HB 249 Summary: Alaska Marine Highway System Corporation

• Establishes the Alaska Marine Highway System Corporation as an independent public corporation within the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development to operate the state ferry system.

• Creates a board of directors consisting of the commissioners of commerce and transportation, plus five gubernatorial appointees with business, transportation, or finance experience.

• Transfers vessels, ferry terminal facilities, and related property from the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to the corporation effective June 1, 2021, with operations beginning July 1, 2021.

• Grants the corporation authority to set fares, determine routes and schedules, hire personnel, issue bonds, acquire property, and manage finances independently while requiring quarterly board meetings and annual financial audits.

• Includes transition provisions for negotiating and assigning existing collective bargaining agreements with maritime unions to the new corporation, with one-year deadline for completion.