00                             HOUSE BILL NO. 316                                                                          
01 "An Act adjusting for inflation the limit for damages for losses that may be awarded for                                
02 a personal injury or wrongful death."                                                                                   
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 09.17.010(b) is amended to read:                                                                 
05 (b)  Except as provided under (c) of this section, the damages awarded by a                                             
06 court or a jury under (a) of this section for all claims, including a loss of consortium                                
07 claim, arising out of a single injury or death may not exceed $400,000 or the injured                                   
08 person's life expectancy in years multiplied by $8,000, adjusted under (e) of this                                  
09       section, whichever is greater.                                                                                
10    * Sec. 2. AS 09.17.010(c) is amended to read:                                                                      
11 (c)  In an action for personal injury, the damages awarded by a court or jury                                           
12 that are described under (b) of this section may not exceed $1,000,000 or the person's                                  
13 life expectancy in years multiplied by $25,000, whichever is greater, adjusted under                                
14 (e) of this section, when the damages are awarded for severe permanent physical                                     
01       impairment or severe disfigurement.                                                                               
02    * Sec. 3. AS 09.17.010 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:                                              
03 (e)  The maximum amount of damages specified under (b) and (c) of this                                                  
04 section shall be adjusted for inflation using 100 percent of the change since 1997 in                                   
05 the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for urban Alaska, compiled by the                                      
06       Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor.                                                    
07    * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
08 read:                                                                                                                   
09       APPLICABILITY. Sections 1 - 3 of this Act apply to damages awarded on or after the                                
10 effective date of this Act.