Alaska Lawmakers Stall Bill to Raise Age of Consent, Putting Teens at Risk

A unanimous House vote wasn't enough. Now one senator is holding up a measure aimed at closing a dangerous legal gap for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 8:04pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A group of Alaskans, including an attorney, a social worker, and a law enforcement officer, are calling on Sen. Matt Claman to stop obstructing House Bill 101, which would raise the age of consent in Alaska from 16 to 18. The bill passed the Alaska House unanimously last May, but has languished in Claman's Senate Judiciary Committee for months, with the senator slow to schedule hearings and unwilling to put the bill to a vote. The authors argue that the current law leaves 16- and 17-year-olds vulnerable to sexual predators, and that Claman's actions are preventing much-needed protections for minors.

Why it matters

Alaska has consistently ranked number one in the country for rates of rape and child sexual abuse, with the average age of all victims of reported sexual assaults being just 16. The current age of consent in Alaska is 16, meaning that when a 16- or 17-year-old is sexually assaulted by an older perpetrator, the teen victim has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they did not consent, the same burden of proof facing an adult victim. Raising the age of consent to 18 would better protect vulnerable youth from predatory adults.

The details

House Bill 101, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Gray and co-sponsored by a tripartisan group of representatives, passed the Alaska House unanimously last May. The bill contains close-in-age exceptions so that consensual sexual activity between young people is not criminalized. However, the bill has languished for months in the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Matt Claman. Claman has been slow to schedule hearings and has not put the bill to a vote, leading the authors to believe he is using his position to run out the clock and kill the bill.

  • HB 101 passed the Alaska House unanimously in May 2026.
  • The bill has languished for months in the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Matt Claman.

The players

Rep. Andrew Gray

The sponsor of House Bill 101.

Sen. Matt Claman

The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who has been obstructing the progress of HB 101.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We cannot wait. We call on Sen. Claman to do the right thing — regardless of whether he supports the bill — to move it out of his committee so it can get a vote by the full Senate.”

— Laura Norton-Cruz, Social worker and documentary film producer

“Sexual violence is a scar across our state, affecting every community and every family. It is something we hear about, see or deal with on a daily basis.”

— Bianca Cross, Former law enforcement officer

“If Sen. Claman cannot answer the call of decency, we ask that the other senators move to pull HB 101 out of his committee and vote on it. Our state and our children deserve action on this critical issue, and they deserve it immediately.”

— Scott Kendall, Attorney

What’s next

The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Matt Claman, will decide whether to move HB 101 forward for a vote by the full Senate.

The takeaway

This case highlights the urgent need to protect vulnerable teenagers in Alaska from sexual predators. Raising the age of consent to 18 is a commonsense measure that has broad bipartisan support, but is being obstructed by one state senator. Alaskans are calling for immediate action to address this critical issue and safeguard their children.