Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act

The law helps qualifying Alaska Natives and their descendants retain assistance despite receiving specified trust assets or payments.

What the law does ​

• Excludes interests in Alaska Native Settlement Trusts from certain program eligibility calculations.
• Excludes trust distributions and benefits for qualifying recipients for five years beginning July 7, 2025.

Who it affects ​

• Alaska Natives and descendants of Alaska Natives who meet applicable definitions of aged, blind, or disabled.
• Administrators of public assistance programs covered by the exclusions.

Breakdown ​

Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act ​

This law protects eligibility for certain public assistance programs by excluding specified Alaska Native Settlement Trust interests and benefits from eligibility calculations. For five years after July 7, 2025, this protection applies to trust distributions and benefits received by Alaska Natives or their descendants who are aged, blind, or disabled.

Key takeaways

• An interest in an Alaska Native Settlement Trust is excluded when determining eligibility for certain programs.
• For five years beginning July 7, 2025, distributions and benefits from a Settlement Trust are also excluded for qualifying recipients.
• The temporary exclusion applies to Alaska Natives and descendants of Alaska Natives who meet the applicable definition of aged, blind, or disabled.