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Committee hears bill to restore Permanent Fund Dividends for people with vacated convictions
Summary
Senate Bill 167 would allow Alaskans whose criminal convictions were vacated, reversed and dismissed or overturned after retrial to receive Permanent Fund Dividends for years forfeited due to prior convictions; innocence advocates urged passage while noting the bill is not broad compensation.
May 7, 2025 — The Senate Judiciary Committee received its first hearing on Senate Bill 167, which would allow individuals whose criminal convictions were vacated, reversed and dismissed or overturned on retrial to receive Permanent Fund Dividends (PFDs) that had been forfeited while incarcerated.
Sally Raffens, staff to Sen. Kevin Kawasaki, presented the bill to the committee and summarized eligibility conditions: individuals must apply for the PFD within one year following the new judgment or within one year of the bill’s effective date, and the bill excludes dismissals obtained through a Rule 11 plea agreement in another criminal case.
John Knott, executive director of the Alaska Innocence Project, and John Eldon, founder and executive director of After Innocence, testified in support. Knott urged the committee not to treat the measure as a full compensation package but as a restoration of an expected state benefit that helps exonerees begin rebuilding their lives after release. Eldon said the PFD is an entitlement for Alaskans and restoration where the basis for forfeiture has been invalidated is appropriate; he also told the committee that providers who assist exonerees nationwide see the immediate practical value of access to these funds for reentry needs.
Raffens told the committee that a similar bill passed the House in 2017 with a 38‑to‑1 vote. Committee members did not take a vote on SB 167 and held the bill for further review; the Permanent Fund Division director was available by phone for questions but did not speak at length during this hearing.
Context and testimony details: Witnesses described the challenges exonerees face on release — lack of immediate funds, transportation and ID issues — and said restoring the PFD would not amount to full compensation but would meaningfully assist reentry. Knott noted examples from his work and from the Fairbanks exonerations to illustrate the long rebuilding process faced by exonerees. Eldon said the bill should be viewed as restoring an entitlement where the original reason for forfeiture no longer applies.
Committee action: No formal vote on the bill occurred; the committee held SB 167 for further review and gave the usual session deadlines for submitting amendments (4 p.m. Friday, May 9).
