HB 316

                                                                                    34-LS1463\I
                                      HOUSE BILL NO. 316
                    IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
                   THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
 BY REPRESENTATIVES GRAY, Carrick
 Introduced: 2/18/26
 Referred: Judiciary, Labor and Commerce, Finance
                                              A BILL
                                   FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
1  "An Act adjusting for inflation the limit for damages for losses that may be awarded for
2  a personal injury or wrongful death."
3  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
4   * Section 1. AS 09.17.010(b) is amended to read:
5(b) Except as provided under (c) of this section, the damages awarded by a
6court or a jury under (a) of this section for all claims, including a loss of consortium
7claim, arising out of a single injury or death may not exceed $400,000 or the injured
8person's life expectancy in years multiplied by $8,000, adjusted under (e) of this
9section, whichever is greater.
10  * Sec. 2. AS 09.17.010(c) is amended to read:
11(c) In an action for personal injury, the damages awarded by a court or jury
12that are described under (b) of this section may not exceed $1,000,000 or the person's
13life expectancy in years multiplied by $25,000, whichever is greater, adjusted under
14(e) of this section, when the damages are awarded for severe permanent physical
 HB0316a  -1-  HB 316
                         New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
                                                                                    34-LS1463\I
1impairment or severe disfigurement.
2   * Sec. 3. AS 09.17.010 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
3(e) The maximum amount of damages specified under (b) and (c) of this
4section shall be adjusted for inflation using 100 percent of the change since 1997 in
5the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for urban Alaska, compiled by the
6Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor.
7   * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
8  read:
9APPLICABILITY. Sections 1 - 3 of this Act apply to damages awarded on or after the
10 effective date of this Act.
 HB 316  -2-  HB0316a
                         New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]