Alaska House Bill HJR44

Alaska 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/16/26
• Report Pass: 3/23/26
• Report Pass: 3/25/26
• Refer: 3/25/26
• Engrossed: 4/29/26
• Refer: 5/1/26
• Report Pass: 5/7/26
• Enrolled: 5/11/26
• Enrolled: 5/12/26

Caption

Support Native Corp Business Develop Prgm

Summary

HJR 44 is a joint resolution expressing the Alaska Legislature’s support for continued participation by Alaska Native corporations and entities owned by federally recognized tribes in the federal Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program. The resolution recites the history and purpose of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the role of Alaska Native corporations and tribal entities in promoting economic self-sufficiency, and the Legislature’s view that the 8(a) program has generated jobs, training, scholarships, and reinvestment in communities across Alaska. The resolution urges the President, Congress, and the SBA to preserve and fully utilize the existing federal rules that allow these Alaska Native entities to participate in the program, and it opposes efforts to restrict, eliminate, or weaken those provisions. It also reaffirms support for Alaska Native self-determination and the federal trust responsibility, and it identifies the resolution as a statement of policy rather than a change to state regulatory law.

Impact

HJR 44 does not amend Alaska statutes or create new state regulatory requirements; instead, it is a nonbinding legislative resolution directed at federal officials. Its practical effect is to place the Alaska Legislature on record in support of Alaska Native corporations and tribally owned entities participating in the SBA 8(a) program, and to advocate for the continuation of federal eligibility rules tied to ANCSA and tribal sovereignty. The resolution is intended to influence federal policy and signal state support for the economic role of these entities in contracting, employment, and community development.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong, unanimous support in the House, with 39 yeas and 0 nays on both third reading final passage and reconsideration. The text itself is highly affirmative, framing the 8(a) program as a successful tool for economic inclusion, self-sufficiency, and statewide development. No committee transcript is available, but the recorded vote suggests broad bipartisan agreement and little visible opposition in the chamber.

Contention

The main point of contention identified in the resolution is not within Alaska state law but in federal proposals that could restrict, eliminate, or undermine Alaska Native participation in the 8(a) program. Supporters argue that such changes would threaten jobs, rural economies, and the ability of Alaska Native corporations and tribal entities to meet obligations to shareholders and tribal members. The resolution does not present internal state policy disputes; rather, it responds to external federal debates over preferential contracting rules, tribal eligibility, and the scope of the federal trust responsibility.