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SB79 • 2026

PAYMENT OF WAGES; PAYROLL CARD ACCOUNT

An Act relating to wage payments; and providing for an effective date.

Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
SENATE LABOR & COMMERCE
Last action
2026-05-20
Official status
(S) CONCURRED(H) AM
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Wage Payment Rules; Payroll Card Accounts

This act updates wage payment rules to allow employers to pay wages through payroll card accounts if employees agree and sets conditions for these accounts.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law to say that employers can give workers their money by putting it into a special bank account called a 'payroll card account' if the worker agrees.
  • Requires employers who use payroll cards to tell workers about their options, fees, and how they can check their balance for free.
  • Makes sure that payroll card accounts offer at least one free withdrawal each week or pay period and unlimited ways to check balances without paying extra fees.
  • Prohibits employers from charging employees certain fees when using payroll cards, such as application fees, replacement card fees, transfer fees, and purchase transaction fees.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Employers who want to use payroll cards to pay their workers' wages.
  • Employees who receive wages through payroll card accounts.

Terms To Know

payroll card
A card or device that lets employees access the money from their work in a special bank account.
payroll card account
An account set up by an employer where workers' wages are put so they can be accessed using a payroll card.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify what happens if employers do not follow the new rules.
  • It is unclear how this will affect collective bargaining agreements between employees and their representatives.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-20 2871

    (S) AWAITING TRANSMITTAL TO GOV

  2. 2026-05-20 2871

    (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  3. 2026-05-20 2870

    (S) CONCUR AM OF (H) Y20 N-

  4. 2026-05-20 2870

    (S) CONCUR MESSAGE READ AND TAKEN UP

  5. 2026-05-20 3012

    (H) VERSION: HCS SB 79(FIN)

  6. 2026-05-20 3012

    (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) AS AMENDED

  7. 2026-05-20 2978

    (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  8. 2026-05-20 2978

    (H) PASSED Y38 N2

  9. 2026-05-20 2978

    (H) READ THE THIRD TIME HCS SB 79(FIN)

  10. 2026-05-20 2977

    (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UC

  11. 2026-05-20 2977

    (H) TECHNICAL TITLE CHANGE

  12. 2026-05-20 2977

    (H) FIN HCS ADOPTED Y30 N10

  13. 2026-05-20 2976

    (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  14. 2026-05-20 2976

    (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/20/2026

  15. 2026-05-18 2761

    (H) FN3: ZERO(LWF)

  16. 2026-05-18 2761

    (H) NR: TOMASZEWSKI, STAPP, ALLARD, MOORE, SCHRAGE, JOSEPHSON

  17. 2026-05-18 2761

    (H) DP: JIMMIE, GALVIN, HANNAN, BYNUM, FOSTER

  18. 2026-05-18 2761

    (H) TECHNICAL TITLE CHANGE

  19. 2026-05-18 2761

    (H) FIN RPT HCS(FIN) NEW TITLE 5DP 6NR

  20. 2026-05-17 Text

    (H) Moved HCS SB 79(FIN) Out of Committee -- Recessed to a Call of the Chair --

  21. 2026-05-17 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519

  22. 2026-05-16 Text

    (H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Delayed to 15 min Following Session --

  23. 2026-05-16 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 06:00 PM ADAMS 519

  24. 2026-05-16 Text

    (H) -- Public Testimony -- -- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --

  25. 2026-05-16 Text

    (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  26. 2025-05-18 1306

    (H) FIN REFERRAL ADDED AFTER L&C

  27. 2025-05-18 1281

    (H) FN2: (CED)

  28. 2025-05-18 1281

    (H) AM: COULOMBE, CARRICK, SADDLER, NELSON

  29. 2025-05-18 1281

    (H) DP: BURKE, FIELDS, HALL

  30. 2025-05-18 1281

    (H) PENDING TITLE CHANGE HCR

  31. 2025-05-18 1281

    (H) L&C RPT HCS(L&C) NEW TITLE 3DP 4AM

  32. 2025-05-16 Text

    (H) Moved HCS SB 79(L&C) Out of Committee -- Delayed to 4:30 pm --

  33. 2025-05-16 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  34. 2025-05-14 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  35. 2025-05-14 Text

    (H) Moved HCS SB 79(L&C) Out of Committee -- Delayed to 15 min Following Session --

  36. 2025-05-14 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  37. 2025-05-12 Text

    (H) -- Public Testimony -- -- MEETING CANCELED --

  38. 2025-05-12 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  39. 2025-05-09 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  40. 2025-05-09 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  41. 2025-05-09 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  42. 2025-03-24 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  43. 2025-03-24 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  44. 2025-03-24 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  45. 2025-03-19 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  46. 2025-03-19 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  47. 2025-03-19 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  48. 2025-02-26 247

    (H) L&C

  49. 2025-02-26 247

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  50. 2025-02-24 346

    (S) VERSION: SB 79

  51. 2025-02-24 346

    (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)

  52. 2025-02-24 344

    (S) PASSED Y19 N- E1

  53. 2025-02-24 344

    (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SB 79

  54. 2025-02-20 318

    (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 2/24 CAL

  55. 2025-02-20 318

    (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  56. 2025-02-20 318

    (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 2/20/2025

  57. 2025-02-14 259

    (S) FN1: ZERO(LWF)

  58. 2025-02-14 259

    (S) NR: MERRICK, YUNDT

  59. 2025-02-14 259

    (S) DP: BJORKMAN, GRAY-JACKSON

  60. 2025-02-14 259

    (S) L&C RPT 2DP 2NR

  61. 2025-02-12 Min

    (S) Minutes (SL&C)

  62. 2025-02-12 Text

    (S) Moved SB 79 Out of Committee

  63. 2025-02-12 Text

    (S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  64. 2025-02-07 Min

    (S) Minutes (SL&C)

  65. 2025-02-07 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  66. 2025-02-07 Text

    (S) LABOR & COMMERCE at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  67. 2025-01-31 142

    (S) L&C

  68. 2025-01-31 142

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

PAYMENT OF WAGES; PAYROLL CARD ACCOUNT
An Act relating to wage payments; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Enrolled SB 79
LAWS OF ALASKA

2026

Source Chapter No.
HCS SB 79(FIN) _______

AN ACT

Relating to wage payments; 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 79

AN ACT

Relating to wage payments; and providing for an effective date. 1
_______________ 2
* Section 1. AS 23.10.040(a) is amended to read: 3
(a) Except as otherwise provided by AS 23.10.044 and AS 37.25.050, an 4
employer of labor performing services in this state shall pay the wages or other 5
compensation for the services with lawful money of the United States or with 6
negotiable checks, drafts, or orders payable upon presentation without discount by a 7
bank or depository inside the state. 8
* Sec. 2. AS 23.10 is amended by adding a new section to read: 9
Sec. 23.10.044. Wage payment by credit to a payroll card account. (a) An 10
employer may credit employee wages to a payroll card account if an employee has 11
voluntarily authorized the credit or an employee has not authorized deposit of the 12
employee's wages under AS 23.10.043. 13
(b) An employer paying an employee's wages by credit to a payroll card 14
account shall notify the employee 15

Enrolled SB 79 -2-
(1) of the employee's wage payment options; 1
(2) of the payroll card terms and conditions, including a list of fees 2
assessed by the payroll card issuer; 3
(3) of a cost-free method for the employee to access wages credited to 4
the payroll card account; 5
(4) of a cost-free method for the employee to check the payroll card 6
account balance; and 7
(5) that, in addition to fees assessed by the card issuer, the card may be 8
subject to additional fees. 9
(c) A payroll card account must provide an employee 10
(1) at least one cost-free withdrawal each week or pay period, 11
whichever is longer, in an amount up to the amount of the employee's net wages; 12
(2) an unlimited cost-free mechanism to check the payroll card account 13
balance through an automated telephone system and an additional unlimited cost-free 14
electronic mechanism to check payroll card account balances. 15
(d) An employer may not offer a payroll card account that charges fees for 16
(1) employee application for, initiation of, or participation in the 17
payroll card account; 18
(2) issuance of an employee's initial payroll card and one replacement 19
card each calendar year; 20
(3) transfer of employee wages or other compensation from the 21
employer to the payroll card account; 22
(4) point-of-sale purchase transactions. 23
(e) An employer may not offer a payroll card account unless employee wages 24
or other forms of compensation credited to the account are insured on a pass-through 25
basis to the employee by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National 26
Credit Union Administration, or another entity that insures bank deposits. 27
(f) This section does not limit the right of employees to bargain collectively 28
through representatives of their own choosing to establish mechanisms for payment of 29
wages in excess of the minimum requirements of this section. 30
(g) In this section, 31

-3- Enrolled SB 79
(1) "payroll card" means a card or other device used by an employee to 1
access the employee's wages from a payroll card account; 2
(2) "payroll card account" means an employee's account established 3
through an employer to which the employer transfers the employee's wages or other 4
compensation. 5
* Sec. 3. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 6