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CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 287(STA)
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY THE SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Offered: 5/15/26
Referred: Today's Calendar
Sponsor(s): SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act establishing the Joint Legislative Alaska Native Languages Academic Task 1
Force." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 4
to read: 5
LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The legislature finds that 6
(1) the state has long recognized the cultural, historical, and linguistic 7
significance of Alaska Native languages, all of which are endangered, and most of which are 8
at risk of losing their remaining fluent speakers within the next decade; 9
(2) the Alaska Native Language Center was established by the legislature in 10
1972 to serve as the primary institution for the study, documentation, preservation, and 11
revitalization of Alaska Native languages; 12
(3) the Alaska Native Language Center is legislatively mandated to document 13
languages, develop literacy materials, assist in translation, promote Alaska Native literature, 14
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and train speakers to serve as bilingual educators; 1
(4) decades of academic research conducted through the Alaska Native 2
Language Center and affiliated scholars represents an irreplaceable body of linguistic, 3
cultural, and educational knowledge; 4
(5) recent reports indicate that the Alaska Native Language Center faces 5
significant challenges that include budget constraints, staffing shortages, lack of permanent 6
leadership, and reduced research capacity, which threaten the center's ability to fulfill its 7
mission; 8
(6) the loss of tenure-track and tenured faculty, research staff, publications 9
capacity, and institutional support jeopardizes the development of literacy materials and the 10
continued documentation and dissemination of Alaska Native languages; 11
(7) the number of qualified linguistic specialists in many Alaska Native 12
languages is extremely limited, in some cases numbering only a handful worldwide, which 13
underscores the urgency of preserving existing academic research; 14
(8) the development of teaching materials for Alaska Native languages 15
requires extensive long-term academic research, which often takes decades, particularly for 16
languages with limited written documentation; 17
(9) the absence of coordinated oversight, long-term funding strategies, and 18
statutory clarity may contribute to systemic vulnerabilities in the preservation of academic 19
research related to Alaska Native languages; 20
(10) partnerships between the University of Alaska system, Alaska Native 21
communities, tribal organizations, and external academic institutions are critical to sustaining 22
and expanding research and preservation efforts; 23
(11) the state has yet to develop a long-term vision for Alaska Native 24
languages that includes budget increases to the Alaska Native Language Center in particular; 25
and 26
(12) it is in the interest of the state to ensure that Alaska Native language 27
teacher training, academic research, documentation, and scholarly infrastructure supporting 28
Alaska Native languages are preserved, strengthened, and made accessible for future 29
generations. 30
* Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 31
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read: 1
JOINT LEGISLATIVE ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGES ACADEMIC TASK 2
FORCE. (a) The Joint Legislative Alaska Native Languages Academic Task Force is 3
established in the legislature for the purpose of furthering the instruction and preservation of 4
Alaska Native languages. The task force shall convene not later than 90 days after the 5
effective date of this Act. 6
(b) The task force membership consists of 7
(1) three members of the house of representatives, at least one of whom is a 8
member of the minority, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and 9
(2) three members of the senate, at least one of whom is a member of the 10
minority, appointed by the president of the senate. 11
(c) The task force shall 12
(1) hold public meetings and solicit input from communities and experts in the 13
field of Alaska Native languages; 14
(2) conduct a comprehensive review of the current state of academic activities 15
related to Alaska Native languages within the University of Alaska system, including 16
(A) Alaska Native language teacher training programs; 17
(B) research archives, publications, and linguistic documentation; 18
(C) staffing levels, faculty expertise, and leadership structures; 19
(D) institutional capacity for sustaining long-term research efforts; and 20
(E) opportunities for career advancement for Alaska Native language 21
teachers; 22
(3) evaluate academic and institutional approaches to impactful and relevant 23
linguistic research, including 24
(A) digital archiving and data sovereignty practices; 25
(B) methods for integrating research into curriculum and teacher 26
training; 27
(C) comparative review of models used by other states, Indigenous 28
communities, and international institutions; and 29
(D) access to physical and digital materials by language learners and 30
language schools and programs; 31
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(4) assess risks to the preservation of research regarding Alaska Native 1
languages, including 2
(A) workforce shortages and loss of expertise; 3
(B) gaps in funding and administrative support; and 4
(C) vulnerabilities in data storage, access, and ownership; 5
(5) examine partnership opportunities with Alaska Native tribes and 6
organizations, national and international universities, federal agencies, nonprofit 7
organizations, and publishing and digital archiving institutions; 8
(6) recommend statutory updates relating to 9
(A) the recruitment, retention, and training of Alaska Native language 10
teachers; 11
(B) the development of Alaska Native language schools and programs 12
across the state; 13
(C) legislative support for Alaska Native language research and stable 14
and sustained funding mechanisms for Alaska Native language research; and 15
(D) institutional responsibilities within the University of Alaska 16
system; and 17
(7) recommend strategies to ensure 18
(A) growth in the number of licensed and certified teachers of Alaska 19
Native languages in the state; 20
(B) growth in the recruitment, retention, and training of qualified 21
linguistic researchers; 22
(C) the continued documentation, description, and publication of 23
materials on Alaska Native languages; 24
(D) long-term growth and accessibility of Alaska Native language 25
academic research; 26
(E) expansion of research capacity and publication efforts; and 27
(F) alignment with community priorities and cultural protocols. 28
(d) In performing the duties of the task force under this section, the task force shall 29
prioritize 30
(1) the urgent need to strengthen and preserve endangered Alaska Native 31
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languages; 1
(2) maintaining respect for Indigenous knowledge systems and community 2
leadership; and 3
(3) continuing the legislature's original intent in establishing the Alaska Native 4
Language Center. 5
(e) The task force may 6
(1) accept appropriations from the legislature; and 7
(2) meet virtually. 8
(f) Not later than one year after the first meeting of the task force, the task force shall 9
submit a final report with findings and recommendations made under (c) of this section to the 10
senate secretary and the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature 11
that the report is available. 12
* Sec. 3. The Joint Legislative Alaska Native Languages Academic Task Force, established 13
in sec. 2 of this Act, terminates on December 31, 2027. 14