HB 98 Summary: State Ownership of Submerged Land

• Clarifies and codifies Alaska's ownership of all submerged land underlying navigable water within and adjacent to federal areas as of statehood (January 3, 1959), including those in national parks, preserves, and other federal lands.

• Requires the Department of Natural Resources to conduct ongoing research to identify navigable waters within federal areas and maintain a comprehensive "Navigable Waters in Federal Areas Database" (SWFA) with legal descriptions of identified waters.

• Establishes annual legislative reporting requirement for the Department of Natural Resources to report by the first day of each regular session on newly identified navigable waters and modifications to previously identified navigable waters within federal areas.

• Defines navigable water as water susceptible to use as a highway for commerce using customary watercraft (including boats, rafts, and jetboats), without requiring historical navigation evidence, continuous clear channels, or two-way traffic.

• Makes provisions retroactive to January 3, 1959 (Alaska's statehood date) and takes effect immediately.