00                             HOUSE BILL NO. 44                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to workers' compensation death benefits; and providing for an                                          
02 effective date."                                                                                                        
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 23.30.215(a) is amended to read:                                                                   
05            (a)  If the injury causes death, the compensation is known as a death benefit                                
06       and is payable in the following amounts to or for the benefit of the following persons:                           
07                 (1)  reasonable and necessary funeral expenses not exceeding $12,000;                                   
08                 (2)  if there is a widow or widower or a child or children of the                                       
09       deceased, the following percentages of the spendable weekly wages of the deceased:                                
10                      (A)  80 percent for the widow or widower with no children;                                         
11                      (B)  50 percent for the widow or widower with one child and 40                                     
12            percent for the child;                                                                                       
13                      (C)  30 percent for the widow or widower with two or more                                          
14            children and 70 percent divided equally among the children;                                                  

01                      (D)  100 percent for an only child when there is no widow or                                       
02            widower;                                                                                                     
03                      (E)  100 percent, divided equally, if there are two or more                                        
04            children and no widow or widower;                                                                            
05 (3)  if the widow or widower remarries, the widow or widower is                                                         
06 entitled to be paid in one sum an amount equal to the compensation to which the                                         
07 widow or widower would otherwise be entitled in the two years commencing on the                                         
08 date of remarriage as full and final settlement of all sums due the widow or widower;                                   
09 (4)  if there is no widow or widower or child or children, then for the                                                 
10 support of father, mother, grandchildren, brothers, and sisters, if dependent on the                                    
11 deceased at the time of injury, 42 percent of the spendable weekly wage of the                                          
12 deceased to such beneficiaries, share and share alike, not to exceed $150,000 in the                                    
13       aggregate;                                                                                                        
14 (5)  $8,000 to a surviving widow or widower, or equally divided among                                                   
15       surviving children of the deceased if there is no widow or widower; and                                       
16 (6)  if there is no widow or widower or child or children, and the                                                  
17 father, mother, grandchildren, brothers, and sisters were not dependent on the                                      
18       deceased at the time of injury, the following amounts are payable in a lump sum:                              
19 (A)  $120,000 to the surviving parent, if there is only one                                                         
20            surviving parent;                                                                                        
21 (B)  $120,000 divided equally among the surviving parents,                                                          
22            if there are two or more surviving parents; or                                                           
23 (C)  $120,000 to the estate of the decedent, if there are no                                                        
24            surviving parents.                                                                                       
25    * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.