00                            HOUSE BILL NO. 179                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to employee rights; and providing for an effective date."                                              
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                          
04 to read:                                                                                                                
05       SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Employee Free Speech Act.                                               
06    * Sec. 2. AS 23.10 is amended by adding a new section to article 7 to read:                                        
07            Sec. 23.10.450. Employee right to avoid speech. (a) An employer, either                                    
08       personally or through an agent or representative, may not take or threaten to take an                             
09       adverse employment action against an employee because the employee refuses to                                     
10                 (1)  attend an employer-sponsored meeting, the primary purpose of                                       
11 which is to communicate the employer's opinion about religious or political matters; or                                 
12 (2)  listen to communications, the primary purpose of which is to                                                       
13       communicate the employer's opinion about religious or political matters.                                          
14            (b)  An employer who violates (a) of this section is liable for the employee's                               
15       lost wages.                                                                                                       

01            (c)  This section does not prohibit                                                                          
02                 (1)  an employer or its agent or representative from communicating to                                   
03       its employees information                                                                                         
04                      (A)  the employer is required by law to communicate;                                               
05                      (B)  necessary for an employee to perform the employee's job                                       
06            duties;                                                                                                      
07                 (2)  an institution of higher education or its agent or representative from                             
08       communicating to its employees coursework, symposia, or an academic program;                                      
09                 (3)  a requirement that an employer's executive personnel listen to                                     
10       communications about the employer's business;                                                                     
11 (4)  a religious organization from requiring its employees to attend an                                                 
12 employer-sponsored meeting or participate in any communication with the employer                                        
13 or the employer's agent, representative, or designee for the primary purpose of                                         
14       communicating the employer's religious beliefs, practices, or tenets.                                             
15            (d)  In this section,                                                                                        
16                 (1)  "political matters" means matters relating to elections for political                              
17       office, political parties, proposed legislation or regulations, and the decision to join or                       
18       support a political party or political, civic, communal, fraternal, or labor organization;                        
19                 (2)  "religious matters" means matters relating to religious affiliation                                
20       and practice and the decision to join or support a religious organization or association.                         
21    * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).