HB 188: "An Act establishing the welcoming Alaska office; establishing the welcoming Alaska center; establishing the Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee; repealing the office of citizenship assistance; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 188 01 "An Act establishing the welcoming Alaska office; establishing the welcoming Alaska 02 center; establishing the Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee; repealing the office of 03 citizenship assistance; and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 23.05 is amended by adding new sections to read: 06 Sec. 23.05.131. Welcoming Alaska office. (a) The welcoming Alaska office is 07 established in the office of the commissioner. The office shall 08 (1) provide to new immigrants and newcomers employment 09 information, referrals to employment services, including job placement services, and 10 information about how to use labor unions, administrative agencies, and court actions 11 to pursue claims or charges of job discrimination, illegal termination of employment, 12 sexual harassment, and unsafe working conditions; 13 (2) consult with stakeholders, including state agencies and local 14 governments, to identify strategies to reduce licensing and other employment barriers
01 for new immigrants and newcomers; 02 (3) use the education and experience of new immigrants and 03 newcomers to benefit the economy of the state; 04 (4) contract with other state agencies to develop and administer 05 programs or services that promote entrance into and mobility within the workforce for 06 new immigrants and newcomers; 07 (5) consult with stakeholders, including state agencies and local 08 governments, to develop and implement a statewide strategy to support businesses in 09 recruiting and retaining workers who are new immigrants and newcomers; 10 (6) advise the commissioner on 11 (A) improving employment opportunities for new immigrants 12 and newcomers; 13 (B) preventing employment discrimination against new 14 immigrants and newcomers; 15 (C) cooperating with state and federal agencies to accomplish 16 the office's mission; 17 (D) supporting the economic and social integration of new 18 immigrants and newcomers; and 19 (E) reducing the exploitation of new immigrants and 20 newcomers; 21 (7) subject to appropriation, offer grants to support the economic and 22 social integration of new immigrants and newcomers; 23 (8) serve as a convener for community-based organizations serving 24 new immigrants and newcomers; 25 (9) design and implement strategies and programs to make the state a 26 more welcoming place for new immigrants and newcomers; 27 (10) serve as a point of contact for all state agencies regarding issues 28 affecting new immigrants and newcomers; 29 (11) subject to appropriation, establish the welcoming Alaska center 30 under AS 25.05.134 and operate a toll-free multilingual hotline for referral of services; 31 (12) coordinate with departments and nonprofit organizations to assist
01 new immigrants and newcomers in improving quality-of-life issues, including access 02 to business opportunities, education, employment, housing, healthcare, and other 03 services; 04 (13) subject to appropriation, assist political subdivisions with fees and 05 other costs associated with visa applications, recruitment, and housing support for new 06 immigrants and newcomers; 07 (14) research and analyze economic and demographic trends to better 08 serve new immigrants and newcomers; 09 (15) coordinate and establish best practices for language access 10 initiatives for all state agencies; 11 (16) serve as an information clearinghouse on information regarding 12 new immigrants and newcomers; and 13 (17) make policy recommendations to the governor and the legislature 14 on issues affecting new immigrants and newcomers. 15 (b) The office may contract with other organizations as appropriate to further 16 the goals of the office. 17 (c) The governor shall appoint an individual to serve as the executive director 18 of the office. The executive director is in the partially exempt service under AS 39.25 19 (State Personnel Act). 20 (d) The department shall adopt regulations necessary to implement this 21 section. 22 Sec. 23.05.132. Welcoming Alaska liaison. (a) Each principal department in 23 the executive branch shall designate one staff member to serve as a liaison between 24 the department and the office. 25 (b) A liaison shall 26 (1) disseminate information about services offered by the department 27 that are available to new immigrants and newcomers, department staff, the office, and 28 the public; 29 (2) communicate with the office on issues affecting new immigrants 30 and newcomers; 31 (3) when applicable, coordinate between the office, the liaison's
01 department, and professional boards within the liaison's department to assist the office 02 with license applications from new immigrants and newcomers. 03 Sec. 23.05.133. Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee. (a) The 04 Welcoming Alaska Advisory Committee is established in the department and shall be 05 staffed and administered by the office. The advisory committee consists of the 06 following nine members: 07 (1) one nonvoting member who is a member of the house of 08 representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 09 (2) one nonvoting member who is a member of the senate appointed by 10 the president of the senate; 11 (3) seven voting members appointed by the governor as follows: 12 (A) a representative from a nonprofit organization that provides 13 employment or language services to new immigrants and newcomers; 14 (B) a representative from a tribal nonprofit organization; 15 (C) a representative from the Alaska Council of School 16 Administrators; 17 (D) a representative from the business community; 18 (E) a representative from a nonprofit legal services agency that 19 provides services to immigrants and refugees; 20 (F) a representative from the criminal justice system; 21 (G) a member of the public. 22 (b) The committee shall 23 (1) assist the office with developing recommendations for policies, 24 procedures, regulations, and legislation to help ensure state government and state 25 programs are accessible and responsive to the needs of new immigrants and 26 newcomers; 27 (2) work with the office to monitor the work of state agencies to 28 include and retain new immigrants and newcomers in state programs; 29 (3) conduct public meetings, as requested by the governor or the 30 office, for the public to comment and make suggestions on attracting to and retaining 31 in the state new immigrants and newcomers and improving the employment
01 opportunities, inclusion in civic matters, and community connections of new 02 immigrants and newcomers; 03 (4) conduct studies, on request of the governor or the office, on issues 04 affecting new immigrants and newcomers; 05 (5) advise the office on ways to increase outreach to new immigrants 06 and newcomers; and 07 (6) review budget requests of the office and recommend to the 08 commissioner amounts for appropriations to the office. 09 (c) A voting member of the committee appointed by the governor serves at the 10 pleasure of the governor for staggered terms of four years until reappointed or 11 replaced. If a vacancy occurs among the voting members, the governor shall appoint a 12 member for the unexpired portion of the term. 13 (d) Voting members of the committee shall elect a member to serve as chair. 14 (e) A majority of the committee constitutes a quorum. 15 (f) The committee shall meet at least twice a year. A meeting may be held at 16 the call of the chair, by request of a majority of the committee, or at the request of the 17 executive director of the office. 18 (g) A member of the committee receives no salary but is entitled to per diem 19 and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180. 20 Sec. 23.05.134. Welcoming Alaska center. (a) Subject to appropriation, the 21 office shall establish a welcoming Alaska center in one or more communities to 22 provide virtual and in-person information and assistance for new immigrants and 23 newcomers. The office shall prioritize establishing a welcoming Alaska center in an 24 existing state office facility or on a University of Alaska campus that is easily 25 accessible and conveniently located. 26 (b) A welcoming Alaska center shall provide the following services to new 27 immigrants and newcomers: 28 (1) English and Alaska Native language instruction; 29 (2) employment services and training; and 30 (3) assistance with access to government programs and community 31 services.
01 Sec. 23.05.135. Definitions. In AS 23.05.131 – 23.05.135, 02 (1) "newcomer" means a person who moved to the state from another 03 state in the preceding 36 months; 04 (2) "new immigrant" means a person, or the child of a person, who has 05 arrived, or will arrive, to the state as an immigrant or refugee; 06 (3) "office" means the welcoming Alaska office established under 07 AS 23.05.131. 08 * Sec. 2. AS 39.25.120(c) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 09 (22) the executive director of the welcoming Alaska office. 10 * Sec. 3. AS 23.05.125 is repealed. 11 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 12 read: 13 STUDY; REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. The welcoming Alaska office 14 established under AS 23.05.131 shall conduct a study to determine immigration opportunities 15 in the state, establish goals for the welcoming Alaska office, and develop performance 16 indicators to measure progress for the welcoming Alaska office. The study must include input 17 from employers in the state. The welcoming Alaska office shall prepare a report explaining 18 the findings from the study and submit the report by July 1, 2027, to the senate secretary and 19 the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the report is 20 available. 21 * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.