The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Alaska
- Level
- State
- Authority
- Alaska Statutes, Title 26, ch. 23 (Alaska Disaster Act), AS 26.23.010-26.23.220
- Issued
- 2026-09-28 Sept. 28, 2026
- Effective
- standing (read as 2026-09-28)
- End
- standing
- In force
- Standing since Sept. 28, 2026 (a statutory duty; in force throughout the six quarters)
- Quarters
- 2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Emergency declarationStay-at-homeBusiness closureStanding duty
- Addressees
- persons generally; owners or persons in control of premises; all businesses within the disaster area
- Character
- statutory authority
- Collection
- Standing duties: Alaska DUT-AK
Operative words
(b) The governor may issue orders, proclamations, and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, and amend or rescind them. These orders, proclamations, and regulations have the force of law.... (g)... the governor may... (7) control ingress to and egress from a disaster area, the movement of persons within the area, and the occupancy of premises in it
Penalty
The Disaster Act carries no general penalty section (AS 26.23.200, 'Limitations', read and holds none); the mandates pleaded prosecution for reckless endangerment under AS 11.41.250 (DUT-AK-003) with the class A misdemeanor sentences of AS 12.55.035 and 12.55.135 (DUT-AK-004), and an order to cease operations and a civil fine of up to $1,000 per violation (Ex. AK-021 sec. V; Ex. AK-085; Ex. AK-019)
What it required
Every order issued under the March 11, 2020 Declaration of Public Health Disaster Emergency (Ex. AK-001) and its renewals had 'the force of law', and the Governor held express power over the movement of persons and 'the occupancy of premises' in the disaster area, which was the whole State; the mandates closing premises, capping occupancy and confining persons to their residences were exercises of that statutory power, binding on every person and every occupant of premises. Character as recorded: statutory_authority (enabling power; binds through the orders issued under it).
Retrieval noteAS 26.23.020(c) limits a proclamation to 30 days 'unless extended by the legislature by a concurrent resolution'; SB 241 (Ex. AK-002) and HB 76 (Ex. AK-028) were the legislative extensions, and AS 26.23.025(c) reserves the Legislature's power to terminate. AS 26.23.020(g)(4) permits the Governor to 'commandeer or utilize any private property'; (g)(8) to 'suspend or limit the sale, dispensing, or transportation of alcoholic beverages'; (g)(10) to 'allocate or redistribute food, water, fuel, clothing, medicine, or supplies'.