HB 259 Alabama House · 2026 Regular Session

Stablecoin; license required for issuance or sale of stablecoins, Alabama Securities Commission to enforce and authorize, penalties provided

HB 259 requires any entity issuing "payment stablecoins" (digital currencies designed to maintain stable value for payments) in Alabama to obtain a license from the Alabama Securities Commission. It prohibits unlicensed issuance or sale of such stablecoins starting in 2028, directly affecting stablecoin issuers and government contractors who may receive payments in these tokens. The bill authorizes Alabama state and local agencies to use licensed stablecoins for paying vendors and contractors for goods/services, mandating clear disclosures to vendors before contracts involving stablecoin payments are signed. Violations could trigger civil or criminal penalties, and the Commission will enforce the law while aligning with federal regulations under the GENIUS Act.

Issues: ✓ Technology

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 15, 2026 Signed Apr 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed → Enrolled · 2 edits · Apr 6, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized for signing (Enrolled) after minor formatting adjustments. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new definition for 'Permitted Payment Stablecoin Issuer,' which now explicitly includes state-licensed entities like Alabama, whereas the previous version only listed federal-approved issuers. This clarifies that state-licensed stablecoin issuers are legally recognized under this act.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include state-licensed payment stablecoin issuers as permitted entities, alongside federal-approved issuers.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition (item 12) for 'Permitted Payment Stablecoin Issuer' that includes entities licensed by state regulators, such as Alabama, in addition to federal-approved issuers.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting changes were made to page headers and line numbering to reflect the bill's final enrolled status.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 31, 2026

Upper · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1003

upper

Mar 31, 2026

Upper · Passed

Petition To Close Debate- Adopted Roll Call 1002

upper

Mar 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported Out of Committee Second House

upper

Mar 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Pending Committee Action in Second House (Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development)

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 846

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 845

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Introduced

Financial Services 1st Substitute Offered (Financial Services)

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

lower

Jan 15, 2026

Lower · Passed

Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Financial Services)

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors