Representative Jeremy Bynum provided a brief reintroduction of House Bill 75 in the House State Affairs Committee, outlining amendments related to Permanent Fund Division processes and eligibility.

Bynum said the bill contains several provisions concerning the Permanent Fund Division, including new background check provisions that would require fingerprints for certain employees and applicants; changes to allowable absences to explicitly include merchant mariners attending U.S. Coast Guard–approved vocational programs; clarifications on allowable absences for school breaks and certain medical absences; a confidentiality provision for applicant information (with exceptions for court orders or voluntary disclosures); and an optional electronic opt-in for levy notices. Bynum said the bill would be effective Jan. 1, 2026.

The chair opened public testimony and none was offered in the room or online; the committee closed public testimony. Bynum told the committee he will provide written answers to questions raised at the prior meeting, including information the sponsor described as difficult to compile—specifically the current number of mariners operating in Alaska, which he said is "a bit challenging" to determine and therefore "not specified" at the hearing.

The committee set an amendment deadline for the bill: amendments to HB 75 must be submitted to the sponsor's office by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The sponsor noted his staffer was present and available to assist with follow-up questions. The committee set the bill aside for later action.

No formal vote was taken.