Alaska legislation · 34th Legislature
Alaska HJR39: WAIVE VISA FEES FOR TEACHERS
Status: Passed both chambers, September 22, 2026
Urging the federal government to waive the new H-1B Visa fees for teachers in the state.
What the bill says
From the introduced text:
STATEOFALASKA THE LEGISLATURE Legislative Source Resolve No. HJR 39 am 35 Urging the federal government to waive the new H-1B Visa fees for teachers in the state. _______________ BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: WHEREAS many school districts in the state, particularly those located in rural and remote communities, face persistent shortages of qualified educators, especially in critical subject areas, including math, science, and special education, which create significant challenges to maintaining consistent and high-quality instruction; and WHEREAS a growing number of school districts in the state have hired international educators through the H-1B visa process to address shortages and expand workforce capacity; and WHEREAS a 2025 executive order raised the cost of H-1B visas to $100,000 a person, which threatens to impose significant financial hurdles for schools and employers in the state; and WHEREAS, currently, the state employs close to 500 international educators working in schools on visas; and WHEREAS implementation of the 2025 executive order could result in the state facing the difficult choice of paying millions of dollars for visa recipients or going without these -1- Enrolled HJR 39 needed teachers; and WHEREAS ongoing teacher vacancies across the state have affected thousands of students, particularly in rural and remote communities where staffing challenges are most severe; and WHEREAS time is of the …
Sponsors
- Alyse Galvin (I, HD-014) · primary sponsor
- Sara Hannan (D, HD-033)
- Bryce Edgmon (I, HD-037)
- Carolyn Hall (D, HD-016)
- Frier (I)
- Donna Mears (D, HD-021)
- Ted Eischeid (D, HD-022)
- Andi Story (D, HD-034)
- Andrew Gray (D, HD-020)
- Andrew Josephson (D, HD-017)
- Zack Fields (D, HD-020)
- Dan Saddler (R, HD-024)
Latest actions
- : (H) PERMANENTLY FILED 9/22 LEGIS RESOLVE 35
- : (H) 10:45 A.M. 6/16/26 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR
- : (H) MANIFEST ERROR(S)
- : (S) VERSION: HJR 39 AM
- : (S) RETURN TO (H), TRANSMIT TO GOVERNOR NEXT
- : (S) PASSED Y20 N-
- : (S) READ THE THIRD TIME HJR 39 AM
- : (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): CLAMAN, GIESSEL, STEDMAN, TOBIN, DUNBAR
- : (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/13 CAL
- : (S) READ THE SECOND TIME
Votes
- PASSED (May 13, 2026): 20 yea, 0 nay, passed
- PASSED (March 20, 2026): 38 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, RESIDENCY, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, MINORS, TEACHERS, ECONOMY, FEES
Common questions
- What is HJR39?
- HJR39 is a bill in the Alaska Legislature (34th Legislature): WAIVE VISA FEES FOR TEACHERS.
- What does HJR39 do?
- Urging the federal government to waive the new H-1B Visa fees for teachers in the state.
- What is the status of HJR39?
- Passed both chambers as of September 22, 2026. Latest action: (H) PERMANENTLY FILED 9/22 LEGIS RESOLVE 35 (September 30, 2026).
- Who sponsored HJR39?
- Alyse Galvin (I, HD-014), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HJR39?
- On the Alaska Legislature website: https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=HJR 39
Source: official Alaska record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.