Solicitation for Public Input – Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) Division of Employment and Training Services (DETS) Unemployment Insurance (UI) Program Regulatory Revisions

Notice of Public Scoping Under Administrative Order 360 for possible UI Program Regulation Changes

AAC Title 8. Chapter 85. Employment Security.

Background. In response to Administrative Order 360, the UI Program is soliciting written and oral comments from affected industries, community organizations, and the general public regarding regulations and materials incorporated by reference related to unemployment tax.

The UI Program is undertaking this solicitation process to ask the public for ideas, suggestions, and input before the UI Program drafts or proposes any specific regulation amendments or repeals for public review.

The UI Program is particularly interested in specific ideas for regulatory change that may:

• clarify existing regulatory obligations;
• reduce costs for the public, industry, or government;
• improve or streamline procedures, application requirements, and review processes;
• reduce administrative burdens;
• improve communication procedures;
• provide greater transparency with respect to standards, decision-making, and rationales for application processing; or
• clarify interagency roles.

Applicable article and section reference links.

• Sec. 8 AAC 85.010. Definitions.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.015. Determination of an employing unit as an employer.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.020. Records and reports.

   

• Sec. 8 AAC 85.030. Contributions and payment.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.050. Withdrawals from trust fund.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.060. Posting of notices by employers.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.150. Appeals to an appeal referee.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.151. Filing of appeals.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.152. Hearing location and time.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.153. Hearing procedures.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.154. Appeal decisions.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.155. Appeals to the commissioner.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.157. Contribution appeals.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.260. Provision of bond or other security.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.270. Allocation of benefit costs.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.280. Group accounts of nonprofit organizations, government entities, or federally recognized tribes.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.290. Computation of new or newly covered employer’s average industry tax rate.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.291. Notification of business change and acquisition.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.292. Contribution rate for successor employer in business.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.295. Contribution rate for delinquent employer accounts.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.300. Computation of reserve multiple.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.320. Information furnished nonprofit organizations, government entities and federally recognized tribes.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.330. Office rules.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.340. Exchange of information with other agencies.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.360. Policy manual.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.390. Remuneration in a medium other than cash.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.400. Adjustments and refunds.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.430. Waiver of security requirement on delinquent employer accounts.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.440. Adjustment of quarterly decline quotients.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.450. Reconsideration of tax rate or coverage determination.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.460. Voluntary election of coverage.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.470. Unclaimed excess contributions.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.480. Notice and publication of unclaimed excess contributions.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.490. Refund of unclaimed excess contributions.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.500. Request for hearing.
• Sec. 8 AAC 85.510. Services performed by aliens.

Written comments. Written comments must be received by 5:00 PM on 10/29/2025. Written comments may be emailed to jnu.uitech@alaska.gov or mailed to UI Technical Unit, P.O. Box 241767, Anchorage, AK 99524-1767. Reference “2025 Unemployment Regulation Reform” in the subject line. Include your name, organization (if applicable), contact information, and any supporting documentation. Comments provided should relate to, and specifically cite if known, the portion of regulation under 8 AAC 85.

Public meeting. Oral or written comments relating to unemployment tax may also be submitted at a hearing to be held on October 22, 2025, at Room 104, 3301 Eagle St., Anchorage, AK 99503. Commentors will be provided the opportunity to discuss what regulatory practices are overly burdensome and provide specific ideas for regulatory change. To assist the process, please identify the specific regulation if possible.

The hearing will be held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and might be extended to accommodate those present before 11:00 AM who did not have an opportunity to comment. Before the start of the hearing, the hearing coordinator may limit the time allotted for each person providing oral testimony, as reasonably necessary to conclude the hearing in the time provided. Members of the public may also participate in the meeting and provide oral comments by telephone by calling +1 907-202-7104 (phone conference ID 206 621 904#).

If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Taylor West at jnu.uitech@alaska.gov or +1 907 931-3282 not later than October 15^th, 2025, to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.

Please note that input provided in response to this solicitation will be subject to inspection, copying, and distribution as public records under AS 40.25.110 – 40.25.220.  Please do not include any confidential information in written or oral comments.

Questions. For questions or more information, contact our Agency Regulatory Liaison, Kimberly Kolvig at dolwd.regs@alaska.gov or +1 907-465-5870.

The UI Program is not currently proposing any specific regulation change and there are no draft regulations prepared for public comment under the Administrative Procedure Act at this time. If the UI Program undertakes revisions to these regulations, there will be an additional opportunity to comment on the proposed regulation changes that are released for public review and comment under the Administrative Procedure Act.

The UI Program keeps a list of individuals and organizations interested in its regulations. Those on the list will automatically be sent a copy of all of the DETS UI Program’s notices of proposed regulation changes. To be added to or removed from the list, send a request to the DETS UI Program at jnu.uitech@alaska.gov, giving your name, and either your e-mail address or mailing address, as you prefer for receiving notices.

Individuals can also sign up to receive automated notifications of all State of Alaska notices, including public notice for regulation changes, by subscribing to the Alaska Online Public Notices System: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Default.aspx.