HB 331 Alabama House · 2026 Regular Session

Blount County, lodging tax increased, additional lodging tax levied, collection and distribution provided for

HB 331 increases Blount County's lodging tax from 4% to 5% of room charges for short-term stays (under 30 days) and authorizes an additional $3 per room per night tax. It affects hotels, motels, and similar lodging businesses in Blount County that rent to transients. The tax will be collected like the state lodging tax, with proceeds deposited into the county tourism fund to support tourism promotion, park maintenance, beautification projects, and covered bridge upkeep. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Jan 27, 2026 Signed Mar 5, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 5, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was finalized as an enrolled act, changing its status from a draft proposal to an official law. The text was cleaned up to remove internal tracking codes and standardize the formatting of the bill title and page headers. Substantively, the bill authorizes Blount County to levy a 4% lodging tax and an additional 1% tax on transient accommodations, with proceeds designated for tourism and park projects. The law also establishes a $3 per night cap on a separate tax and sets the effective date for October 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains limited to Blount County, Alabama, with no changes to its geographic applicability.

TECHNICAL

The document status changed from 'Introduced' to 'Enrolled', indicating the bill has passed all legislative stages and is ready for execution.

Internal tracking identifiers (e.g., 'CXE8DQJ-1') and draft-specific page headers were removed to produce the final official version.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the bill title and section numbering to align with standard enrolled bill formatting.

REQUIREMENT

Final certification signatures for the Speaker of the House, Senate President, and Clerk were added to validate the bill as law.

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

Feb 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 590

upper

Feb 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported Out of Committee Second House

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Pending Committee Action in Second House (Local Legislation )

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 264

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Lovvorn Motion to Carry Over Temporarily - Adopted Voice Vote

lower

Jan 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Local Legislation)

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors