Alaska 34th Alaska State Legislature Status: To Executive Bipartisan · 14 D · 8 R · 2 I cosponsors

HB 96 — An Act establishing the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board; relating to payment for personal care services; and providing for an effective date.

Last action — (H) VETOED BY GOVERNOR 6/24/26

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced February 12, 2025. It awaits signature.

Vetoed by Governor Mike Dunleavy (Republican) on July 03, 2026.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 90% · high confidence

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 24 sponsors

    1 primary, 23 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 3 parties (14 D · 8 R · 2 I) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill establishes a board to set employment standards for home care services.

The bill creates the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board to provide guidance on employment standards for personal care services. It includes provisions related to how personal care services are compensated.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This means that workers in home care may see new standards for pay and employment practices.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

204 added · 248 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of HB 96 includes additional provisions for the establishment of the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board. It now specifies that the board will include two voting members who represent direct care workers, ensuring that at least one member is a labor representative of a significant number of workers. This change is important because it aims to better represent the voices of direct care workers in discussions about personal care service standards, which can help improve working conditions and service quality in home care.

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Latest
34-LS0297\I HOUSE BILL NO.
LAWS OF ALASKA Source Chapter No.
96 IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION BY REPRESENTATIVES PRAX, Fields, Kopp, Jimmie, Dibert, Hall, Johnson, Bynum, Ruffridge, Mina, Costello, Galvin, Schrage, Josephson, Eischeid, Gray, Story, Frier Introduced:
CSHB 96(L&C) am _______ AN ACT Establishing the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board;
2/12/25 Referred:
Health and Social Services, Labor and Commerce, Finance A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act establishing the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board;
and providing for an effective date." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
and providing for an effective date.
* Section 1.
_______________ BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1 Enrolled HB 96 AN ACT Establishing the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board;
relating to payment for personal care services;
and providing for an effective date.
_______________ * Section 1.
HB0096a -1- HB 96 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0297\I (A) two voting members who represent covered providers, including at least one agency that provided at least 700,000 units of personal care services during the previous calendar year and one agency that provides habilitation services;
(A) two voting members who represent covered providers, -1- Enrolled HB 96 including at least one agency that provided at least 700,000 units of personal care services during the previous calendar year and one agency that provides habilitation services;
HB 96 -2- HB0096a New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0297\I Sec.
Sec.
The board shall meet at least three times each year and shall hold additional meetings as often as necessary to accomplish the duties of the board.
The board shall meet at least three times each year and shall hold additional meetings as Enrolled HB 96 -2- often as necessary to accomplish the duties of the board.
A meeting may be held in person or by teleconference or other electronic means.
A meeting may be held by teleconference or other electronic means.
(E) the effect of workforce shortages on service recipients and on family members and friends of service recipients providing unpaid care, including compliance with federal requirements to report information to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, regarding wait times for covered services HB0096a -3- HB 96 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0297\I and the percentage of authorized hours for covered services;
(E) the effect of workforce shortages on service recipients and on family members and friends of service recipients providing unpaid care, including compliance with federal requirements to report information to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, regarding wait times for covered services and the percentage of authorized hours for covered services;
(F) the economic impact of achieving a living wage for direct care workers and reducing levels of unpaid care;
(F) the economic impact of achieving a living wage for direct -3- Enrolled HB 96 care workers and reducing levels of unpaid care;
(b) A state agency that receives a reasonable request for information or testimony from the board shall comply with the request as soon as is reasonably practicable, and, when the board requests direct testimony for a board meeting, the head of the agency or the designee of the head of the agency shall appear at the meeting and provide testimony.
(b) A state agency that receives a reasonable request for data, information, or testimony from the board shall comply with the request as soon as is reasonably practicable, and, when the board requests direct testimony for a board meeting, the head of the agency or the designee of the head of the agency shall appear at the meeting and provide testimony.
(c) The department shall ensure the board has access to current and proposed payment rates, payment adequacy reporting information for covered services that is provided by the state to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as required by federal law, and access to metrics created by the state that contain information regarding wait times for covered services and the percentage of authorized hours for covered services.
(a) The board shall biennially prepare a written report, submit the report to the commissioner, the legislative committees having jurisdiction over health and social services, and the chief clerk of the house of representatives and the senate secretary, and notify the legislature that the report is available.
(a) Theboardshall biennially preparea written report in digital format, submit the report to the commissioner, the legislative committees having jurisdiction over health and social services, and the senate secretary and the chief clerk of the house of representatives, and notify the legislature that the report is available.
The commissioner shall make the report and all materials presented before the board available to the public on the department's Internet website.
The commissioner shall make the report available to the public on the department's Internet website.
HB 96 -4- HB0096a New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0297\I (3) safe and healthy working conditions for workers providing covered services;
(3) safe and healthy working conditions for workers providing covered services;
(4) reducing any barrier to recruiting for and retaining workers providing covered services throughout the state, particularly in an area that is not on a road system;
(4) reducinganybarriertorecruitingforandretainingworkersproviding covered services throughout thestate, particularly in anareathatis not on aroad system;
and (6) sufficiency of covered services payment adequacy data and access to care metrics.
and (6) sufficiency of covered services payment adequacy data and access Enrolled HB 96 -4- to care metrics.
(c) Upon receiving the biennial report, the commissioner shall review the board's findings and recommendations.
(c) The department shall take the recommendations of the board into consideration when setting rates for covered services.
The commissioner may (1) accept or reject a recommendation;
If the rate set by the department for a covered service differs significantly from the rate recommended by the board, the commissioner shall notify the board and the chair of each legislative committee having jurisdiction of health and social services in writing.
and (2) require the board to conduct new or further investigations and develop new recommendations.
(d) If the commissioner accepts a recommendation in the biennial report, the department shall adopt regulations necessary to implement the recommendation.
If the commissioner rejects a recommendation in the biennial report, the commissioner shall provide a written explanation of the commissioner's decision to all board members and the legislative committees having jurisdiction over health and social services.
If the reason for rejection includes budgetary constraints, the commissioner shall work with the Office of the Governor and the legislature to develop a budget proposal that would allow the commissioner to accept the recommendation.
HB0096a -5- HB 96 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0297\I (2) "commissioner" means the commissioner of health;
(2) "commissioner" means the commissioner of health;
(3) "covered provider" means an eligible Medicaid provider enrolled with the department to provide one or more covered services;
(3) "covered provider" means an eligible Medicaid provider certified by the department to provide one or more covered services;
(8) "personal care services" means services provided under a section 1915(k) option under 42 U.S.C.
-5- Enrolled HB 96 (8) "personal care services" means services provided under a section 1915(k) option under 42 U.S.C.
(f) Except as provided in (g) of this section, an agency providing home and community-based services shall pay as compensation and benefits to its employees performing personal care services, (1) beginning July 1, 2026, at least 70 percent of the total annual amount of funding the agency receives for personal care services from the department;
(f) Except as provided in (g) of this section, an agency providing home and community-based services shall pay as compensation and benefits to its employees performing personal care services, (1) beginning July 1, 2027, at least 70 percent of the total annual amount of funding the agency receives for personal care services from the department;
(g) The department may grant to an agency providing home and community- based services a hardship exemption from the requirements of (f) of this section if the HB 96 -6- HB0096a New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0297\I agency is facing extraordinary circumstances or is a small provider, as defined by the department.
(g) The department may grant to an agency providing home and community- based services a hardship exemption from the requirements of (f) of this section if the agency is facing extraordinary circumstances or is a small provider, as defined by the department.
An agency that is granted a hardship exemption shall pay as compensation and benefits to its employees performing personal care services, (1) beginning July 1, 2026, at least 60 percent of the total annual amount of funding the agency receives for personal care services from the department;
An agency that is granted a hardship exemption shall pay as compensation and benefits to its employees performing personal care services, (1) beginning July 1, 2027, at least 60 percent of the total annual amount of funding the agency receives for personal care services from the department;
APPOINTMENTS, FIRST MEETING, AND PRELIMINARY REPORT.
APPOINTMENTS AND FIRST MEETING.
(a) The first meeting of the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board established under AS 44.29.900, added by sec.
(a) The first meeting of the Home Care Enrolled HB 96 -6- Employment Standards Advisory Board established under AS 44.29.900, added by sec.
1 of this Act, must take place on or before October 1, 2025.
1 of this Act, must take place on or before October 1, 2027.
(c) The commissioner of health or the commissioner's designee and the commissioner of labor and workforce development or the commissioner's designee shall conduct a preliminary investigation into the wages, working conditions, and adequacy of the Medicaid workforce providing covered services in the state and present the results of the preliminary investigation to the board at the board's first meeting.
PRELIMINARY INTERNET WEBSITE PUBLICATION.
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Notwithstanding HB0096a -7- HB 96 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0297\I AS 44.29.940, added by sec.
1 of this Act, the Department of Health shall make the first publication of the reports required by AS 44.29.940, added by sec.
1 of this Act, on the department's Internet website not later than July 1, 2026.
* Sec.
5.
The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:
6.
5.
(a) Section 2 of this Act takes effect only if, and to the extent that, on or before January 1, 2026, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (1) approves amendments submitted in accordance with sec.
(a) Section 2 of this Act takes effect only if, and to the extent that, on or before January 1, 2027, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (1) approves amendments submitted in accordance with sec.
5 of this Act;
4 of this Act;
7.
6.
5 of this Act or determines that approval is not necessary under sec.
4 of this Act or determines that approval is not necessary under sec.
6 of this Act.
5 of this Act.
8.
7.
7 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2025.
6 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2027.
HB 96 -8- HB0096a New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
-7- Enrolled HB 96
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Action History

  1. (H) VETOED BY GOVERNOR 6/24/26

  2. (H) 1:55 P.M. 6/8/26 Transmitted to Governor

  3. (H) MANIFEST ERROR(S)

  4. (S) VERSION: CSHB 96(L&C) AM

  5. (S) RETURN TO (H), TRANSMIT TO GOV NEXT

  6. (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): YUNDT, CRONK, KAWASAKI, DUNBAR, OLSON, CLAMAN

  7. (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  8. (S) PASSED Y19 N1

  9. (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 96(L&C) AM

  10. (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/19 CAL

  11. (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  12. (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/18/2026

  13. (S) FN2: (DOH)

  14. (S) NR: KAUFMAN, MERRICK, KIEHL

  15. (S) DP: OLSON, HOFFMAN, CRONK

  16. (S) FIN RPT 3DP 3NR

  17. (S) Minutes (SFIN)

  18. (S) Moved CSHB 96(L&C) AM Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change --

  19. (S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532

  20. (S) Scheduled but Not Heard

  21. (S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532

  22. (S) Heard & Held

  23. (S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532

  24. (S) FIN

  25. (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  26. (H) VERSION: CSHB 96(L&C) AM

  27. (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)

  28. (H) COSPONSOR(S): JOSEPHSON, EISCHEID, GRAY, STORY, FRIER

  29. (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  30. (H) PASSED Y35 N5

  31. (H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 96(L&C) AM

  32. (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UC

  33. (H) AM NO 1 ADOPTED UC

  34. (H) L&C CS ADOPTED UC

  35. (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  36. (H) HELD TO 4/27 CALENDAR

  37. (H) MOVED TO BOTTOM OF CALENDAR

  38. (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 4/24/2026

  39. (H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN, SCHRAGE

  40. (H) FN2: (DOH)

  41. (H) AM: ALLARD, TOMASZEWSKI

  42. (H) NR: STAPP

  43. (H) DP: BYNUM, MOORE, JIMMIE, GALVIN, HANNAN, JOSEPHSON, SCHRAGE, FOSTER

  44. (H) FIN RPT CS(L&C) 8DP 1NR 2AM

  45. (H) Moved CSHB 96(L&C) Out of Committee

  46. (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  47. (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  48. (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519

  49. (H) COSPONSOR(S): COSTELLO

  50. (H) COSPONSOR(S): MINA

  51. (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  52. (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  53. (H) COSPONSOR(S): BYNUM, RUFFRIDGE

  54. (H) Minutes (HFIN)

  55. (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 3:15 pm --

  56. (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519

  57. (H) COSPONSOR(S): JOHNSON

  58. (H) FN1: (DOH)

  59. (H) AM: COULOMBE, SADDLER

  60. (H) NR: CARRICK, NELSON

  61. (H) DP: BURKE, HALL, FIELDS

  62. (H) L&C RPT CS(L&C) 3DP 2NR 2AM

  63. (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  64. (H) Moved CSHB 96(L&C) Out of Committee -- Recessed to 3:15 pm --

  65. (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 09:00 AM BARNES 124

  66. (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  67. (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 15 min. Following Session --

  68. (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  69. (H) -- Testimony <Invitation Only> -- -- MEETING CANCELED --

  70. (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  71. (H) FIN REFERRAL ADDED AFTER L&C

  72. (H) FN1: (DOH)

  73. (H) DP: PRAX, FIELDS, SCHWANKE, RUFFRIDGE, MEARS, MINA

  74. (H) HSS RPT CS(HSS) 6DP

  75. (H) Minutes (HHSS)

  76. (H) Moved CSHB 96(HSS) Out of Committee -- Delayed to 4:00 p.m. --

  77. (H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106

  78. (H) Minutes (HHSS)

  79. (H) Heard & Held

  80. (H) HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES at 03:15 PM DAVIS 106

  81. (H) COSPONSOR(S): HALL

  82. (H) COSPONSOR(S): DIBERT

  83. (H) COSPONSOR(S): JIMMIE

  84. (H) COSPONSOR(S): KOPP

  85. (H) COSPONSOR(S): FIELDS

  86. (H) HSS, L&C

  87. (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 23 co-sponsors · 41 not signed on · 6 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (23)

Not signed on (41)

41 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 41 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Third Reading - Final Passage — Effective Date(s)

Passed 19 Yea · 1 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
R 10100
D 9000
Total 19100
% of votes cast 95%5%0%0%
How each member voted (20)
Member Party Vote
Bill Wielechowski D Yea
Donald Olson D Yea
Elvi Gray-Jackson D Yea
Forrest Dunbar D Yea
Jesse Kiehl D Yea
Lyman Hoffman D Yea
Löki Tobin D Yea
Matt Claman D Yea
Scott Kawasaki D Yea
Bert Stedman R Yea
Cathy Giessel R Yea
Cathy Tilton R Yea
Gary Stevens R Yea
George Rauscher R Yea
James Kaufman R Yea
Jesse Bjorkman R Yea
Kelly Merrick R Yea
Mike Cronk R Yea
Robert Myers R Nay
Robert Yundt R Yea

Official roll call →

Third Reading — Final Passage

Passed 35 Yea · 5 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 1000
R 15500
D 14000
N 5000
Total 35500
% of votes cast 88%13%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Steve St. Clair — Yea
Andi Story D Yea
Andrew Gray D Yea
Andy Josephson D Yea
Ashley Carrick D Yea
Carolyn Hall D Yea
Donna Mears D Yea
Genevieve Mina D Yea
Maxine Dibert D Yea
Neal Foster D Yea
Nellie Unangiq Jimmie D Yea
Robyn Niayuq Frier D Yea
Sara Hannan D Yea
Ted Eischeid D Yea
Zack Fields D Yea
Alyse Galvin N Yea
Bryce Edgmon N Yea
Calvin Schrage N Yea
Ky Holland N Yea
Rebecca Himschoot N Yea
Bill Elam R Yea
Chuck Kopp R Yea
Dan Saddler R Nay
David Nelson R Yea
David Nelson R Nay
DeLena Johnson R Yea
Elexie Moore R Yea
Frank Tomaszewski R Yea
Jamie Allard R Nay
Jeremy Bynum R Yea
Jubilee Underwood R Yea
Julie Coulombe R Nay
Justin Ruffridge R Yea
Kevin McCabe R Yea
Louise Stutes R Yea
Mia Costello R Yea
Mike Prax R Yea
Rebecca Schwanke R Nay
Sarah Vance R Yea
Will Stapp R Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety housing healthcare labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 96?
HB 96 is sponsored by Matt Claman (D), Donald Olson (D), Forrest Dunbar (D), Scott Kawasaki (D), Mike Cronk (R), Robert Yundt (R), Robyn Niayuq Frier (D), Andi Story (D), Andrew Gray (D), Ted Eischeid (D), Andy Josephson (D), Calvin Schrage (N), Alyse Galvin (N), Mia Costello (R), Genevieve Mina (D), Justin Ruffridge (R), Jeremy Bynum (R), DeLena Johnson (R), Carolyn Hall (D), Maxine Dibert (D), Nellie Unangiq Jimmie (D), Chuck Kopp (R), Zack Fields (D), and Mike Prax (R).
What is the current status of HB 96?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced February 12, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track HB 96?
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