00 CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 28(L&C) 01 Recognizing the vital role of workers serving in the state under the J-1 Exchange Visitor 02 Program, the H-1B Program for specialty occupations, and the H-2B Program for 03 temporary nonagricultural workers in supporting the state's economic security and 04 continuity of critical services. 05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 WHEREAS the state's economic security depends on maintaining a lawful, reliable 07 workforce pipeline that can meet sharp seasonal peaks and specialized staffing needs across a 08 vast geography with many small and remote labor markets; and 09 WHEREAS the state experiences the nation's largest seasonal employment swing, 10 with the gap between the lowest and highest employment months reaching about 14 percent, 11 or roughly 43,900 jobs, primarily driven by tourism, seafood processing, and construction; 12 and 13 WHEREAS the Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports that 14 visitor-related industries employed 68,386 workers in 2024, reflecting staffing needs that 15 surge during the summer tourism season and require timely access to lawful temporary work 01 authorizations; and 02 WHEREAS within the tourism industry, accommodations and scenic and sightseeing 03 transportation are among the most seasonal components of the industry, and the department 04 reports that these industries draw a large share of workers from outside the state during peak 05 season; and 06 WHEREAS seafood processing is one of the state's most seasonal and geographically 07 dispersed industries and employed 18,841 in 2024, including 9,541 seafood processing 08 workers and 3,818 meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers; and 09 WHEREAS the department estimates that in 2024 workers from outside the state 10 made up 49 percent of the state's fish harvesting workforce and received 57 percent of gross 11 harvesting earnings, demonstrating the scale of labor mobility required to support the state's 12 fisheries economy and its associated support industries; and 13 WHEREAS the state's health care sector is a foundational part of the state's economy, 14 supporting more than 46,000 annual average jobs in 2024, representing about 11 percent of 15 statewide employment, and generating about $3,700,000,000 in direct wages, accounting for 16 about 13 percent of total workforce earnings, with a total economic footprint of roughly 17 78,400 jobs and $5,400,000,000 in income when multiplier effects are included; and 18 WHEREAS the state's current supply of health care workers does not meet demand, 19 and employers must hire approximately 9,943 new health care workers statewide each year to 20 address turnover and support growth; and 21 WHEREAS federal law provides targeted, regulated, temporary visa pathways that 22 support employers and institutions in the state that conduct good-faith domestic recruitment 23 and yet continue to face vacancies, including the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, the H-1B 24 program for specialty occupations, and the H-2B program for temporary nonagricultural 25 workers; and 26 WHEREAS these programs serve distinct public purposes, including cultural 27 exchange and training under the J-1 program and specialized, degree-related occupations 28 under the H-1B program, and employers in the state rely on these pathways to maintain 29 continuity of critical services and meet seasonal staffing needs consistent with federal 30 safeguards; and 31 WHEREAS, on September 19, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation 01 restricting entry of certain H-1B nonimmigrants unless the petition is accompanied or 02 supplemented by a payment of $100,000; and 03 WHEREAS a $100,000 per-worker payment requirement effectively prohibits most 04 employers in the state from hiring H-1B workers, including rural hospitals and clinics, 05 seafood processors, tourism businesses, local governments, schools, and contractors, by 06 imposing a cost that cannot be realistically absorbed; 07 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes and supports the 08 lawful contributions of workers serving in the state under the J-1, H-1B, and H-2B visa 09 programs and the role these programs play in the state's economic security and the continuity 10 of critical services and seasonal industries; and be it 11 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages employers, 12 health systems, educational institutions, and community partners in tourism-related industries, 13 seafood processing and fishing support, health care, education, transportation, engineering, 14 and other critical sectors to continue using available federal programs to recruit and retain 15 qualified workers when positions remain vacant after conducting good-faith domestic 16 recruitment and using those programs in full compliance with applicable wage, worker- 17 protection, and program-integrity requirements; and be it 18 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the members of the 19 Alaska delegation in Congress and other federal policymakers to preserve and strengthen 20 workable J-1, H-1B, and H-2B pathways that support the state's unique workforce needs, 21 including improvements to processing times, reductions in avoidable administrative 22 disruptions, support for predictable season-to-season staffing continuity where permitted by 23 law, and prioritization of national-interest considerations for critical and rural services; and be 24 it 25 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature reaffirms its commitment 26 to fostering an economy and public service system that enable qualified workers who are 27 legally authorized to work are able to contribute to communities in the state and to the state's 28 long-term prosperity. 29 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President 30 of the United States; the Honorable JD Vance, Vice President of the United States and 31 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Markwayne Mullin, United States Secretary of 01 Homeland Security; the Honorable Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State; and the 02 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the 03 Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in 04 Congress.