House Finance advances bill to create an Innovation Council, adopts committee‑membership restriction

The House Finance Committee on March 17 advanced House Bill 34, creating an Innovation Council to coordinate universities, economic development groups and state resources for early‑stage businesses, and adopted an amendment that limits council subcommittees.

Representative Holland, the bill sponsor, told the committee the council is modeled on other states and is intended to help Alaska "lean into" opportunities in emerging sectors and reduce the outflow of working‑age Alaskans. "This council is designed to ensure that we keep up," Holland said, noting concerns that the state’s current economic development strategy did not address new areas such as artificial intelligence.

Representative Tomaszewski moved Amendment 2 to change the bill’s committee language to read that the council “may establish committees consisting of members of the council.” Tomaszewski said the change is meant to prevent "exponential growth" in committees and keep the council from becoming "a labyrinth of many different committees." Holland said he was comfortable with the amendment while noting that the council’s structure should still allow focused deep dives and outside subject‑matter experts to be invited when needed.

After floor discussion and a revote to clear voting confusion, the committee adopted Amendment 2 by roll call, 9 yeas to 2 nays. Chair Foster then entertained a motion to report HB34 out of committee with individual recommendations and the attached fiscal note; hearing no objections, Foster announced the bill moved out of committee as amended.

The committee did not take further material amendments and set no additional actions beyond reporting the bill. The motion to adopt Amendment 2 was moved by Representative Tomaszewski and recorded as adopted; the committee subsequently reported the bill out with the attached fiscal note.

Affected steps next are committee transmittal with recommendations and any further floor consideration in the full House. The committee took no further votes on the bill at the hearing and recessed after completing business for HB34.