Crimes and offenses; crime of reckless endangerment expanded, criminal penalties provided
HB 266 expands Alabama's reckless endangerment law to specifically address risks to multiple people, creating a new offense for reckless conduct that endangers more than one individual. It increases penalties: endangering multiple people becomes a Class C felony (up from a misdemeanor for single-person endangerment), and using a firearm during such an act elevates the charge to a Class B felony. The bill directly affects individuals whose reckless actions - like reckless driving in a crowd or threatening a group - create serious injury risks to multiple people, with harsher consequences when firearms are involved. These changes clarify and strengthen penalties for group endangerment scenarios under existing Alabama law.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 15, 2026
Signed Apr 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Enrolled
·
4 edits
·
Apr 9, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was finalized and enrolled for signature, adding an official name (the Amy Dicks Act) and removing draft metadata. The core policy changes define two specific scenarios for reckless endangerment: endangering one person remains a misdemeanor, while endangering multiple people is now a felony, with an even harsher penalty (Class B) if a deadly weapon is used. The effective date for these new penalties is set for October 1, 2026.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly criminalize reckless endangerment of multiple individuals as a felony, whereas the previous draft only defined the offense generally. It also added a specific enhancement for using a deadly weapon during such an offense.
DEFINITION
Added a specific provision that reckless endangerment of multiple individuals constitutes a Class C felony.
ENFORCEMENT
Established that using a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument during the offense elevates the penalty to a Class B felony.
TIMELINE
Set the effective date for the new felony provisions to October 1, 2026.
TECHNICAL
Added the official title 'Amy Dicks Act' and removed internal draft tracking numbers.
Floor votes
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
20
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Amendments
2
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1036
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Upper · Passed
Barfoot motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1035
upper
Apr 1, 2026
Introduced
Barfoot 1st Amendment Offered
upper
Mar 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee Second House
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Pending Committee Action in Second House (Judiciary)
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 620
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
lower
Jan 15, 2026
Lower · Passed
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Judiciary)
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Chris Sells
RRepublican
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