All Roll Calls
Yes: 282 • No: 270
AlaskaHB 5734th Legislature (2025-2026)HouseWALLET
SCHOOLS: COMM. DEVICES/CLASS SIZE/FUNDING
Sponsored By: Zack Fields (Democratic)
Became Law
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
More base funding for public schools
Beginning July 1, 2025, Alaska’s base student funding amount rises from $5,960 to $6,660, a $700 increase. This amount is used in the state’s public school funding formula. The money goes to school districts, not directly to students or families.
Charter schools gain application and contract protections
Beginning July 1, 2025, districts must allow charter applications during the school year for the next year and announce deadlines. Boards may simplify renewals for contracts they define as in good standing, but approval and renewal are not guaranteed. For contracts becoming legally binding on or after that date, boards may end them only for contract or charter-law violations, or intentional or fraudulent misrepresentation of material facts. Boards must give written notice and may allow time to fix problems. Charter schools can appeal terminations to superior court.
Schools must publish class size targets
Beginning July 1, 2026, each Alaska district must publish average class-size targets for every grade. Targets cannot exceed 23 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 6 or 30 students in grades 7–12. Mixed-grade classes and certain special classes are excluded. Districts must describe procedures for reducing class sizes when they consider reductions appropriate. These are policy targets, not guaranteed limits for every classroom.
Business tax revenue supports school reading
The law separately tracks tax revenue from highly digitized businesses and allows lawmakers to approve it for school reading grants. Districts qualify for at least $450 per kindergarten–grade 6 student who finishes the year reading at grade level or shows improvement. Improvement must be shown through a department-approved reading screen, language-arts assessment, or language-arts portfolio. Grants go to districts, not families; if approved funding falls short, eligible districts receive proportionally reduced amounts. Approved revenue left after reading grants must support secondary vocational and technical instruction, shared proportionally among secondary schools. These rules take effect only if SB 113 or a substantially similar law using sales-factor tax apportionment for highly digitized businesses is enacted. They begin 181 days after the relevant tax provision takes effect.
More dedicated funding for vocational classes
The law raises the funding factor for secondary vocational and technical instruction from 1.015 to 1.023. Eligible costs exclude administration and general literacy, math, and job-readiness instruction. Districts must budget and spend extra money generated by qualifying factor increases on secondary vocational and technical instruction. That spending rule covers increases taking effect on or after the rule’s effective date. Both changes take effect only if SB 113 or a substantially similar law using sales-factor tax apportionment for highly digitized businesses is enacted. They begin 181 days after the relevant tax provision takes effect.
State funding formula supports school transportation
For school years beginning July 1, 2025, eligible Alaska districts receive transportation funding, subject to lawmakers approving the money. It supports district-run or contracted transportation for students who live a distance from established schools. Funding equals average daily enrollment, excluding correspondence programs, multiplied by the district’s amount per student set in law. Examples include $529 in Anchorage, $992 in Fairbanks, and $3,247 in Bristol Bay. Districts receive this support, not families directly.
Student device limits include required exceptions
Beginning July 1, 2025, districts must adopt and share rules for students’ personal wireless devices during regular school hours. These hours include lunch and passing periods. Policies banning use must allow medical, translation, emergency, and teacher- or administrator-approved educational exceptions. Schools in districts without a policy cannot allow students to use telecommunications devices during those hours. This provision does not authorize monitoring, collecting, or accessing information about a student’s device use.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Zack Fields
Democratic • House
Cosponsors
Jesse Bjorkman
Republican • Senate
Ashley Carrick
Democratic • House
Matt Claman
Democratic • Senate
Mike Cronk
Republican • Senate
Forrest Dunbar
Democratic • Senate
Alyse Galvin
Not • House
Cathy Giessel
Republican • Senate
Elvi Gray-Jackson
Democratic • Senate
Andy Josephson
Democratic • House
Scott Kawasaki
Democratic • Senate
Jesse Kiehl
Democratic • Senate
Kelly Merrick
Republican • Senate
Genevieve Mina
Democratic • House
Donny Olson
Democratic • Senate
Calvin Schrage
Not • House
Bert Stedman
Republican • Senate
Gary Stevens
Republican • Senate
Loki Tobin
Democratic • Senate
Bill Wielechowski
Democratic • Senate
Robert Yundt
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 5/20/2025
GOVERNOR VETO OVERRIDDEN Y46 N14
Yes: 46 • No: 14
House vote • 4/30/2025
CONCUR AM OF (S) Y31 N8 E1
Yes: 31 • No: 8
Senate vote • 4/30/2025
PASSED Y17 N3
Yes: 17 • No: 3
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 23 FAILED Y6 N14
Yes: 6 • No: 14
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 24 FAILED Y8 N11 A1
Yes: 8 • No: 11
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 9 FAILED Y7 N13
Yes: 7 • No: 13
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 12 FAILED Y5 N15
Yes: 5 • No: 15
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 10 FAILED Y5 N15
Yes: 5 • No: 15
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 13 FAILED Y5 N15
Yes: 5 • No: 15
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
PASSED Y19 N1
Yes: 19 • No: 1
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
PASSED ON RECONSIDERATION Y19 N1
Yes: 19 • No: 1
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 14 FAILED Y8 N12
Yes: 8 • No: 12
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 15 FAILED Y6 N14
Yes: 6 • No: 14
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 16 FAILED Y7 N13
Yes: 7 • No: 13
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 17 FAILED Y5 N15
Yes: 5 • No: 15
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 8 FAILED Y6 N14
Yes: 6 • No: 14
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 11 FAILED Y6 N14
Yes: 6 • No: 14
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 19 FAILED Y7 N13
Yes: 7 • No: 13
Senate vote • 4/28/2025
AM NO 7 FAILED Y7 N13
Yes: 7 • No: 13
House vote • 4/16/2025
PASSED Y34 N6
Yes: 34 • No: 6
House vote • 4/11/2025
AM NO 2 ADOPTED Y19 N18 E3
Yes: 19 • No: 18
House vote • 4/11/2025
AM NO 3 FAILED Y9 N28 E3
Yes: 9 • No: 28
Actions Timeline
(H) FN7: (S.FIN/LEG)
10/15/2025House(H) FN6: (S.FIN/LWF)
10/15/2025House(H) FN5: (S.FIN/EED)
10/15/2025House(H) FN(S) ATTACHED TO APPROP. BILL HB 53
10/15/2025House(H) LEG FINANCE APPROPRIATION MESSAGE 9/30/25
10/15/2025House(S) LEG FINANCE APPROPRIATION MESSAGE 9/30/25
10/3/2025Senate(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW SEE CHAPTER
7/30/2025House(H) ASSIGNED CHAPTER 5 SLA 25
7/30/2025House(S) MEMBERS: TOBIN (CO-CHAIR), KIEHL, CRONK
7/30/2025Senate(H) MEMBERS: HIMSHOOT (CO-CHAIR), STORY, RUFFRIDGE
7/30/2025House(H) TO LEGAL SERVICES
5/20/2025House(H) GOVERNOR VETO OVERRIDDEN Y46 N14
5/20/2025House(H) VETOED BY GOVERNOR 5/19/25
5/19/2025House(H) MANIFEST ERROR(S)
5/2/2025House(H) 9:15 A.M. 5/1/25 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR
5/2/2025House(H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN, MINA
4/30/2025House(H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
4/30/2025House(H) CONCUR AM OF (S) Y31 N8 E1
4/30/2025House(H) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 5
4/30/2025House(H) CONCUR MESSAGE READ AND TAKEN UP
4/30/2025House(S) VERSION: SCS CSHB 57(FIN) AM S(REENGROSSED)
4/30/2025Senate(S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) AS AMENDED
4/30/2025Senate(S) KIEHL, GIESSEL, CLAMAN, CRONK, STEDMAN, OLSON, BJORKMAN, MERRICK, STEVENS
4/30/2025Senate(S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): TOBIN, WIELECHOWSKI, DUNBAR, KAWASAKI, YUNDT, GRAY-JACKSON,
4/30/2025Senate(S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE
4/30/2025Senate
Bill Text
Enrolled HB 57
4/30/2025
SCS CSHB 57(FIN) am S(reengrossed)
4/30/2025
SCS CSHB 57(FIN) am S
4/28/2025
SCS CSHB 57(FIN)
4/25/2025
CSHB 57(EDC)
3/14/2025
CSHB 57(L&C)
2/10/2025
HB 57
1/22/2025
CSHB 57(EDC) am
4/11/2024