Alabama Bills

This Alabama bill requires restaurants and other food service establishments to inform customers about the country of origin for seafood products they sell or advertise. The law also mandates that businesses use the correct common names for fish and shrimp and clearly distinguish between farm-raised and wild varieties. To enforce these rules, the State Department of Public Health is authorized to issue civil penalties to establishments that fail to comply. Notably, hospitals are excluded from these requirements, and the state is not obligated to provide origin information if federal law does not already require it for the specific product.

This bill ties an employer's ability to receive state or local economic development grants, loans, or tax credits to specific rules about how they handle union representation. It prohibits companies from automatically recognizing a union based solely on signed authorization cards if a secret ballot election is possible, and it bans sharing employees' personal contact information with unions without written consent. Additionally, the law extends these restrictions to subcontractors and requires employers who violate these rules to repay all incentives they have received. The Alabama Department of Revenue is given the authority to investigate these violations, and the changes apply to agreements made on or after January 1, 2025.

This bill prohibits the use of ranked-choice voting in all elections within Alabama, affecting local, state, and federal races. It defines ranked-choice voting as a system where voters rank candidates by preference and ballots are counted in multiple rounds until one candidate achieves a majority. The only exception to this ban is for military and overseas citizens who cast absentee ballots under federal law. The law takes effect on October 1, 2024, replacing any existing provisions that allowed this voting method.

This bill abolishes the existing Montgomery County Personnel Board and Department to create distinct personnel systems for city and county employees. It establishes a new merit-based hiring and management framework with a separate appeals board and specific rules for each jurisdiction. The changes take effect on January 1, 2025, or immediately for the City of Montgomery upon approval by its city council.

Education

Motor Vehicles & Traffic; Taxation & Revenue

This bill updates the rules for calling retired Alabama judges back to active duty to serve as interim judges when needed. It simplifies the approval process by allowing a retired judge to be assigned if the presiding circuit judge requests it and the Chief Justice approves, removing the previous requirement for an annual caseload certification from the Administrative Office of Courts. The legislation also permits the use of discretionary funds to pay these retired judges an additional daily compensation rate while they serve. These changes aim to provide more flexibility in staffing courts while maintaining oversight through the Chief Justice and ensuring retired judges complete annual continuing legal education.

Crimes & Offenses

Education

Taxation & Revenue

Escambia County

This bill increases the civil and criminal penalties for employers in Alabama who violate child labor laws, directly affecting businesses that hire workers under the age of 19. Under the new provisions, civil fines for certain violations rise from $300 to $1,000, while fines for more serious offenses increase from $1,000 to a range of $10,000. Additionally, the bill allows authorities to assess separate penalties for each employee involved in a violation and expands criminal charges, including potential felony convictions for cases involving serious physical injury or death of a minor. These changes take effect on October 1, 2024, and all collected fines will go to the state's general fund.