Bill > HJR46

This Joint Resolution responds to the devastating impacts of Typhoon Halong, a severe storm that struck Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in October 2025 with hurricane-force winds and record flooding, triggering the largest emergency airlift in state history and forcing the evacuation of nearly the entire populations of the Alaska Native villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. Providing context on previous climate-related displacements, such as the lengthy relocation of the village of Newtok to Mertarvik, the measure formally recognizes the sovereign right of these communities to self-determination—meaning their inherent authority to govern themselves and make their own decisions—by honoring their votes to permanently relocate to safer ground rather than having the state dictate their future. To facilitate this, the resolution urges the Alaska Governor to establish a structured, community-centered relocation plan with dedicated funding and agency coordination, calls on Alaska's congressional delegation to secure emergency federal funding while protecting disaster relief from cuts, and asks state and federal agencies to help build a temporary interim village for the displaced residents while the legislature commits to ongoing collaboration with regional tribal leaders.