AARP Alaska’s 2026 Legislative Priorities: Strengthening Financial Security & Protecting Older Alaskans

As Alaska’s 2026 legislative session gets underway, AARP Alaska is advancing a focused set of priorities designed to help Alaskans age with dignity, security, and independence. Representing more than 76,000 members statewide, AARP’s agenda underscores two fundamental needs for older adults: financial resilience and strong consumer protections.

AARP’s flagship initiative for 2026 is Retirement Readiness. Our efforts include expanding access to retirement savings in the private and public sectors through Alaska Work and Save (SB21) and Pensions for Public Service (HB78).

Alaska Work and Save is a portable retirement savings program designed for private‑sector workers who lack access to employer-sponsored plans. Today, nearly half of Alaska’s private-sector workforce has no workplace retirement plan, and the smaller the business, the less likely it is to offer one. Without a payroll deduction option, savings rates plummet—just 5% of workers open a retirement account on their own. By implementing Alaska Work and Save, the state can help thousands build long-term financial stability while reducing reliance on public assistance later.

AARP Alaska also supports restoring a modest, stable, defined‑benefit pension, because older households without a pension are nine times more likely to live in poverty, increasing pressure on state safety‑net programs. Public workers earn 14% less than private‑sector workers on average; a pension helps close this wage gap and keeps essential workers in Alaska.

A defined-benefit pension would also help address Alaska’s escalating public‑sector workforce crisis. Alaska is one of only two states without a pension option for public employees, and it is the only state that offers neither Social Security nor a pension to all public workers. This makes recruitment and retention extraordinarily difficult. Workforce shortages, from months-long SNAP and Adult Public Assistance backlogs to unplowed roads to the Office of Public Advocacy being unable to meet demand for public guardians, are harming seniors and communities.

Retirement readiness doesn’t just mean saving, however. AARP Alaska wants to help seniors keep their hard-earned dollars in their pockets, especially amid increasingly sophisticated scam efforts. AARP is urging lawmakers to act on cryptocurrency ATM fraud, a growing and prevalent scam payment scheme targeting older Alaskans. While crypto ATMs, now found in convenience stores, gas stations, and supermarkets in Alaska, enable legitimate digital currency transactions, they operate with far fewer consumer protections than banks or traditional money service businesses. Their rapid growth has led to a concurrent surge in fraud, with criminals exploiting the machines to steal hundreds of millions nationwide. Older adults are disproportionately impacted.

AARP supports legislation that would require state licensing of crypto ATM operators, strengthen fraud‑prevention standards, and improve transparency and consumer safeguards. These reforms would help curb a fast-evolving threat while educating consumers on how to avoid scams.

AARP supports other legal protections that can help older Alaskans retain control and autonomy as they age, including updates to guardianship laws. Current laws are based on a framework dating back to the 1980s, long before the establishment of modern best practices for autonomy, human dignity, and rights protection. These outdated statutes lead to inconsistent protections, inefficient processes, and unnecessary reliance on full guardianship.

AARP Alaska is advocating to update these laws by adopting provisions based on the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act (UGCOPAA), which provides a more modern, evidence-based, person-centered approach.

In the new proposal, SB190, courts must first consider alternatives such as supported decision‑making, powers of attorney, or limited guardianship before imposing full guardianship. This ensures individuals retain as much independence as possible. Guardianship orders must reflect the individual’s preferences, values, and goals rather than defaulting to broad, one‑size‑fits‑all authority.

The statute change would also clarify the guardian’s duty to support participation in decision‑making, honor the individual’s likely preferences, and respect their autonomy unless doing so would cause harm. Outdated terms like “ward” would be replaced with “individual under guardianship,” aligning Alaska’s statutes with national best practices and promoting dignity.

As Alaska’s aging population continues to grow, there is an urgent need to ensure systems and protections are in place to allow seniors to remain independent, financially secure, and safe from exploitation. AARP Alaska’s 2026 legislative priorities reflect the concerns AARP hears directly from older Alaskans, especially around rising costs, pathways to secure retirement, and fraud.

By pushing for sensible retirement programs for public and private sectors and modernized consumer protections, AARP Alaska aims to build a stronger, more secure future for all who call Alaska home.