00                       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 39                                                                     
01 Urging the federal government to waive the new H-1B Visa fees for teachers in the state.                                
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03 WHEREAS many school districts in the state, particularly those located in rural and                                   
04 remote communities, face persistent shortages of qualified educators, especially in critical                            
05 subject areas, including math, science, and special education, which creates significant                                
06 challenges to maintaining consistent and high-quality instruction; and                                                  
07       WHEREAS a growing number of school districts in the state have hired international                              
08 educators through the H-1B visa process to address shortages and expand workforce capacity;                             
09 and                                                                                                                     
10       WHEREAS a 2025 executive order raised the cost of H-1B visas to $100,000 a                                      
11 person each year, which threatens to impose significant financial hurdles for schools and                               
12 employers in the state; and                                                                                             
13       WHEREAS, currently, the state employs close to 500 international educators working                              
14 in schools on visas; and                                                                                                
15       WHEREAS implementation of the 2025 executive order could result in the state                                    
16 facing the difficult choice of paying millions of dollars for visa recipients or going without                          
01 these needed teachers; and                                                                                              
02       WHEREAS, already, more than 5,000 state students began this school year without a                               
03 teacher, undermining their right to a properly maintained education system; and                                         
04       WHEREAS time is of the essence, as state school districts must begin hiring now to                              
05 secure educators in time for the fall school year; and                                                                  
06       WHEREAS the state is committed to providing students with a high-quality                                        
07 education, ensuring each student has the opportunity to succeed academically and reach their                            
08 full potential; and                                                                                                     
09       WHEREAS recruitment and retention of qualified educators is essential to the success                            
10 of the state's educational institutions and the long-term sustainability and well-being of our                          
11 communities and economy;                                                                                                
12 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the federal government to                                      
13 waive the $100,000 H-1B visa fee for individuals being hired as educators in the state.                                 
14 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President                                   
15 of the United States; the Honorable JD Vance, Vice President of the United States and                                   
16 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Linda McMahon, United States Secretary of                                   
17 Education; the Honorable Kristi Noem, United States Secretary of Homeland Security; and                                 
18 the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the                                     
19 Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in                                     
20 Congress.