Members of the Alaska House of Representatives have filed dozens of new bills since the second session of the 34th Alaska State Legislature began Jan. 20. Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, and Rep. Bill Elam, R-Nikiski, each filed a bill during the last week of January.
Ruffridge sponsored House Bill 273, which aims to add dental care to insurance plans by Jan. 1, 2027. The bill would amend Alaska Statute Title 21, which currently says health care services provided under direct health care agreements “are limited to the type of health care services that a primary care provider may provide to a patient.”
The current statute defines health insurance as “insurance of human beings” against everything from expenses related to childbirth or injury to bodily injury and accidental death. Although the statute mentions dental care in Section 12, HB 273 would formally include dental services in the types of health care services that primary care providers may provide to patients.
House Bill 286, sponsored by Elam, aims to enact an optional municipal tax exemption for the homes of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services providers. The current exemption is capped at $10,000 of assessed value, which Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly member Dale Eicher said saves providers less than $100 in property taxes annually.
The KPB Assembly recently voted to ask the State Legislature to allow municipalities to increase tax exemptions for volunteer personnel to “an amount deemed appropriate” during a regular meeting on Jan. 20. Eicher, who represents Sterling and Funny River, sponsored Resolution 2026-005, which says increasing the tax exemption would ensure the borough continues to “have a robust volunteer crew.”
Eicher said during the meeting that while the $10,000 exemption is “nice, it seems to pale in comparison to the sacrifices that these upstanding citizens are contributing to our community.”
“This amount provides little practical incentive and does not meaningfully offset the time, training requirements, or out-of-pocket expenses incurred by volunteer firefighter and EMS personnel,” he wrote in the memo.
House Bill 286 would amend Alaska Statutes Title 29, which was first enacted in 2011.
To find all prefiled bills, visit www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Prefile/34.
