The 34th Alaska Legislature’s 2026 Regular Session ended on May 20, 2026. The legislature passed numerous laws affecting Alaska healthcare entities and providers.

This article covers some of the highlights.

Senate Bill 89 – Eliminating the Requirement of In-Person Supervision of PAs

We previously discussed SB 89, also known as the “Physician Assistant Scope of Practice” Bill. It broadens the scope of practice of all Physician Associates^[1] and amends AS 08.64.380(6) to define the “practice of medicine” to include care provided by a Physician Associate. Through a number of statutory changes, SB 89 enables Physician Associates to provide a wide range of medical care under collaborative agreements with registered physicians. The Bill eliminates the requirement of in-person supervision of Physician Associates, regardless of geographic location. More specifically, SB 89 repeals and reenacts AS 08.64.107, defining the scope of practice of Physician Associates, amends the definition of Physician Associate in AS 33.30.901(10), and repeals the requirement for in-person supervision by a registered physician in AS 08.64.170(a)(1). In effect, the remote practice location exception in 12 AAC 40.415 now applies to all Physician Associates in Alaska.

The Bill also precludes insurers from imposing practice, education or collaboration requirements for Physician Associates that are inconsistent with or more restrictive than AS 08.64 or an Alaska State Medical Board regulation.

SB 89 automatically became law on June 19^th without Governor Dunleavy’s signature. It will go into effect on September 16, 2026.

House Bill 195 – Granting Pharmacists Authority to Prescribe Certain Medications

HB 195, also known as the “Pharmacists; Physician Associates” Bill, amends numerous Alaska statutes, primarily to replace the term, “Physician Assistant,” with the term, “Physician Associate,” across the entirety of Alaska’s statutes. This change is intended to bring Alaska statutes into alignment with the statutes of other states that use the professional title adopted by the American Academy of Physician Associates in 2021. “Physician Associate” is often perceived to better convey the degree of education, training and responsibility of these clinicians.

HB 195 also amends AS 08.80.337 to expand the scope of “patient care services” pharmacists can provide. Prior to this amendment, the statute defined “patient care services” as “medical care services . . . intended to achieve outcomes related to the cure or prevention of a disease, elimination or reduction of a patient’s symptoms, or arresting or slowing of a disease process.” The statute now defines “patient care services” to include “the prescription or administration of a drug or device to a patient. . . .”.

Opponents of the HB 195 (including some physician groups) expressed concern that expansion of the scope of practice for pharmacists could jeopardize patient care. But proponents overcame this objection by focusing on physician shortages, particularly in remote parts of the state, and the expected improved access to care the amendment would provide. They also pointed out that HB 195 includes several important safeguards. First, HB 195 retains the requirement in AS 08.80.337 that a pharmacist who provides medical care services has a collaborative agreement in place with a practicing physician. Second, the Bill restricts pharmacists to prescribing medication for either existing diagnoses or for new diagnoses that can be confirmed through CLIA-waived laboratory tests. Third, the Bill requires any person applying for a pharmacist license in Alaska must complete education in pain management and opioid use.

Effectively, HB 195 will allow pharmacists to make medication adjustments, continue therapy for current diagnoses, conduct follow-up management, and prescribe medications for basic testable illnesses such as the flu, cold, strep throat, and urinary tract infections, as long as these activities are within the pharmacist’s training and expertise and covered by their collaborative practice agreement. Some anti-abortion activists have suggested that HB 195 will open the door for pharmacists to prescribe abortion medication such as mifepristone. However, such drugs are subject to the FDA Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy, which limits prescribing authority to certified healthcare providers who can accurately date pregnancies and diagnose ectopic pregnancies. Pharmacists do not meet these qualifications. Further, HB 195 does not amend AS 18.16.010, which requires abortions to be performed by licensed physicians.

On a separate note, HB 195 restricts pharmacists from prescribing certain drugs, including schedule IA or IIA controlled substances under Alaska law, Schedule II controlled substances under Federal law, drugs that may only be prescribed by persons who have completed certified education programs, and drugs not generally available at pharmacies.

Governor Dunleavy vetoed HB 195 on June 18th, but the legislature overrode the veto with a 28-12 vote in the House and a 15-5 vote in the Senate.

House Bill 110 – Entering Interstate Compacts for Doctors, Physician Associates, Psychologists, Social Workers, and EMS Personnel

One of the more controversial bills this legislative session is HB 110, also known as the “Health Care/Licensure Compacts/Social Work” Bill. Alaska’s application for the Rural Healthcare Transformation Program (“RHTP”) requires the state to enter into interstate licensing compacts, which would make it easier for certain medical professionals from other participating states to become licensed in Alaska, and vice versa.

To date, Alaska has entered into licensing compacts only for physicians, physician associates, psychologists, social workers, and Emergency Medical Services providers. Notably absent from this list are nurses and nurse practitioners. Alaska is one of only a small minority of states that has not yet opted into the nursing compact.

Then again, the passage of any interstate licensing compact represents a fundamental shift in Alaska. Though HB 110 passed unanimously in the House, and 13-7 in the Senate, the Alaska Legislature was previously hesitant to relinquish Alaska’s power to self-regulate its medical professionals. State Senator Cathy Giessel, who voted against HB 110, explained that she doesn’t “want to give up that authority to look at these medical professions and what they can do in our state.” She added that, “We are the only ones who care about and understand our state’s needs.”

In addition to addressing licensing compacts, HB 110 codifies the RHTP Advisory Council Charter. The Council, which is tasked with reviewing and administering grant projects under the RHTP, must be composed of eight members, including the Deputy Commission of Health or a designee, a member of the state senate, a member of the state house of representatives, and governor-appointed representatives of a tribal health organization or consortium, a federally-qualified health center, a hospital or hospital organization, a local government, and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

Senate Bill 272 – Updating the State’s Health Information Exchange Program Law

A Bill that may have received less public attention than those discussed above is SB 272 (also known as the “Health Information Exchange” Bill). It revises Alaska’s 2009 Health Information Exchange (HIE) law to better balance the efficient, permissible, use of a patient’s individual identifying information while protecting patient privacy.

SB 272 also more clearly delineates the responsibilities of both the Alaska Department of Health and the designated HIE entity and mandates that the HIE board expand to include a slot for a behavioral health provider. Additionally, the Bill reinforces that individually identifiable information can be released not just for patient treatment and billing purposes, but for certain public health activities and healthcare operations purposes, as well. Though a proposed amendment to SB 272 that would have allowed patients to restrict access to records on a provider-by-provider basis failed to pass, patients remain able to opt out of the HIE system completely.

The impact of SB 272 is unlikely to be significant for the operations of healthcare organizations in the state. Even so, healthcare entities are encouraged to remain up to date on any privacy and security standards promulgated by the Department of Health.

SB 272 was transmitted to the Governor on June 1st and was passed into law without signature on June 19th. It went into effect the same day.

House Bill 27 – Increasing Education and Responsiveness to Heart Attacks and Strokes

HB 27, also known as the “Medical Major Emergencies; CPR Curriculum” Bill, requires the Department of Health to develop or adopt a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (“CPR”) curriculum for public school students. The curriculum must be based on current national standards, and specify both which grade levels are required to receive the instruction and what curricula is appropriate for each grade level.

HB 27 also explicitly adds heart attack and stroke to the types of medical emergencies for which the Department of Health must develop a comprehensive EMS system under AS 18.08.010.

HB 27 passed into law without the Governor’s signature on June 20th and became effective the same day.

House Joint Resolution 32 and the Rural Healthcare Transformation Program

As we have previously discussed, Alaska is eligible to receive $272 million in federal grant funding to transform rural healthcare in the state. Alaska must meet certain conditions in order to receive that money, such as entering or attempting to enter into different licensing compacts.

Alaska received over 1,800 proposal letters from organizations interested in receiving RHTP grant money. A summary of those proposals is available here. Of the proposals received, 400 moved forward for full consideration. Final awards should be determined sometime later this summer.

The legislature remains concerned about what the money can be spent on. Any grants awarded under the RHTP must go toward an approved use. Such uses include, but are not limited to, workforce development, technological advancements, and simply paying for healthcare services. What is not approved, however, is basic infrastructure development—i.e., constructing or expanding healthcare facilities or housing for healthcare workers. Some critics have argued that, in a rural-dominated state like Alaska, building facilities is exactly what is needed to transform rural healthcare. Senator Forrest Dunbar lamented that, “It’s not clear that that money can go where it’s most needed.”

The timeline for awarding and spending the RHTP grant money has also raised concerns. Any grant money not allocated by the end of September and spent within the following year is forfeited.

In light of these concerns, the legislature passed House Joint Resolution 32. HJR 32 reaffirms the legislature’s commitment to use the RHTP grant money wisely, while urging Alaska’s congressional delegation and executive branch to push for flexibility in the RHTP’s requirements. That flexibility would apply not only to when and how money can be spent, but also to Alaska’s commitment to enter interstate licensing compacts, which have remained controversial.

It is unclear what effect continued advocacy by Alaska’s congressional delegation may have on Alaska’s access to RHTP funds. In particular, the legislature remains uncertain what might happen if, for example, the state does not enter a nursing compact.

This article summarizes aspects of the law and does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice with regard to your situation, you should contact an attorney.

[1] See discussion of HB 195 below that, among other things, changes all references from “Physician Assistant” to “Physician Associate” in Alaska statutes. We therefore use the new nomenclature when discussing SB 89.