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AlaskaHB 10134th Legislature - Second Session (2026)House

CRIMES AGAINST MINORS; AGE CONSENT TO 18

Sponsored By: Andrew Gray (Democratic)

Became Law

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Survivors under 18 can sue abusers

If you were under 18 when the sexual abuse happened, you can sue the abuser for your injuries. The law raises the cutoff from under 16 to under 18. This expands who can bring a civil case and seek damages.

Harsher sentences when crimes involve kids

Judges can apply higher sentences when a victim is under 18 or when an adult used or was helped by a person under 18. Prior sex-related felonies that involved victims under 18 now count as prior sexual-felony convictions. These changes raise potential sentence ranges and allow more aggravating factors.

Sexual abuse rules protect all under 18

Sexual abuse laws now treat 16- and 17-year-olds as minors. First-, second-, and third-degree sexual abuse use under-18 rules in many authority and age-gap cases. The age-gap rules are clarified for 13–15 and 16–17. A defendant must now reasonably believe the victim was 18 or older to use the age-mistake defense, and that defense still does not apply if the victim was under 13.

Stronger rules on enticement and sexual images

Enticing a child now covers anyone under 18 and at least two years younger; believing the person was a child is enough. Indecent-picture crimes cover people under 18 and include cases where the offender believed the person was underage. Sending explicit images of someone who was under 18 when the photo was taken is a crime if done to annoy or humiliate. Giving harmful sexual material to someone under 18 and at least two years younger is illegal, and it is no defense that the person was actually 18 or older. Registered offenders face higher felony levels for enticement or distribution, and courts use under-18 standards to judge what is harmful to minors.

Tougher penalties for harming or stalking children

Murder, assault, and stalking laws now use under-18 in key parts, not under-16. This lets more cases qualify as first- or second-degree murder and raises assault and stalking penalties when the victim is under 18. Caregivers face child-endangerment charges for deserting or leaving a child under 18 with certain people. For second-degree murder of a child under 18 in listed situations, the minimum sentence is now at least 20 years.

Wider sex-offender registry and definitions

More crimes against people under 18 now count as sex offenses. Indecent exposure before someone under 18 can count toward lifetime registration if it happens more than twice. Definitions are updated and some old subsections are repealed to match the new under-18 rules. These updates can require more offenders to register and for longer.

Courtroom protections for child victims

Courts can appoint a guardian ad litem for a child victim or witness. A child under 18 can testify by closed-circuit TV or similar methods if normal testimony would make communication hard. These steps help reduce trauma and improve testimony.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Andrew Gray

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

Actions Timeline

  1. (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): MERRICK, GIESSEL

    4/13/2026Senate

  2. (S) Heard & Held

    3/23/2026Senate

  3. (S) JUDICIARY at 01:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

    3/23/2026Senate

  4. Audio/Video

    3/23/2026House

  5. (S) CRONK

    3/4/2026Senate

  6. (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): GRAY-JACKSON, MYERS, TILTON, KAWASAKI, YUNDT, BJORKMAN,

    3/4/2026Senate

  7. (S) Heard & Held

    2/25/2026Senate

  8. (S) JUDICIARY at 01:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

    2/25/2026Senate

  9. Audio/Video

    2/25/2026House

  10. (S) Heard & Held

    2/9/2026Senate

  11. (S) JUDICIARY at 01:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

    2/9/2026Senate

  12. Audio/Video

    2/9/2026House

  13. (S) REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

    5/19/2025Senate

  14. (S) JUD, FIN

    5/19/2025Senate

  15. (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

    5/19/2025Senate

  16. (H) VERSION: CSHB 101(FIN)

    5/19/2025House

  17. (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)

    5/19/2025House

  18. (H) COSPONSOR(S): KOPP, NELSON

    5/19/2025House

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

    5/19/2025House

  20. (H) PASSED ON RECONSIDERATION Y39 A1

    5/19/2025House

  21. (H) RECON SAME DAY UC - IN THIRD READING

    5/19/2025House

  22. (H) STUTES NOTICE OF RECONSIDERATION

    5/19/2025House

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

    5/19/2025House

  24. (H) PASSED Y39 A1

    5/19/2025House

  25. (H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 101(FIN)

    5/19/2025House

Bill Text

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