[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6283388,"mediaKeyId","2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57","parentId",2588859,"title","House committee hears bill to clarify PFD absences, add fingerprinting and privacy for applicants","audioSeconds",202,"startMs",568000,"endMs",770000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57&start=568&end=770","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57/thumbnail_568000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6283388/Alaska/House-committee-hears-bill-to-clarify-PFD-absences-add-fingerprinting-and-privacy-for-applicants","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283388-e5a6038f560d4a740195e3046e0ed033/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206152&Signature=knaUeg90YVXGIcz0ctiZAuegSvZEUosBxmB61H5wgrvFX8xL2eXwn8-etd3WKfN3ww~6DtYayNqxxCxWUdgQ~-a-Z7rpMRQ0A02RsHYGNo9Ees42JBWsgkoHSfq9rpKaWJZhb22epMHODb~fkJCKahgHH-yvAZ-Amw7Ua5XQxQzxfRkp7azzRPalp~8-JS6fG65vsHxkvz7-y~8F6-AhkmZEST5PRiycSQi9fzK5LultTZHZ6kgF-~8dL5XTPznCX7gyoSrP8Dy3g-5jikAoW~aJo5gXMfgY~S1eJcoW6y8C3fXYZh~pfOTK5qBRqK65-bmRmCIlGpw3h58b3KPqJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","article","Rep. Jeremy Bynum introduced House Bill 75 on behalf of the sponsor and told the House Labor and Commerce Committee the bill would fix a gap in law so time spent at U.S. merchant marine training counts the same as college attendance for Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) eligibility. \"Ultimately, this legislation corrects a gap in the law ensuring that time spent in The US merchant marine program is treated the same as college attendance,\" Bynum said during the committee hearing.

The bill also clarifies the definition of covered service by amending a prior \"armed forces\" reference to \"uniform services,\" a change carried forward from a prior State Affairs amendment. \"That change actually occurred in State Affairs to change the armed services to uniform services,\" staff described, saying the intent is to include the Coast Guard, NOAA Commissioned Corps and Public Health Service alongside the other uniformed services.

Why it matters: committee members and invited testifiers said the bill aims to preserve career pathways for Alaskans and avoid unintended PFD ineligibility when training or emergencies take them out of state. Kari Noor of the Alaska Chamber supported the bill and said merchant mariner apprenticeships recruit and train Alaskans for maritime careers: \"Denying PFD benefits to Alaskans, particularly the younger Alaskans while engaged in this required training discourages them from considering this pathway as a career opportunity,\" Noor testified.

Substance and protections: staff told the committee HB 75 would explicitly allow merchant mariner academy training to qualify as an allowable absence under existing statute that already covers individuals \"serving under foreign or coastal articles of employment aboard an ocean going vessel of the United States merchant marine.\" The bill does not expand eligibility for unrelated out-of-state voluntary activities, staff said, but clarifies that necessary training leading to such service should be treated the same as other postsecondary or vocational attendance.

Administrative and fraud-prevention measures: Genevieve Watusik, director of the Permanent Fund Dividend Division, described operational changes the bill would require. \"Currently, we do not background check. We would start the process if you approved it. We would take 6 months to develop regulations and we would, through those regulations, decide which crimes would be allowed versus not,\" Watusik said, describing a regulatory timeline rather than an immediate personnel action. The bill would require fingerprint-based FBI background checks for PFD division employees who handle sensitive personal data and would make the PFD applicant list confidential to reduce identity-theft risk. It would also allow applicants to opt in to receiving electronic levy notices.

Concerns and follow-up: several committee members pressed for clarity on the switch to \"uniform services.\" Representative Nelson and Representative Sadler said they were concerned the broader phrasing might sweep in personnel whose service is not involuntary and asked whether NOAA and Public Health Service personnel should be treated the same as armed forces. Staff said the change came from the State Affairs Committee and that the estimated net number of additional people covered by the change is small—\"less than 50,\" staff said—while acknowledging the committee could refine the definition.

Next steps: the committee held the first hearing and invited additional questions and possible amendments. Sponsors said they expect to work with committee members on targeted refinements.

Ending: supporters said the bill is intended as a statutory cleanup to protect training pipelines and tighten division security and privacy; opponents or skeptical members asked for precise definition language and cautioned against incremental expansions of PFD exemptions without clear statutory limits.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/12/2025 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE","oneSentenceSummary","Rep. Jeremy Bynum told the House Labor and Commerce Committee that HB 75 would close a gap in law so merchant mariner training counts as an allowable absence for Permanent Fund Dividend eligibility, while adding fingerprint-based background checks, confidentiality for applicant lists and an optional electronic levy notice.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6283374,"Sponsor seeks to lower and clarify vehicle-rental tax, shift collection responsibility to platforms and protect individual hosts",342,5128000,5470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57&start=5128&end=5470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57/thumbnail_5128000.jpg","/articles/6283374/Alaska/Sponsor-seeks-to-lower-and-clarify-vehicle-rental-tax-shift-collection-responsibility-to-platforms-and-protect-individual-hosts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283374-868dc268e7ce108ff3122d27bed67ebf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206152&Signature=eBShJ2GY2HbkCtWL-SZR1r6zQZ8uiMRhych8-zv74BrV7iQPRVLQcSVdGXBH~ln2rDHo6uWr4qytq4PVTF9VMIiWLrnA1tnIbiCXzdBNZcfummUkEYrQMzhQfbq-ednUJPj9eDIw0ugC91g85Ld35kA-qSC0587OjoX7g1aFLw7237R4Xw05h4ez6bOwAvi40ZhN2UefOr5l7omvSSq5rNFJT8IfffzB~NcgQ8NWRQyP~OmAt9EWz1b9nwSfrEJpewjoXLg9MrdzeMVOR3fcIDPjePCkvsdXBh9NcpJIVh2Z464khAQ6EECA~VhaIUr76LZ-J3iDjaWfely0FT7xYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Kevin McCabe introduced House Bill 123, describing it as a practical fix to confusion surrounding Alaska's 10% vehicle-rental excise tax and recent enforcement actions against individuals hosting vehicles on platforms like Turo. \"The biggest thing for me right now, the reason I'm running this bill is this bill has a retroactive clause that protects Alaskans,\" McCabe told the committee.

What the bill would do: McCabe said HB 123 would lower the excise rate for traditional rental companies (Avis, Enterprise, Hertz) from 10% to 9% and set a different platform collection rate—proposed at 7%—for peer-to-peer platforms such as Turo. The sponsor described the rates as negotiated with industry stakeholders: \"Those two percentages are an agreement amongst the industry, the Turo folks as well as the Avis enterprise Hertz,\" he said.

Collection and liability: a central aim of the bill is to place collection responsibility on rental platforms rather than individual Alaskan hosts. McCabe said the Department of Revenue had begun enforcing collections against individual hosts and that many hosts lack records to remit retroactive amounts. He described anecdotal estimates that as many as 1,500 Alaskans could face about $600,000 in aggregate liability. \"That's really important to me because you can imagine if you just bought a car...and now all of a sudden we're telling him a couple years ... that he owes a tax,\" McCabe said, urging protection for small hosts.

Committee questions: members asked whether platforms already collect similar taxes in other jurisdictions and whether litigation is ongoing. McCabe said platforms have the capacity to collect taxes in other jurisdictions and that, while legal posturing has occurred, he expected Department of Revenue enforcement actions to continue absent statutory change. Some members urged a single uniform rate rather than a differential by platform because the end user ultimately pays the tax, but McCabe and supporters said the differential reflected industry negotiation and practical ability to implement collection mechanisms.

Policy considerations and revenue use: testimony noted that the vehicle rental excise tax is a user fee that supports vehicle-related infrastructure and parks. McCabe described the bill as a tax cut and a fairness measure that would also align collection responsibilities similarly to other platform-collected taxes.

Ending: the sponsor set an amendment deadline and said he will work with stakeholders; committee members signaled mixed support and questions about the differential rate and long-term revenue effects.","Representative Kevin McCabe introduced HB 123 to change Alaska's vehicle-rental excise tax: reduce rates, require platforms to collect and remit taxes, and include a retroactive protection clause shielding individual hosts from prior retroactive assessments.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6283379,"Committee hears bill to align Alaska CPA licensure and firm mobility with national practice",572,3652000,4224000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57&start=3652&end=4224","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57/thumbnail_3652000.jpg","/articles/6283379/Alaska/Committee-hears-bill-to-align-Alaska-CPA-licensure-and-firm-mobility-with-national-practice","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283379-9e38a5b52608669752654af2650520b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206152&Signature=b6SUivsZmx96NGK3TXCWRbmlbQi4IMai03FKa9LqkUXFAnAzWBq6p8Pc3bRy-iJf1Zoi-xaRlQ5F7RTYxz09S6xPtW5Up-e6CJCqTbwAGglNH9~36HVWZHUnyyx~YqW9YKScbR3KeHKff6VMdVXX5VTnzphgyIm8ZE75YCqcvI1pXCmaiNstLbhT5kfxm6bFdVTLFkgkfLPvtbnTLe6q1Lwq8pd~-kF4HHUI3WxrKT6r1cNGf~WDDz3n7RVpTg4IoyJHm8NPO-F~JudPvSGpvGQM5Jc~6ZzpU-bEOS26SYeNStHIUD8-cXeeoMSjHek5mYm~vnkNelBGcdk4Fpxmtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rep. Calvin Tragi and legislative staff presented House Bill 121 to the House Labor and Commerce Committee, saying the bill would modernize Alaska's CPA licensure requirements and align firm mobility rules with national practice. \"HB 121 aims to address these issues by aligning our laws with national standards,\" Amanda Endemo, staff for Representative Schrage (presenting HB 121), told the committee.

The education change: currently Alaska statute requires a total of 150 credit hours for CPA licensure (the typical bachelor's degree is 120 credits plus an extra year or credits). Testimony from the profession described that the additional 30 credit requirement can create barriers without demonstrable public-protection benefits. \"Those additional 30 credits do not have to be accounting or even in business. They could be 30 credits of underwater basket weaving, and that would meet the hundred and 50 credit hour requirement,\" Beth Stewart, chair of the State Board of Accountancy and managing partner at KPMG Anchorage, told the committee.

Practice privilege and firm mobility: the bill also would update statutes so out-of-state CPA firms may provide services in Alaska under the same mobility framework that already applies to individual licensees, reducing duplicative administrative burden while maintaining board oversight. Tom Neal, chair of the Uniform Accountancy Act committee, said the proposed language \"does not diminish in any way the public protection provisions that are contained in existing statute and rule for the state.\"

Support and rationale: the Alaska Society of CPAs and the State Board of Accountancy provided letters and invited testimony in support, arguing workforce shortages and fewer CPA exam candidates nationally motivate modernization. Supporters said the bill preserves essential requirements—passing the Uniform CPA Exam and relevant professional experience—while removing a non-specific 30-credit barrier that can extend candidate schooling by a year.

Questions: lawmakers asked whether a bachelor’s degree plus the removed credit requirement would allow someone to practice immediately; witnesses clarified a candidate must still pass the CPA exam and meet experience requirements before providing services independently. The sponsor said the bill’s effective date allows time for any needed regulatory changes and implementation details.

Ending: supporters said HB 121 expands the pipeline of qualified accountants for Alaska businesses while retaining professional oversight; no committee vote was recorded and staff circulated an available zero fiscal note.","House Bill 121 would remove the statutory 150-credit-hour barrier (the extra 30 credits beyond a typical 120-credit bachelor's degree) for CPA licensure and extend practice-privilege mobility to out-of-state accounting firms; supporters say the changes reduce barriers to the profession without weakening oversight.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6283384,"Labor department outlines healthy unemployment trust fund, urges options to align statute with current costs",1786,1901000,3687000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57&start=1901&end=3687","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2588859-34185481c70ff0d0e31b6bd107d43b57/thumbnail_1901000.jpg","/articles/6283384/Alaska/Labor-department-outlines-healthy-unemployment-trust-fund-urges-options-to-align-statute-with-current-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283384-f893d55015fffbb760695118a761cadb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206152&Signature=OTaCJpkLhkupO-nwDqLJokvuLR8Y-Lu5FB8oTcj9WywHMxa28kgZFsKK0dK9mue32sm99b3OJEo7SysY51BbUpf5nM6UzDgL0PqCR-y17X9UGvNv6U1VBepJ3pNf8~rs5Oz73eESrwTb077f12tcwiAMTRzqTCQDMhmWHtc1bnNy0FpHp7QgHspVbN35JrJcMMhO30ujzmiUvliykZA87zDsU~lqHGeLmFBDWPc4LdBEuAGwg~vFnQaDxtgYx2oQvsKI3wqlxMWn63zON3hDO85DBgUcj7CKzgxDuQ8tClK4GIM~fIqO8d4RlCNliNsPiphhflsq5UxDhsJ-l~4LXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paloma Harbor, director of the Division of Employment and Training, and Lennon Weller, the Department economist and UI actuary, presented a detailed briefing to the House Labor and Commerce Committee on the unemployment insurance trust fund and its financing. Harbor opened by explaining federal compliance obligations and how FUTA affects employer costs: \"Employers in every state pay federal unemployment tax act or FUTA taxes on the first 7000 dollars of wages to each of their employees... as long as we maintain a federally compliant system, that cost is reduced to a maximum of $42 per employee,\" she said.

Weller then showed long-term trends in benefit costs and contributions and argued Alaska's statutory parameters have not kept pace with recent low claim experience. \"When costs become exceptionally low, the parameters currently existing in statute just don't allow us to lower rates to meet the costs that we're actually facing,\" Weller told the committee, noting the statutory structure has limited ability to relieve accumulated reserves when claim levels are unusually low.

Key numbers presented: department staff said fiscal year 2024 revenue into the UI trust fund was $165,900,000 and benefit payouts were $45,300,000. As of Sept. 30, 2024, the trust fund balance was reported at $724,400,000, a reserve ratio of 4.44% of covered wages—about $186,200,000 above the department's target reserve ratio of 3.33% (the statutory target used historically). Harbor and Weller said the system currently collects far more than benefit costs and suggested several statutory levers could be used to rebalance: increase benefit levels, divert or change the share of employee-contributed funds (which currently partially fund training programs), or lower employer statutory minimum tax rates.

Training and contributions: Harbor explained Alaska is one of the states where employees contribute to the UI financing and a portion of the employee contribution funds two training programs. Testimony described the distribution as: \"The employee minimum tax rate is 0.5% of taxable wages. Of that 0.1% goes to the state training employment program (STEP) and 0.25% goes to the technical and vocational education program (TVET).\" Later in questions staff and the economist clarified aspects of the employee share and noted the department was operating at statutory minimum employer rates that still bring in substantial revenue because claimant counts are historically low.

Questions from lawmakers included whether benefits are intended to guarantee subsistence, when benefit maxima and dependent allowances were last adjusted (department staff said the benefit schedule last took effect in 2009 and the dependent allowance was increased to $24 in 1983 after first being implemented in 1979) and what reserve ratio is considered fully solvent (the department cited a target reserve ratio of 33.3% of covered wages historically used as a full solvency target). Committee members discussed using committee bill authority to propose statutory adjustments; the committee indicated it will draft a committee bill to explore targeted changes including workforce supports and UI stability.

Ending: the department urged caution because federal compliance is required to preserve employers' reduced FUTA credits; staff said changing statutory funding or benefit parameters could shift costs between employers and employees or trigger solvency adjustments in later years. The committee said it will pursue a committee bill and asked members to bring ideas on how to use excess reserves to support workforce goals without violating federal requirements.","The Department of Labor and Workforce Development briefed the committee on unemployment insurance (UI) finances, showing revenues now far exceed benefits paid, producing a trust fund balance well above statutory targets and prompting discussion of possible legislative levers to rebalance funding or benefits.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House committee hears bill to clarify PFD absences, add fingerprinting and privacy for applicants

Sponsor seeks to lower and clarify vehicle-rental tax, shift collection responsibility to platforms and protect individual hosts

Committee hears bill to align Alaska CPA licensure and firm mobility with national practice

Labor department outlines healthy unemployment trust fund, urges options to align statute with current costs