Legislative Update: Key Bills Affecting Alaska's Design & Engineering Community

A note on local legislative action - May 2026

As the current legislative session moves forward, there are two bills worth watching closely if you work in landscape architecture or allied professions that are regulated under the Alaska State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors (AELS).

For those less familiar with the mechanics of professional licensing in Alaska, the AELS Board is the state body that oversees licensure for architects, engineers, land surveyors, and landscape architects. The Board is composed of 11 members appointed by the Governor, representing different professional disciplines. The board composition is important because this group is responsible for determining who has a voice in setting licensing standards, reviewing regulations, and advising the legislature on issues affecting our professions.

Photo by Carol Highsmith, Library of Congress Collection

The important issues for for Alaskan landscape architects to be tracking is HB 314 and SB 211.

HB 314 originated in the House and included provisions extending the AELS Board's termination (also known as the "sunset") date, which is a routine but essential step to keep the Board operational. Along the way, the House version of the bill reallocated one of the land surveyors' seats on the AELS Board to the engineers, shifting the professional balance of the Board's membership.

The Senate countered this change, and put forward their amended version of the bill, where they restored the land surveyors to their original two seats, undoing the House's reallocation. Last Saturday, the full House voted on whether to accept the Senate's amendment and approved it 29 to 11, sending the bill forward to the Governor.

It's worth noting that the House showed less enthusiasm for this version than for its own original bill, which had passed 35 to 4. That drop in support likely reflects some members' preference for the engineer-seat reallocation. Still, the bill cleared the chamber by a comfortable margin.

What happens next is now in Governor Dunleavy's hands. He can sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.

The second bill to track is SB 211, which is essentially a housekeeping measure extending the sunset dates for a number of state boards and commissions. This type of legislation is common toward the end of a session, when multiple boards' reauthorizations get bundled together for efficiency.

As of this past Sunday, SB 211 moved from the House Finance Committee to the Rules Committee, which is another procedural step that typically precedes a floor vote.

The concern about SB 211, is that the AELS Board has not been added to the bill. This means the primary vehicle for extending the AELS Board's statutory life remains fully in HB 314 the very bill now awaiting the Governor's signature. If HB 314 is not signed into law, and AELS is not added to SB 211 before the session ends, there could be implications for the Board's continued operation.

What to watch for?

• Governor's action on HB 314 - a signature would resolve the AELS sunset question and settle the land surveyor seat debate. A veto would send things back to square one with limited time remaining in the session.

• Whether AELS gets added to SB 211 before it reaches a floor vote - this could serve as a backup path for extending the Board's authorization.

  
  

We'll continue to monitor developments and share updates as they come in. If you have questions about how these bills may affect your license or practice in Alaska, feel free to reach out to Chris, who has been monitoring this closely.

This post was co-authored by Chris Mertl and Taylor Keegan.