AlaskaAlaska schools could receive energy-cost reimbursements and teacher aid
If signed and funded, HB 28 would let eligible districts seek energy reimbursements and let qualifying teachers apply for limited student-loan repayment grants.
What it does
School districts could receive annual reimbursement for average heating-fuel and electricity costs, but payments would depend on legislative funding and energy-use limits.
Students leaving district correspondence programs could keep qualifying learning materials, while regional school board members could substitute teach during short emergencies.
School districts could receive temporary funding protection after consolidating schools, while city and borough districts would face limits on their required local contributions.
Districts and regional resource centers could rehire retired teachers for documented shortages, subject to waiting periods, public recruiting, and limits on retirement-plan service.
Qualifying public-school teachers in high-need subjects could receive up to $5,000 a year toward student loans, subject to funding, contract completion, and a 2030 end date.
Argument forLoan grants could help qualifying teachers stay in public schools by reducing part of their remaining student debt.
Argument againstBecause grants depend on annual funding and are capped at $1 million, eligible teachers could receive less than the stated amount.
More detail
The education department would reimburse each eligible school district for its average energy costs. The reimbursement would cover heating fuel and electricity used in district facilities. Funding would depend on an appropriation. A district would need to make reasonable efforts, as determined by the department, not to increase its energy use from the prior fiscal year. The department would need to give notice and an opportunity to respond before withholding payment. If funding is insufficient, all reimbursements would be reduced by the same percentage. The program would apply annually, with the related reporting and audit provisions taking effect July 1, 2027.
A student leaving a district correspondence-study program could keep certain textbooks, equipment, and other curriculum materials; a regional school board member could serve as a substitute teacher in an emergency. The materials rule would apply to students leaving a district-run correspondence program, and the substitute-teaching rule would apply to regional school board members and time-limited emergencies. Students could keep only materials that students leaving a physical school in the district may keep. The board member could teach only at a school and during an emergency of limited duration. No separate start date is stated for these provisions, so they would follow the Act's immediate effective date unless another section provides otherwise.
School districts could use temporary enrollment adjustments after qualifying school consolidations, while city and borough districts would calculate a required local contribution using a 2.65 mill levy. The consolidation adjustment would cover schools closed and merged within the same community and district; the local contribution would cover city and borough school districts. The consolidation adjustment could last up to four fiscal years and would use declining adjustments over that period. A district could not use the adjustment if it built a new facility for the consolidation or used another enrollment-decline adjustment in the same year. A closed school generally could not reopen for at least four years, and the district would need to show that affected schools are over capacity. The local contribution could not exceed 45 percent of prior-year basic need or rise by more than four percent from the prior year. The local-contribution provision would take effect July 1, 2026; the text does not state a separate start date for the consolidation calculation.
School districts and regional resource centers could rehire certain retired teachers, who would keep retirement payments and qualify for active-employee health coverage. The rules would cover retirees from the state teachers' retirement plans who are rehired under the listed shortage-based process. The retiree could not have arranged the rehire before retiring. The retiree would need to wait 60 days if at least age 62, or six months if younger. The employer would need to adopt a shortage policy, advertise the job for 10 business days, and recruit other applicants. The retiree would not earn credited service or make regular retirement-plan deductions during reemployment. These provisions would apply to contracts made on or after their effective date, and the Act otherwise would take effect immediately.
The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education could award annual student-loan repayment grants to qualifying full-time public-school teachers. Eligible teachers would teach special education, English as a second language, science, technology, engineering, or mathematics and hold an eligible degree-related student loan. A teacher would need to have used all other eligible federal and state repayment programs. Grants would depend on an appropriation and could equal one-third of the remaining loan balance, up to $5,000 per year for no more than three years. The total grants could not exceed $1 million in a fiscal year, and awards would be reduced proportionally if funding is insufficient. Grants would be paid after the teacher completes the contract term. The pilot would be repealed June 1, 2030; the commission's report on recruitment, retention, and effectiveness would be due by December 31, 2028, and that reporting provision would be repealed January 1, 2029.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 30(H) FN4: (EED/FUND CAP)Latest
- Sep 30(H) FN3: (EED)
- Sep 30(H) FN(S) ATTACHED TO APPROP. BILL HB 263
- Sep 30(H) LEG FINANCE APPROPRIATION MESSAGE 9/8/26
- Sep 30(S) LEG FINANCE APPROPRIATION MESSAGE 9/8/26
- Jun 20(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW SEE CHAPTERMajor
- Jun 20(H) LAW W/O GOVERNOR SIGNATURE 6/18 CHAPTER 22 SLA 26Major
- Jun 4(H) MANIFEST ERROR(S)
- Jun 4(H) 10:44 A.M. 6/1/26 Transmitted to GovernorTo Governor
- May 20(H) COSPONSOR(S): BYNUM
- Vote recorded (H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y34 N6 #2968. Result: pass.Lower
- May 20(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
- May 20(H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y34 N6
- May 20(H) CONCUR MESSAGE TAKEN UP
- May 20(H) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 21
- May 20(H) CONCUR MESSAGE RECEIVED
- May 19(S) VERSION: SCS CSHB 28(FIN) AM S
- Vote recorded (S) PASSED Y17 N3 #2793. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded (S) AM NO 4 ADOPTED Y11 N9 # 2792. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded (S) AM NO 3 FAILED Y10 N10 # 2792. Result: fail.Upper
- May 19(S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) AS AMENDEDMajor
- May 19(S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
- May 19(S) PASSED Y17 N3Major
- May 19(S) GRAY-JACKSON, GIESSEL, CLAMAN, STEDMAN, STEVENS
- May 19(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): WIELECHOWSKI, DUNBAR, KAWASAKI, BJORKMAN, CRONK,
- May 19(S) AUTOMATICALLY IN THIRD READINGMinor
- May 19(S) AM NO 4 ADOPTED Y11 N9Major
- May 19(S) AM NO 3 FAILED Y10 N10Minor
- May 19(S) AM NO 2 NOT OFFERED
- May 19(S) AM NO 1 NOT OFFERED
- May 19(S) RETURN TO SECOND FOR AMS UC
- May 19(S) READ THE THIRD TIME SCS CSHB 28(FIN)Minor
- May 18(S) Minutes (SFIN)
- May 18(S) Moved SCS CSHB 28(FIN) Out of Committee
- May 18(S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 18(S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/19 CALMinor
- May 18(S) FIN SCS ADOPTED UC
- May 18(S) READ THE SECOND TIMEMinor
- May 18(S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/18/2026
- May 18(S) FN4: (CONFERENCE COMMITTEE FOR HB 263/FUND CAP)
- May 18(S) FN3: (EED)
- May 18(S) NR: KAUFMAN, MERRICK
- May 18(S) DP: OLSON, STEDMAN, HOFFMAN, CRONK, KIEHL
- May 18(S) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 21
- May 18(S) FIN RPT SCS 5DP 2NR NEW TITLE
- May 16(S) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --
- May 16(S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 11(S) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --
- May 11(S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532
- Apr 22(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): TOBIN, YUNDT
- Apr 21(S) FN2: (EED)
- Apr 21(S) AM: BJORKMAN
- Apr 21(S) DP: TOBIN, YUNDT, KIEHL, STEVENS
- Apr 21(S) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 21
- Apr 21(S) EDC RPT SCS 4DP 1AM NEW TITLE
- Apr 20(S) Moved SCS CSHB 28(EDC) Out of Committee -- Delayed to 4:00 PM --
- Apr 20(S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
- Apr 8(S) Heard & Held
- Apr 8(S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
- 2025
- May 19(S) EDC, FIN
- Vote recorded (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) ADOPTED Y27 N13 #1323. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) PASSED Y23 N17 #1323. Result: pass.Lower
- May 19(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALSMinor
- May 19(H) VERSION: CSHB 28(FIN) AM
- May 19(H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)Passed Senate
- May 19(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) ADOPTED Y27 N13
- May 19(H) PASSED Y23 N17Passed House
- May 19(H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 28(FIN) AMMinor
- May 18(H) COSPONSOR(S): DIBERT, JOSEPHSON
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 2 FAILED Y19 N21 # 1285. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 3 FAILED Y18 N22 # 1289. Result: fail.Lower
- May 18(H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/19 CALENDARMinor
- May 18(H) AM NO 3 FAILED Y18 N22Minor
- May 18(H) AM NO 2 FAILED Y19 N21Minor
- May 18(H) AM NO 1 ADOPTED UCMajor
- May 18(H) FIN CS ADOPTED UC
- May 18(H) READ THE SECOND TIMEMinor
- May 18(H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/18/2025
- May 16(H) FN1: (EED)
- May 16(H) AM: STAPP, GALVIN, JOSEPHSON, SCHRAGE
- May 16(H) NR: BYNUM, TOMASZEWSKI
- May 16(H) DNP: JOHNSON, ALLARD
- May 16(H) DP: HANNAN, FOSTER
- May 16(H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) 2DP 2DNP 2NR 4AM
- May 15(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- May 15(H) Moved CSHB 28(FIN) Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change --
- May 15(H) FINANCE at 10:00 AM ADAMS 519
- May 8(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- May 8(H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 2:00 pm --
- May 8(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- May 8(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- May 8(H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --
- May 8(H) FINANCE at 10:00 AM ADAMS 519
- Apr 9(H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN
- Apr 8(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- Apr 8(H) Heard & Held
- Apr 8(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 2(H) COSPONSOR(S): HIMSCHOOT
- Mar 21(H) FN1: (EED)
- Mar 21(H) DNP: UNDERWOOD, SCHWANKE, ELAM
- Mar 21(H) DP: EISCHEID, DIBERT, STORY, HIMSCHOOT
- Mar 21(H) EDC RPT 4DP 3DNP
- Mar 17(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Mar 17(H) Moved HB 28 Out of Committee
- Mar 17(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Mar 12(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Mar 12(H) Heard & Held
- Mar 12(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Feb 24(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Feb 24(H) Heard & Held
- Feb 24(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Feb 19(H) COSPONSOR(S): HALL
- Feb 17(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Feb 17(H) Heard & Held
- Feb 17(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Feb 12(H) Minutes (HEDC)
- Feb 12(H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
- Feb 12(H) EDUCATION at 08:00 AM DAVIS 106
- Jan 27(H) COSPONSOR(S): FIELDS
- Jan 22(H) EDC, FIN
- Jan 22(H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALSMinor
- Jan 22(H) Prefile released 1/10/25Introduced
- May 19(S) EDC, FIN
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