HB 49 Alabama House · 2025 Regular Session

Crimes and offenses; rape 1st and sodomy 1st; penalties further provided for

HB 49 amends Alabama law to increase penalties for first-degree rape and sodomy when the victim is under six years old. It revises specific code sections to classify these crimes as capital offenses when committed against children under six, raising the age threshold from the previous standard (under 14 years). The bill directly affects perpetrators of these violent crimes against very young children by subjecting them to the harshest criminal penalties under Alabama law. This change enhances legal consequences for crimes involving the most vulnerable victims without creating new offenses.

Issues: ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2024

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Oct 1, 2024 Last action Mar 5, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Feb 11, 2025

MODERATE

HB 49 was amended to expand capital murder offenses and revise sentencing guidelines for serious crimes against children. The bill now includes additional circumstances that make murder a capital offense, such as killing a witness, first responders, and victims under 14 years old, while also adding new capital murder categories for arson and aircraft hijacking.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from primarily focusing on rape and sodomy penalties for young victims to include a broader range of capital murder scenarios and additional protected victim categories.

SCOPE

Added new capital murder circumstances including killing witnesses, first responders, victims under 14 years old, and murders involving aircraft hijacking or explosives.

Added rape and sodomy in the first degree as capital offenses when the victim is less than 12 years of age.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded capital murder eligibility to include victims who are first responders operating in official capacity and victims under 14 years of age.

REQUIREMENT

Modified the definition of 'first responder' to include emergency medical services personnel licensed by the Alabama Department of Public Health and firefighters as defined by Section 36-32-1.

TECHNICAL

Removed the original synopsis section that described the bill's purpose, which was replaced with the full legislative text.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported Out of Committee Second House

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Pending Committee Action in Second House (Judiciary)

upper

Feb 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 64

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 63

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Introduced

Judiciary Engrossed Substitute Offered (Judiciary)

lower

Feb 5, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Judiciary)

lower

Feb 5, 2025

Introduced

Judiciary 1st Amendment (Judiciary)

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Judiciary)

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors