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SB265 • 2026

CRIM. NEG. HOMICIDE; FAILURE TO ASSIST

An Act relating to the duty of an operator immediately after an accident.

Children Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
SENATOR CLAMAN
Last action
2026-04-22
Official status
(S) JUD
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is not listed in the provided source material, only that it applies to offenses on or after that unknown date.

Alaska SB 265: Penalties for Failing to Assist After an Accident

This bill changes Alaska law by increasing penalties for drivers who fail to assist injured people or cause deaths after car accidents.

What This Bill Does

  • Keeps the penalty of up to one year in jail, a fine of $500, or both for failing to follow general accident rules if no injury is involved.
  • Makes it a Class B felony for drivers who fail to assist an injured person after an accident.
  • Creates a new Class A felony with a prison sentence of seven to 11 years for causing death while operating a vehicle and being convicted of criminally negligent homicide or the killing of an unborn child, if the driver also failed to render reasonable assistance.
  • Exempts drivers from these penalties if they are physically unable to act because they were injured in the crash.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Drivers operating motor vehicles involved in accidents
  • People convicted of criminally negligent homicide or killing an unborn child after a car accident

Terms To Know

Class A felony
A serious crime that carries long prison sentences, such as seven to eleven years in this bill.
Criminally negligent homicide
Causing the death of another person through careless behavior while driving.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The new penalties only apply to accidents that happen on or after the date this bill officially takes effect.
  • Drivers who are physically unable to help because they were injured in the crash are not punished under these rules.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

  2. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) FN5: ZERO(LAW)

  3. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) FN4: ZERO(DPS)

  4. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) FN3: ZERO(COR)

  5. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) FN2: ZERO(ADM)

  6. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) FN1: ZERO(ADM)

  7. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) DP: GRAY-JACKSON

  8. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) NR: DUNBAR, YUNDT

  9. 2026-04-22 2321

    (S) CRA RPT 2NR 1DP

  10. 2026-04-21 Text

    (S) Moved SB 265 Out of Committee

  11. 2026-04-21 Text

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

  12. 2026-04-07 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  13. 2026-04-07 Text

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

  14. 2026-04-07 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  15. 2026-04-07 Text

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

  16. 2026-02-23 1756

    (S) CRA, JUD

  17. 2026-02-23 1756

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

CRIM. NEG. HOMICIDE; FAILURE TO ASSIST
An Act relating to the duty of an operator immediately after an accident.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB0265A -1- SB 265
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1243\I

SENATE BILL NO. 265

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY SENATOR CLAMAN

Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: Community and Regional Affairs, Judiciary

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to the duty of an operator immediately after an accident." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 28.35.060(b) is amended to read: 3
(b) Except as provided in (c) or (d) of this section, a person who fails to 4
comply with any of the requirements of this section is, upon conviction, punishable by 5
imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than $500, or by 6
both. This provision does not apply to a person incapacitated by the accident to the 7
extent that the person is physically incapable of complying with the requirement. 8
* Sec. 2. AS 28.35.060(c) is amended to read: 9
(c) A person who fails to comply with a requirement of this section regarding 10
assisting an injured person is, upon conviction, guilty of a class B felony, punishable 11
as provided in AS 12.55 [BY IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT MORE THAN 10 12
YEARS, OR BY A FINE OF NOT MORE THAN $10,000, OR BY BOTH]. This 13
provision does not apply to a person incapacitated by the accident to the extent that the 14
person is physically incapable of complying with the requirement. 15
34-LS1243\I
SB 265 -2- SB0265A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

* Sec. 3. AS 28.35.060 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 1
(d) A person who fails to comply with a requirement of this section regarding 2
failure to render reasonable assistance is, upon conviction, guilty of a class A felony 3
punishable as provided in AS 12.55 and for a first felony conviction shall be sentenced 4
to a presumptive term of imprisonment of seven to 11 years, if the person caused the 5
death of another person while operating a motor vehicle and is convicted of criminally 6
negligent homicide under AS 11.41.130 or of criminally negligent homicide of an 7
unborn child under AS 11.41.170. 8
* Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 9
read: 10
APPLICABILITY. AS 28.35.060(b), as amended by sec. 1 of this Act, 11
AS 28.35.060(c), as amended by sec. 2 of this Act, and AS 28.35.060(d), enacted by sec. 3 of 12
this Act, apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of this Act. 13