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