Conference committee adopts identical budget items, requests limited powers for FY2026 operating and mental-health bills

At 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, 2025, the Alaska Legislature's conference committee on House Bill 53 and House Bill 55 adopted appropriations and language items that were identical in both the House and Senate versions and requested limited powers to resolve other differences between the chambers' fiscal year 2026 operating and mental-health appropriation bills.

The action came during an organizational meeting in which members also named committee leadership and set basic procedures. Representative Josephson was appointed presiding chair and Senator Hoffman was named vice chair by unanimous consent. The committee moved and approved, without objection, a motion adopting identical items for the committee report and another motion authorizing letters requesting limited powers dated May 13, 2025, addressed to the Speaker of the House and the Senate President.

The committee's chair reviewed the process the group will follow and said the conference committee will not accept public testimony "unless invited by the chair." The chair told members that legislative finance has been directed to prepare motion sheets summarizing differences between the two versions of the bills and that those sheets "are posted on the legislative finance division website and will be updated after each meeting." The chair also said the committee will operate under Uniform Rule 42 and that copies of that rule and related legal opinions were provided to members.

On limited powers, the chair explained the committee's authority under past practice: "Under limited powers, the conference committee can adopt any amount between 0 and the higher of the house or senate version of each item subject to conference." The committee voted to adopt letters requesting those limited powers and to authorize the addition of collective bargaining agreements under that authority.

Members directed that future meetings to take action on the operating budget bills will be scheduled once the requested powers are received; the chair said upcoming meetings will be posted on the Legislature's website, akleg.gov. The committee recessed briefly to sign the identical letters and adjourned at 4:36 p.m.

Discussion during the meeting was procedural and brief: members established who may sit at the table (only committee members unless invited), clarified posting and documentation procedures for motions, and authorized staff work to prepare materials for future substantive conference work. There were no public comments at this meeting and no recorded roll-call votes; the committee adopted items and motions by unanimous consent or by the absence of an objection.

Next steps noted by the committee include waiting to receive the limited powers from each chamber before scheduling substantive reconciliation meetings to resolve outstanding differences between the House and Senate versions of House Bill 53 and House Bill 55 for fiscal year 2026.