All Roll Calls
Yes: 47 • No: 33
AlaskaHB 4734th Legislature (2025-2026)House
CHLD SEX ABUSE MAT; GEN IMAGES; SOC MEDIA
Sponsored By: Sarah Vance (Republican)
Failed
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
13 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 8 costs, 2 mixed.
Lifetime teaching bans after covered convictions
The commissioner or Professional Teaching Practices Commission must revoke a teaching certificate for life after a listed conviction involving a minor. Covered crimes include generated-material distribution, generated-material possession, and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Covered attempts, solicitations, conspiracies, and equivalent out-of-state convictions also qualify. The amendments apply to sentences imposed on or after the effective date for conduct on or after that date.
Limited prosecution protection for crime reporters
Victims or witnesses of generated-material distribution or possession gain limited protection from prosecution under AS 11.66.100(a)(1). They must report the crime to law enforcement in good faith and cooperate. The protection applies only when evidence supporting that prosecution was obtained or discovered because of the report. It is not immunity from all criminal charges.
Narrower harassment charges for sexual conduct
Specified offensive physical contact is excluded from first-degree harassment when it falls under the listed sexual-assault, child-abuse, or exploitation laws. Repeatedly sharing genital images to harass or annoy is excluded from the specified second-degree harassment rule when listed exploitation or image-crime laws apply. These exclusions narrow the harassment charges; they do not make conduct covered by those other laws legal.
Possession exceptions for provider safety workers
Employees and contractors of covered interactive computer, internet, cloud, and telecommunications services receive an exception from the specified possession crimes. They must possess or access the material within their job duties. Their sole purpose must be preventing, detecting, reporting, or responding to its production, generation, manipulation, or modification.
Broader crimes for exploiting children
Unlawful exploitation now includes inducing, employing, or recording a child under 18 in contact with semen to produce covered material. People age 16 or older commit second-degree sexual abuse by helping or encouraging someone under 16 into listed sexual conduct. The list includes contact with semen. Adults age 18 or older also commit enticement by knowingly encouraging listed sexual conduct with someone under 16 or believed under 16. The encouraged conduct does not have to happen.
Felony penalties for generated abuse images
Knowingly possessing generated obscene child sexual abuse material, or accessing it on a computer to view it, is a class C felony. Generated or altered images qualify whether or not an actual child was used. They must offensively depict someone under 18 appearing to perform listed sexual conduct and appeal to shameful or morbid sexual interests under community standards. Taken as a whole, the material must lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. The existing possession crime also covers altered depictions using an actual child under 18, including part of a child, and knowing computer access intended for viewing.
Fewer court alternatives for abuse-material defendants
Courts cannot defer prosecution or suspend entry of judgment for people charged with generated-material distribution or possession. After conviction, courts cannot suspend imposition of sentence for those crimes. Both crimes now count as sexual felonies; the crimes and related attempts, solicitations, and conspiracies also count as sex offenses. Generated-material distribution joins the serious-offense list, which also has updated references to other covered crimes. The classification amendments apply to sentences imposed on or after the effective date for conduct on or after that date.
Longer prison terms for abuse-material offenses
Class A generated-material distribution carries standard sentencing ranges of 5–15 years for a first felony, 10–25 for a second, and 20–35 for a third. The stated term is 99 years with two prior sexual-felony convictions. Class B distribution and generated-material possession have a stated first-conviction range of 4–12 years. That range becomes 6–14 years for hosting, creating, or helping host or create a sharing system, or having a financial stake in one. For two or more covered offenses, courts must add consecutive prison time for each additional crime, attempt, or solicitation. The sentencing amendments apply to sentences imposed on or after the effective date for conduct on or after that date; no calendar date is supplied.
More probation limits for abuse-material offenders
Courts can impose added probation limits for listed abuse-material convictions, including generated-material distribution and possession or similar out-of-state crimes. Limits can bar using or creating websites, communicating with children under 16, and possessing or using computers. Courts can also bar living within 500 feet of school grounds. These limits apply only when the court orders them as probation conditions.
New felony rules for sharing abuse images
Knowingly distributing covered generated abuse material in Alaska, or advertising, promoting, soliciting, or offering its distribution there, is a class B felony. A qualifying prior distribution conviction makes it a class A felony. Possessing 100 or more covered items supplies initial legal evidence of distribution and intent to distribute, not automatic proof of guilt. A prior generated-material distribution conviction also triggers class A treatment for later distribution of child sexual abuse material. Alaska can start a generated-material distribution prosecution at any time, with no filing deadline.
Some driver licenses barred after convictions
The department cannot issue the specific driver license covered by AS 28.15.046 to applicants convicted of generated-material distribution or possession. Either conviction triggers the restriction. This is a restriction on that license, not a stated ban on every type of driver license.
Broader investigations and property-loss risks
Officers gain authority to request internet-provider business records through an administrative subpoena from the attorney general or a designee. They need reasonable cause linking an account to a covered offense, and the account information must help obtain relevant evidence. After conviction, the state can take property used to help commit covered abuse-material crimes or related solicitation, attempts, or conspiracy. These tools expand investigations while exposing affected accounts to records requests and affected property to forfeiture.
More public access to youth cases
A juvenile hearing alleging generated-material distribution can be opened to the public when the department asks the court. The court can still limit or prohibit public access. On request, the department must disclose public information about a minor who committed that offense at age 13 or older. The changes expand public access while reducing privacy for affected youth.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Sarah Vance
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Jamie Allard
Republican • House
Jesse Bjorkman
Republican • Senate
Ashley Carrick
Democratic • House
Mia Costello
Republican • House
Julie Coulombe
Republican • House
Mike Cronk
Republican • Senate
Alyse Galvin
Not • House
Cathy Giessel
Republican • Senate
Elvi Gray-Jackson
Democratic • Senate
DeLena Johnson
Republican • House
Andy Josephson
Democratic • House
James Kaufman
Republican • Senate
Scott Kawasaki
Democratic • Senate
Kevin McCabe
Republican • House
Kelly Merrick
Republican • Senate
Robert Myers
Republican • Senate
Mike Prax
Republican • House
Steve St. Clair
Republican • House
Bert Stedman
Republican • Senate
Cathy Tilton
Republican • Senate
Frank Tomaszewski
Republican • House
Jubilee Underwood
Republican • House
Robert Yundt
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 2/25/2026
AM NO 5 ADOPTED Y28 N12
Yes: 28 • No: 12
House vote • 2/23/2026
DISCHARGE FROM RLS, RULE 18, FAILED Y19 N21
Yes: 19 • No: 21
Actions Timeline
(S) YUNDT, CRONK, KAUFMAN
4/13/2026Senate(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): MERRICK, STEDMAN, GIESSEL, GRAY-JACKSON, MYERS, KAWASAKI,
4/13/2026Senate(S) REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
4/10/2026Senate(S) FN13: ZERO(ADM)
4/10/2026Senate(S) FN12: ZERO(AJS)
4/10/2026Senate(S) FN11: ZERO(ADM)
4/10/2026Senate(S) FN10: ZERO(EED)
4/10/2026Senate(S) FN9: ZERO(DFC)
4/10/2026Senate(S) FN8: ZERO(LAW)
4/10/2026Senate(S) FN7: ZERO(DPS)
4/10/2026Senate(S) DP: DUNBAR, GRAY-JACKSON, YUNDT
4/10/2026Senate(S) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 20
4/10/2026Senate(S) CRA RPT SCS 3DP NEW TITLE
4/10/2026Senate(S) Moved SCS CSHB 47(CRA) Out of Committee
4/9/2026Senate(S) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 01:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
4/9/2026SenateAudio/Video
4/9/2026House(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): BJORKMAN, TILTON
3/2/2026Senate(S) CRA, JUD
3/2/2026Senate(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
3/2/2026Senate(H) VERSION: CSHB 47(JUD) AM
2/27/2026House(H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
2/27/2026House(H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN, JOSEPHSON
2/27/2026House(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
2/27/2026House(H) PASSED Y39 E1
2/27/2026House(H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 47(JUD) AM
2/27/2026House
Bill Text
SCS CSHB 47(CRA)
4/10/2026
CSHB 47(JUD) am
2/25/2026
CSHB 47(JUD)
2/2/2026
CSHB 47(CRA)
4/30/2025
HB 47
1/22/2025