a Schedule F 16
(Form 1040). Failure to make a filing required in this subsection forfeits the 17
exemption. 18
* Sec. 4. AS 29.45.060(g) is amended to read: 19
(g) In this section, 20
(1) "farm use" means 21
(A) the use of land for the production of crops, fruits, flowers, 22
livestock, or other agricultural products [FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL 23
CONSUMPTION OR FOR THE SUSTENANCE OR GRAZING OF 24
LIVESTOCK] if the owner or lessee sells at least $2,500 of agricultural 25
products produced from the land during the tax year; 26
(B) the use of land adjoining land described in (A) of this 27
paragraph as part of an approved soil conservation plan to support 28
agricultural production on the land described in (A) of this paragraph; 29
(C) does not include the use of land for the production of 30
marijuana [AND FILES AN INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE 31

-5- Enrolled SB 200
SCHEDULE F (FORM 1040) WITH THE UNITED STATES INTERNAL 1
REVENUE SERVICE]; 2
(2) "livestock" includes but is not limited to cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, 3
chickens, turkeys, pigeons, and other poultry; 4
(3) " S corporation" means a sole proprietorship, partnership, or 5
entity that has elected to file federal returns under 26 U.S.C. 1361 - 1379 6
(Internal Revenue Code) [RAISED TO PROVIDE MEAT OR OTHER PRODUCTS 7
FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION]. 8
* Sec. 5. Section 1 of this Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 9
* Sec. 6. Sections 2 - 4 of this Act take effect February 1, 2027. 10