Alaska 34th Alaska State Legislature Status: In Committee 1 D cosponsors

HB 271 — An Act relating to the royalty rate for the Kitchen Lights Unit; and providing for an effective date.

Last action — (H) REFERRED TO RULES

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

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced January 23, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

10 added · 10 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the updated version of Bill HB 271, the phrase "to reduce reliance" has been changed to "to avoid reliance." This alteration emphasizes the goal of completely eliminating dependence on certain energy sources rather than merely decreasing it. This shift matters because it signals a stronger commitment to creating energy independence for Southcentral utilities and their customers, which could lead to more stable jobs and a more reliable energy supply in the region.

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34-LS1225\H CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO.
34-LS1225\G HOUSE BILL NO.
271(RES) IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE -SECOND SESSION BY THE HOUSE RESOURCES COMMITTEE Referred:
271 IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION BY REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS Introduced:
Finance Sponsor(s):
1/23/26 Referred:
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act relating to the royalty rate for the Kitchen Lights Unit;
Resources, Finance A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act relating to the royalty rate for the Kitchen Lights Unit;
(3) gas production in Cook Inlet is necessary to ensure reliable and affordable energy supply for Southcentral utilities and ratepayers, to protect jobs, and to reduce reliance on imported fuels;
(3) gas production in Cook Inlet is necessary to ensure reliable and affordable energy supply for Southcentral utilities and ratepayers, to protect jobs, and to avoid reliance on imported fuels;
and (4) granting royalty modification for certain Kitchen Lights Unit leases is in -1- CSHB 271(RES) New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS1225\H the best interests of the state because a royalty modification is projected to extend gas production from the leases for use by state residents and to maximize economic benefits to the state, when compared with no modification.
and (4) granting royalty modification for certain Kitchen Lights Unit leases is in HB0271a -1- HB 271 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS1225\G the best interests of the state because a royalty modification is projected to extend gas production from the leases for use by state residents and to maximize economic benefits to the state, when compared with no modification.
CSHB 271(RES) -2- New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
HB 271 -2- HB0271a New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
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How this bill changes current law

6 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes modified royalty rates for leases in the Cook Inlet sedimentary basin and introduces a reporting requirement on leases receiving royalty relief.

  • AS 38.05.180

    Under (j) of this section, beginning January 1, 2026, the commissioner shall modify the leases within the Kitchen Lights Unit so that the royalty rate for leases within the Kitchen Lights Unit is three percent if the lessee can demonstrate that the royalty rate, as modified under this subsection, will result in cost savings to end users of natural gas.

    Introduces a three percent royalty rate for Kitchen Lights Unit leases starting January 1, 2026, contingent on cost savings to gas end-users.

  • AS 38.05.180

    Under (j) of this section, beginning January 1, 2027, the commissioner shall modify the leases within the Cook Inlet sedimentary basin so that the royalty rate for leases within the Cook Inlet sedimentary basin is five percent if the lessee can demonstrate that the royalty rate, as modified under this subsection, will result in cost savings to end users of natural gas.

    Establishes a five percent royalty rate for Cook Inlet leases starting January 1, 2027, based on cost savings to gas end-users.

  • AS 38.05.180

    Every five years, the commissioner shall prepare a report on the leases receiving royalty relief under this section.

    Mandates a biennial report on leases receiving royalty relief to assess production, revenues, and economic impact.

  • AS 38.05.180

    This subsection does not apply to leases modified under (mm) of this section.

    Clarifies that the new reporting requirements do not pertain to leases modified under the established three percent royalty rate.

  • Uncodified Law

    Section 1 of this Act and AS 38.05.180(mm), enacted by sec. 2 of this Act, are retroactive to January 1, 2026.

    Retroactively applies the provisions related to royalty modifications to January 1, 2026.

  • Uncodified Law

    Section 2 of this Act takes effect only if, before December 31, 2031, a lessee within the Kitchen Lights Unit transports a jack-up rig to Cook Inlet and uses the jack-up rig to drill a well for the purpose of discovering or extracting gas from the Cook Inlet sedimentary basin.

    Establishes a conditional effect for the royalty modifications based on specific drilling activity in the Kitchen Lights Unit.

Action History

  1. (H) REFERRED TO RULES

  2. (H) FN1: (DNR)

  3. (H) AM: BYNUM, JOSEPHSON

  4. (H) NR: TOMASZEWSKI, ALLARD

  5. (H) DNP: JIMMIE, GALVIN, HANNAN, FOSTER

  6. (H) DP: MOORE, STAPP, SCHRAGE

  7. (H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) NEW TITLE 3DP 4DNP 2NR 2AM

  8. (H) Moved CSHB 271(FIN) Out of Committee

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

  10. (H) Heard & Held

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

  12. (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 2:00 pm--

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

  14. (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

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

  16. (H) FN1: (DNR)

  17. (H) NR: HALL

  18. (H) DNP: PRAX, MEARS

  19. (H) DP: FIELDS, COULOMBE, SADDLER, ELAM, DIBERT, FRIER

  20. (H) RES RPT CS(RES) 6DP 2DNP 1NR

  21. (H) Moved CSHB 271(RES) Out of Committee -- Delayed to 15 minutes Following Session --

  22. (H) RESOURCES at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  23. (H) Scheduled but Not Heard

  24. (H) RESOURCES at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  25. (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  26. (H) RESOURCES at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  27. (H) -- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> -- -- MEETING CANCELED --

  28. (H) RESOURCES at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  29. (H) Heard & Held

  30. (H) RESOURCES at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  31. (H) RES, FIN

  32. (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 64 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (64)

64 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 64 →

"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

Subjects

finance energy
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 271?
HB 271 is sponsored by Zack Fields (D).
What is the current status of HB 271?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced January 23, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 271?
Track HB 271 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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