# Alaska HB 298: LEGISLATIVE ETHICS CMTE & PROCEEDINGS

Alaska HB 298, LEGISLATIVE ETHICS CMTE & PROCEEDINGS, is a 34th Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Alyse Galvin (Not); status became law, last action 2026-07-03 ((H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 6/24/26); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-04).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AK-HB298-34
- As of: 2026-11-04
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Alaska HB 298
- State: Alaska
- Session: 34th Legislature (2025-2026)
- Title: LEGISLATIVE ETHICS CMTE & PROCEEDINGS
- Status: became law
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-09
- Last action: 2026-07-03, (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 6/24/26
- Sponsor: Alyse Galvin (Not)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Touches household money: yes
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 9

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Protection for legislative workers reporting wrongdoing: benefit, low. Legislators and legislative employees cannot punish, harass, or discriminate against someone for making a qualifying report to a government entity. The reporter must reasonably believe the conduct breaks the Legislative Ethics Act or another state law. Legislative employees punished for such report…
- Ethics investigators gain tools and referrals: benefit, low. The ethics committee can require witnesses to appear, administer oaths, and take testimony in matters before it. The chair must approve subpoenas for books or papers related to an investigation. Evidence of probable criminal activity must be sent to the proper law enforcement agency. Evidence of pr…
- Legislators can use their official titles: benefit, low. Alaska legislators can use “Senator” or “Representative” without breaking the rule against using government resources for nonlegislative purposes. This permission does not cover taking or withholding action in exchange for a private benefit for themselves or someone else.
- Legislative gift recipients must provide proof: cost, low. Legislators and legislative employees must provide added records for gifts accepted under the exception for learning about legislative matters. For gifts worth $250 or more, they must submit an agenda or other proof within 60 days of receipt. The records must show that the gift was mainly for getti…
- Ethics cases get deadlines and penalties: mixed, low. For a probable violation needing only correction, the committee can publicly recommend a fix within 20 days. The subject can request a private meeting within 20 days after receiving the recommendation. Failure to fix the issue within 10 days after that meeting can lead to formal charges or referral…
- Ethics committee membership and expense rules: mixed, low. Public members of Alaska’s legislative ethics committee serve without salary but receive a daily allowance and authorized travel reimbursement. Their daily allowance equals the amount the legislative council sets for legislators. No more than one public member can be a former legislator. No more th…
- Representation and evidence access in complaints: mixed, low. People named in ethics complaints can choose a lawyer or another representative at any point. The committee cannot reject their choice, and choosing representation does not give up confidentiality. The committee can adopt rules allowing evidence requests as soon as a complaint is filed. It can limi…
- Campaigns pause ethics cases against candidates: mixed, low. For legislators and legislative employees running for state office, campaign protections start on the later of two dates: 45 days before the relevant primary or candidate filing day. The period ends at withdrawal, general or special election day, or public certification of primary results for candi…
- Ethics privacy rules limit public access: mixed, low. Complaints and investigation records generally stay private during investigation; dismissal orders and specified records after a probable-cause finding are public. Subjects can waive privacy for specified materials, but witness-identifying details must be removed unless the witness consents. A comp…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Alyse Galvin (Not), House
- Cosponsor: Matt Claman (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Cathy Giessel (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Scott Kawasaki (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kevin McCabe (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Bert Stedman (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Gary Stevens (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Loki Tobin (Democratic), Senate

## Bill text

- Enrolled HB 298, 2026-05-17: [HTML](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/34?Hsid=HB0298Z), [PDF](https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/34/Bills/HB0298Z.PDF)
- SCS HB 298(JUD), 2026-05-11: [HTML](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/34?Hsid=HB0298B), [PDF](https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/34/Bills/HB0298B.PDF)
- HB 298, 2026-02-09: [HTML](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/34?Hsid=HB0298A), [PDF](https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/34/Bills/HB0298A.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB 263: APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET;FUNDS;SUPP (signed)
- HB 265: APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET (signed)
- HB 239: CRIME/CNTRL SUBST/ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY (became law)
- HB 246: SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICE AGENCY FUNDING (became law)
- HB 195: PHARMACISTS; PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATES (became law)
- HB 73: COMPLEX CARE RESIDENTIAL HOMES (signed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled HB 298 (HTML)](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/34?Hsid=HB0298Z)
- [Enrolled HB 298 (PDF)](https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/34/Bills/HB0298Z.PDF)
- [SCS HB 298(JUD) (HTML)](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/34?Hsid=HB0298B)
- [SCS HB 298(JUD) (PDF)](https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/34/Bills/HB0298B.PDF)
- [HB 298 (HTML)](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/34?Hsid=HB0298A)
- [HB 298 (PDF)](https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/34/Bills/HB0298A.PDF)

## Related
- [HB 263: APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET;FUNDS;SUPP](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AK-HB263-34)
- [HB 265: APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AK-HB265-34)
- [HB 239: CRIME/CNTRL SUBST/ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AK-HB239-34)
- [HB 246: SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICE AGENCY FUNDING](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AK-HB246-34)
- [HB 195: PHARMACISTS; PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AK-HB195-34)
- [HB 73: COMPLEX CARE RESIDENTIAL HOMES](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AK-HB73-34)
- [Alaska bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alaska/bills)
- [Alaska state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alaska)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AK-HB298-34 (as of 2026-11-04).