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SB6 • 2026

ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAM

An Act requiring education in the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
SENATORS GRAY-JACKSON, Dunbar, Tobin, Kawasaki, Claman, Wielechowski, Stevens, Yundt, Kaufman, Cronk REPRESENTATIVES Carrick, Story
Last action
2026-02-16
Official status
(H) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official status shows the bill passed both chambers but was referred to Finance on February 16, 2026; it has not yet been signed into law or assigned an effective date.

Alaska SB6: Asian American and Pacific Islander Education

This bill requires Alaska school districts to teach students about the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires each school district to create a program for kindergarten through grade 12 on this topic.
  • Mandates instruction on the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
  • Includes teaching about contributions made by these groups to the country.
  • Requires instructional materials that show the cultural and economic diversity of these communities.
  • Directs the state department to create free curricula and materials for schools online.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School districts in Alaska
  • Students from kindergarten through grade 12
  • The state education department

Terms To Know

Curricula
Planned courses of study or teaching materials used by schools.
School district
A local government agency that manages public schools in a specific area, as defined in state law AS 14.30.350.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill text does not specify when this program must start.
  • No penalties are listed for school districts that do not follow the new rules.
  • No specific budget amount is listed in the provided text to fund these materials.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-16 1626

    (H) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  2. 2026-02-16 1626

    (H) FN3: ZERO(EED)

  3. 2026-02-16 1626

    (H) NR: ELAM

  4. 2026-02-16 1626

    (H) DNP: SCHWANKE

  5. 2026-02-16 1626

    (H) DP: EISCHEID, DIBERT, STORY, HIMSCHOOT

  6. 2026-02-16 1626

    (H) EDC RPT HCS(EDC) 4DP 1DNP 1NR

  7. 2026-02-13 Min

    (H) Minutes (HEDC)

  8. 2026-02-13 Text

    (H) Moved HCS CSSB 6(EDC) Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change --

  9. 2026-02-13 Text

    (H) EDUCATION at 09:00 AM DAVIS 106

  10. 2026-02-06 Min

    (H) Minutes (HEDC)

  11. 2026-02-06 Text

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

  12. 2026-02-06 Text

    (H) EDUCATION at 09:00 AM DAVIS 106

  13. 2026-02-02 Min

    (H) Minutes (HEDC)

  14. 2026-02-02 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  15. 2026-02-02 Text

    (H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106

  16. 2026-01-30 1533

    (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): STORY

  17. 2026-01-26 1500

    (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): CARRICK

  18. 2025-05-16 1214

    (H) EDC, FIN

  19. 2025-05-16 1214

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  20. 2025-05-14 1281

    (S) VERSION: CSSB 6(EDC)

  21. 2025-05-14 1281

    (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)

  22. 2025-05-14 1277

    (S) PASSED Y20 N-

  23. 2025-05-14 1277

    (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 6(EDC)

  24. 2025-05-13 1256

    (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/14 CAL

  25. 2025-05-13 1256

    (S) EDC CS ADOPTED UC

  26. 2025-05-13 1256

    (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  27. 2025-05-13 1256

    (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/13/2025

  28. 2025-05-12 Min

    (S) Minutes (SFIN)

  29. 2025-05-12 Text

    (S) Moved CSSB 6(EDC) Out of Committee

  30. 2025-05-12 Text

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

  31. 2025-05-12 1220

    (S) FN2: ZERO(EED)

  32. 2025-05-12 1220

    (S) NR: STEDMAN, KAUFMAN, CRONK, KIEHL

  33. 2025-05-12 1220

    (S) DP: OLSON, HOFFMAN

  34. 2025-05-12 1220

    (S) FIN RPT CS(EDC) 2DP 4NR

  35. 2025-04-04 Min

    (S) Minutes (SFIN)

  36. 2025-04-04 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  37. 2025-04-04 Text

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

  38. 2025-03-14 508

    (S) FN1: (EED)

  39. 2025-03-14 508

    (S) NR: BJORKMAN, KIEHL

  40. 2025-03-14 508

    (S) DP: TOBIN, CRONK, STEVENS

  41. 2025-03-14 508

    (S) EDC RPT CS 3DP 2NR SAME TITLE

  42. 2025-03-12 Min

    (S) Minutes (SEDC)

  43. 2025-03-12 Text

    (S) Moved CSSB 6(EDC) Out of Committee

  44. 2025-03-12 Text

    (S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  45. 2025-03-03 405

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): YUNDT, KAUFMAN, CRONK

  46. 2025-02-19 305

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): CLAMAN, WIELECHOWSKI, STEVENS

  47. 2025-02-17 Min

    (S) Minutes (SEDC)

  48. 2025-02-17 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  49. 2025-02-17 Text

    (S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  50. 2025-01-22 40

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): DUNBAR, TOBIN, KAWASAKI

  51. 2025-01-22 27

    (S) EDC, FIN

  52. 2025-01-22 27

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  53. 2025-01-22 27

    (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/10/25

Official Summary Text

ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAM
An Act requiring education in the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB0006c -1- HCS CSSB 6(EDC)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0071\I

HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 6(EDC)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Offered: 2/16/26
Referred: Finance

Sponsor(s): SENATORS GRAY-JACKSON, Dunbar, Tobin, Kawasaki, Claman, Wielechowski, Stevens,
Yundt, Kaufman, Cronk

REPRESENTATIVES Carrick, Story
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act requiring education in the history and contributions of Asian Americans and 1
Pacific Islanders." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to article 10 to read: 4
Sec. 14.30.430. Education in history and contributions of Asian Americans 5
and Pacific Islanders. (a) Each school district shall establish and provide to students 6
in kindergarten through grade 12 a program that includes 7
(1) instruction on the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 8
and contributions made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States; 9
and 10
(2) instructional materials that portray the cultural and economic 11
diversity of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 12
(b) The department shall curate and make available free of charge to the 13
public on the department's Internet website curricula and materials addressing the 14
34-LS0071\I
HCS CSSB 6(EDC) -2- SB0006c
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

topics a school district must include in a program established as required under (a) of 1
this section. 2
(c) In this section, "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350. 3