04/30/2025 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

             HB 156-DISCLOSURE OF WAGE INFORMATION                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:04:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GRAY  announced that the  first order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL   NO.  156,  "An   Act  relating  to   disclosure  of                                                               
information   regarding  employee   compensation  by   employers,                                                               
employees, and applicants for employment."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:05:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 1:05 p.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:05:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MINA,  as prime sponsor,  gave a recap of  HB 156,                                                               
which  aims  to  do  two  things.   Firstly,  the  bill  promotes                                                               
efficiencies in  Alaska's labor  market by  requiring wage/salary                                                               
transparency  in  job  postings and  prohibiting  employers  from                                                               
asking  about  salary  history;  secondly,  it  addresses  issues                                                               
related to  wage discrimination  and wage  gaps by  enshrining in                                                               
state law the  existing federal law that  allows discussion about                                                               
wages in the workplace.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:06:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GRAY opened  public testimony.  After  ascertaining that no                                                               
one wished to testify, he closed public testimony on HB 156.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:07:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP  said as the  bill progresses, he  would like                                                               
further  clarification  as to  whether  a  potential employer  is                                                               
allowed to discern if their offer of employment is competitive.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MINA  suggested  directing to  Legislative  Legal                                                               
Services  the  question  of  whether  an  employee  could  ask  a                                                               
potential applicant  about their prior compensation  to determine                                                               
if the job is a competitive  offer, or whether that would violate                                                               
the language on page 1, line 14 through page 2, line 1.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:09:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:09 p.m. to 1:13 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:13:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to report  HB 156 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, HB 156  was reported out of  the House                                                               
Judiciary Standing Committee.