The following is a press release provided by the Alaska Department of Health.
Today, June 25, 2026, Governor Mike Dunleavy signed House Bill 73 into law, advancing Alaska’s complex care work and helping address a longstanding gap in care for Alaskans with severe, complex behavioral health and medical needs.
“Alaska has long recognized a significant gap in care for individuals whose needs cannot be safely met at home or through existing community-based services, but who do not require hospitalization,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “House Bill 73 helps address that gap by creating a new level of care that will provide Alaskans and their families with more appropriate options, strengthen our continuum of care, and ensure some of Alaska’s most vulnerable residents can receive the support they need closer to home.”
HB 73 establishes a new license type called, “Complex Care Residential Homes”. This creates the framework for specialized settings that provide individualized care and support through a multi-disciplinary team in a home-like environment. The new level of care is focused on individuals with severe behavioral and medical needs that cannot be safely addressed in existing residential options and for whom long-term placement in institutional settings may not be appropriate.
“Complex Care Residential Homes will provide a new option for people and families who have often struggled to find the support that meets their needs,” said Department of Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg. “This legislation creates a pathway for Alaskans with complex needs to receive individualized care in safe, supportive, home-like environments that promote stability, dignity, and quality of life.”
“This bill is a result of intense collaboration between the Department of Family and Community Services and the Department of Health,” said Department of Family and Community Services Commissioner Tracy Dompeling. “The Departments have been working together for several years to help serve the most vulnerable Alaskans and through the course of that work recognized the need for these new homes.”
For more information about Alaska’s Complex Care Initiative, visit https://dfcs.alaska.gov/Commissioner/Pages/Complex-Care/Complex-Care.aspx.
Full bill text here:
