HB 304 Alabama House · 2025 Regular Session

Motor vehicles; impoundment conditions and procedures, further provided; redemption procedures, further provided; issuance of local identification cards, restrictions provided

HB 304 modifies procedures for impounded vehicles by requiring that cars not claimed by owners within 30 days of being towed must be sold or disposed of according to standard unclaimed vehicle rules. This directly affects vehicle owners whose cars are towed and fail to reclaim them within the new timeframe. The bill changes the redemption period from previous language to specify a clear 30-day window before disposal. It does not address local identification cards, as that provision is not covered in the provided bill text excerpt.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 18, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 5 edits · Mar 6, 2025
MODERATE
This bill was updated from its introduced version to an engrossed version, incorporating substantive amendments to Alabama's driver license and vehicle impoundment laws. The changes modify penalty distributions, expand impoundment conditions, and add provisions regarding immigration verification for law enforcement officers.
Scope change
The bill now explicitly adds Section 32-6-19.1 to the Code of Alabama 1975, creating new procedures for vehicle redemption and disposal, and expands the scope of impoundment conditions to include additional DUI-related offenses and juvenile adjudications.
FISCAL

Changed the distribution of the $50 additional penalty from one-third to each of three funds (Traffic Safety Trust, Peace Officers Standards and Training, and law enforcement agency) to fifty percent to the Traffic Safety Trust Fund and fifty percent to the Peace Officers Standards and Training Fund.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a prohibition preventing officers from independently making final determinations about whether an alien is lawfully present in the United States.

Expanded impoundment conditions to include vehicles operated by individuals whose licenses are suspended due to DUI-related offenses, including being adjudicated a delinquent child or youthful offender based on DUI, and expanded to include failure to comply with implied consent laws.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that if the $50 penalty is not imposed by the court, the court clerk must automatically assess it upon conviction or adjudication.

Added provisions specifying that the additional $50 penalty applies in all criminal and quasi-criminal proceedings including bond forfeitures, municipal ordinance violations, and juvenile delinquency adjudications.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
16
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Amendments
3
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee Second House
upper
Mar 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
Pending Committee Action in Second House (Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety)
upper
Mar 6, 2025
Lower · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 383
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Lower · Passed
Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 382
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Introduced
Pettus 1st Amendment Offered
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Lower · Passed
Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 381
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Introduced
Public Safety and Homeland Security Engrossed Substitute Offered (Public Safety and Homeland Security)
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Public Safety and Homeland Security)
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Introduced
Public Safety and Homeland Security 1st Amendment (Public Safety and Homeland Security)
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Public Safety and Homeland Security)
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Jamie Kiel
Jamie Kiel
RRepublican
AL
18