AlaskaWould create paid parental leave and change worker benefits
The failed measure would create paid parental leave beginning in 2030, set paid sick leave rules, and change unemployment benefits and payroll contributions.
What it does
The measure would create a state paid parental leave program funded mainly by employee contributions, with benefits beginning in 2030 for eligible workers after birth, adoption, or guardianship.
Employers with at least 10 employees would provide paid sick leave, while seasonal workers would be exempt and employers could not punish workers for using protected leave.
The measure would raise unemployment benefits and dependent allowances and change contribution rules, but these provisions would depend on federal approval.
Argument forPaid parental leave could help eligible workers stay home for childbirth, adoption, or guardianship without losing all wage replacement during the leave.
Argument againstEmployees and some employers could face new payroll charges to fund parental leave, even though benefit duration would depend on the program's finances.
More detail
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development would run a paid parental leave program, and eligible employees could claim benefits. The program would cover employees whose employers participate in Alaska's unemployment insurance system, except seasonal workers hired for no more than six months each calendar year. Employees would generally need at least $2,500 in base-period wages paid during at least two quarters and at least 13 weeks with the employer. Employees could use leave for a child's birth, adoption, legal guardianship, or completing an adoption or guardianship process. Employees would pay 0.15 percent of covered wages, and employers that opt out would need a qualifying paid parental leave policy; the department may also create a 0.20 percent employer surcharge. The department would set the benefit duration between eight and 12 cumulative weeks based on the fund's finances, expected use, and actuarial studies. Eligible employees could receive paid parental leave beginning January 1, 2030, for qualifying events occurring on or after that date.
Employers with 10 or more employees would provide paid sick leave that employees could use for health needs, family care, or certain safety-related absences. The rules would cover employees of employers with at least 10 employees, but would exempt seasonal workers hired for a specific peak-business period of no more than six months per calendar year. Leave would accrue at one hour for every 30 hours worked, subject to a 56-hour yearly accrual and use limit unless the employer sets a higher limit. Employees could use leave for their own or a family member's health needs, or for medical, legal, housing, or support services related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Employers could require reasonable documentation after more than three consecutive workdays, but could not demand private details about an illness or safety situation. Employers could not retaliate against workers, require them to find replacements, or count protected sick leave toward discipline. The sick leave provisions would take effect July 1, 2025, if enacted.
The measure would change unemployment contribution rates, weekly benefits, dependent allowances, and related employee contribution rules. The changes would affect employers and employees covered by Alaska's unemployment insurance system, as well as people receiving regular, extended, or supplemental unemployment payments. Weekly unemployment benefits would rise across the wage schedule, and dependent allowances would become $72 per dependent, capped at $216 per week. The department would update the maximum wage amounts and related weekly benefits each year based on changes in the contribution wage base, without lowering them. The unemployment insurance changes would apply only if the United States Secretary of Labor approves them or decides approval is unnecessary by July 1, 2027. If approved, the changes would also require federal approval of the state's unemployment insurance law changes. The unemployment insurance provisions would begin January 1, 2027, or the day after federal approval, whichever is later; one employee credit provision would apply only if federal approval is denied for a related repeal.
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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
- May 20(S) REFERRED TO RULESLatest
- May 20(S) FN9: (LWF)
- May 20(S) FN8: (LWF)
- May 20(S) FN7: (LWF)
- May 20(S) FN4: ZERO(ADM)
- May 20(S) AM: KIEHL
- May 20(S) NR: STEDMAN, KAUFMAN, CRONK, MERRICK
- May 20(S) DP: OLSON, HOFFMAN
- May 20(S) FIN RPT 2DP 4NR 1AM
- May 19(S) Moved CSHB 193(FIN) AM Out of Committee
- May 19(S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 19(S) Heard & Held
- May 19(S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 18(S) -- MEETING CANCELED --
- May 18(S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532
- May 17(S) FIN
- May 17(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALSMinor
- May 16(H) VERSION: CSHB 193(FIN) AM
- Vote recorded (H) AMEND DEADLINE FOR ALL AMS TO 4:30 P.M. TODAY FAILED Y19 N21 #2659. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) PASSED Y36 N4 #2663. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) RESCIND ACTION (ADOPTING)AM 1 FAILED Y19 N21 #2658. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 8 FAILED Y17 N22 A1 # 2660. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 5 ADOPTED Y22 N18 # 2650. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 2 FAILED Y20 N20 # 2645. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 6 FAILED Y19 N21 # 2657. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 12 FAILED Y19 N21 # 2662. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) AM NO 1 ADOPTED Y23 N17 # 2644. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded (H) DEADLINE FOR ALL AMS AT 3:30 P.M. TODAY Y20 N19 A1 #2660. Result: pass.Lower
- May 16(H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)Passed Senate
- May 16(H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN, JOSEPHSON, BYNUM, FRIER, MINA
- May 16(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
- May 16(H) PASSED Y36 N4Passed House
- May 16(H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 193(FIN) AMMinor
- May 16(H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UCMinor
- May 16(H) AM NO 12 FAILED Y19 N21Minor
- May 16(H) AM NO 11 OFFERED AND WITHDRAWN
- May 16(H) AM NO 10 NOT OFFERED
- May 16(H) AM NO 9 AS AMD ADOPTED UCMajor
- May 16(H) AM 1 TO AM 9 ADOPTED UC
- May 16(H) AM NO 9 OFFERED
- May 16(H) AM NO 8 FAILED Y17 N22 A1Minor
- May 16(H) DEADLINE FOR ALL AMS AT 3:30 P.M. TODAY Y20 N19 A1
- May 16(H) AMEND DEADLINE FOR ALL AMS TO 4:30 P.M. TODAY FAILED Y19 N21Major
- May 16(H) AM NO 8 OFFERED
- May 16(H) RESCIND ACTION (ADOPTING)AM 1 FAILED Y19 N21Major
- May 16(H) AM NO 7 ADOPTED UCMajor
- May 16(H) AM NO 6 FAILED Y19 N21Minor
- May 16(H) ...CHANGES TITLE OF LEGISLATION
- May 16(H) CALL FOR THE QUESTION UC
- May 16(H) AM NO 5 ADOPTED Y22 N18Major
- May 16(H) AM NO 4 ADOPTED UCMajor
- May 16(H) AM NO 3 ADOPTED UCMajor
- May 16(H) AM NO 2 FAILED Y20 N20Minor
- May 16(H) AM NO 1 ADOPTED Y23 N17Major
- May 16(H) FIN CS ADOPTED UC
- May 16(H) READ THE SECOND TIMEMinor
- May 16(H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/16/2026
- May 13(H) FN6: (LWF)
- May 13(H) FN5: (LWF)
- May 13(H) FN4: ZERO(ADM)
- May 13(H) AM: GALVIN, ALLARD, HANNAN, TOMASZEWSKI, STAPP, MOORE, BYNUM, SCHRAGE, JOSEPHSON
- May 13(H) DP: JIMMIE, FOSTER
- May 13(H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) NEW TITLE 2DP 9AM
- May 12(H) Moved CSHB 193(FIN) Out of Committee
- May 12(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- May 8(H) COSPONSOR(S): SCHRAGE
- May 7(H) Heard & Held
- May 7(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 30(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- Apr 30(H) Heard & Held
- Apr 30(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 24(H) Scheduled but Not Heard -- Delayed to 2:00 PM --
- Apr 24(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 16(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- Apr 16(H) Heard & Held
- Apr 16(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Apr 16(H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
- Apr 16(H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519
- Apr 10(H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
- Apr 10(H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519
- Apr 8(H) <Bill Hearing Canceled> -- MEETING CANCELED --
- Apr 8(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Mar 30(H) COSPONSOR(S): STORY
- Mar 20(H) COSPONSOR(S): HANNAN
- Mar 18(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- Mar 18(H) Heard & Held
- Mar 18(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- Feb 23(H) COSPONSOR(S): HIMSCHOOT
- 2025
- May 17(H) COSPONSOR(S): EISCHEID
- May 16(H) Minutes (HFIN)
- May 16(H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 3:15 pm --
- May 16(H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519
- May 9(H) COSPONSOR(S): CARRICK
- May 7(H) FN3: (LWF)
- May 7(H) FN2: (LWF)
- May 7(H) FN1: ZERO(ADM)
- May 7(H) AM: COULOMBE, SADDLER
- May 7(H) DP: BURKE, CARRICK, HALL, FIELDS
- May 7(H) L&C RPT CS(L&C) NEW TITLE 4DP 2AM
- May 2(H) Minutes (HL&C)
- May 2(H) Moved CSHB 193(L&C) Out of Committee
- May 2(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
- Apr 30(H) Minutes (HL&C)
- Apr 30(H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 15 min. after adjournment --
- Apr 30(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
- Apr 28(H) Minutes (HL&C)
- Apr 28(H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 15 min after adjournment --
- Apr 28(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
- Apr 25(H) Minutes (HL&C)
- Apr 25(H) <Bill Hearing Canceled> -- Delayed to 15 minutes Following Session --
- Apr 25(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 09:00 AM BARNES 124
- Apr 23(H) Minutes (HL&C)
- Apr 23(H) Heard & Held -- Recessed to 3:15 pm --
- Apr 23(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 09:00 AM BARNES 124
- Apr 16(H) Minutes (HL&C)
- Apr 16(H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 15 min. Following Session --
- Apr 16(H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124
- Apr 15(H) L&C, FIN
- Apr 15(H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALSIntroduced
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