HB 342 Summary

• Replaces gender-specific terms "husband" and "wife" with gender-neutral language including "spouse," "person," and "two spouses" throughout Alaska statutes relating to marriage, adoption, divorce, and related matters.

• Updates birth certificate provisions to reference "second parent" instead of "father" and "spouse" instead of "husband" while maintaining distinctions for paternity determination.

• Modifies marriage definition in AS 25.05.011 from "one man and one woman" to "two natural persons" to enable same-sex marriage.

• Changes adoption consent requirements and terminology to accommodate same-sex couples and clarify "second parent" status for non-biological parents in same-sex relationships.

• Makes conforming amendments to insurance, workers' compensation, probate, property ownership, and other statutes to use gender-neutral spousal terminology.