Juneau — Today, the Alaska House of Representatives passed House Bill 101, a measure aimed at strengthening protections for Alaska’s youth by raising the state’s age of sexual consent from 16 to 18.
HB 101 updates Alaska law to reflect growing concerns about the vulnerability of minors, particularly 16- and 17-year-olds, to exploitation and abuse. The legislation retains existing close-in-age exemptions, while adjusting related statutes to maintain consistency in criminal code.
Raising the age of consent is a step toward closing legal gaps that have made it more difficult to protect minors from grooming, trafficking, and sexual abuse. This change is intended to help law enforcement and prosecutors more effectively hold offenders accountable and provide stronger legal protections for Alaska’s most vulnerable youth.
House Republican co-sponsor Representative Sarah Vance (R-Homer). “I believe we have a moral duty to strengthen the safeguards that protect our kids from exploitation. House Bill 101 is about drawing a clear line that says Alaska will not tolerate adults preying on minors. This bill closes loopholes and brings clarity to the law so that we can better protect young people and hold predators accountable. I co-sponsored HB 101 because protecting the innocence of our children should never be a partisan issue, it’s a matter of right and wrong.”
The legislation now moves to the Alaska Senate for consideration. Alaska House Republican members will continue to fight for the safety of all Alaskans, especially those most vulnerable to predation and abuse.