Alabama Bills

This resolution expresses the Alabama House of Representatives' mourning for the death of Dr. Lynda Blackmon Lowery (December 24, 2025) and honors her legacy as a civil rights leader. It commemorates her historic role as the youngest participant in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights march at age 15, her advocacy for social justice, authorship of her memoir, and lifelong community service. The resolution serves as a formal tribute to her life and impact, with no policy changes or direct effects on constituents.

HB 376 requires Alabama public K-12 schools to implement age-appropriate screen time limits and internet access restrictions for each grade level. It mandates the State Board of Education to create a model policy for technology use in classrooms, which local school boards must adopt and implement by the 2027-2028 school year. The bill also requires schools to provide parents with access to a list of instructional technology used in their child's classroom and, upon request, details about device usage and browsing history. All instructional technology must support learning, avoid distractions, comply with privacy laws, and be evidence-based. The State Board must adopt implementing rules to enforce these requirements.

This is a commemorative resolution (HR 80) passed by the Alabama House of Representatives to honor Samuel Ralph Garrett, Jr., a Thomasville, Alabama resident who died on January 14, 2026. The resolution details his life, including being the first Black male student at Thomasville High School, his education at Southern University and the University of Alabama, career at Ford Motor Company, and family. It expresses the House's "profound sadness" and offers condolences to his surviving family members. As a memorial resolution, it has no legislative effect or policy changes.

SB 256 would authorize the Alabama Department of Insurance to create two new exempt personnel positions within its Pharmacy Benefits Manager Division. These positions would not be subject to the state's standard Merit System hiring rules, allowing the Commissioner of Insurance to set their compensation directly. The bill specifies these roles are in addition to any existing exempt positions and would take effect on June 1, 2026. The bill is currently pending committee review in the Alabama Senate.

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Alabama's Legislature to establish a state lottery, authorize in-person casino-style games, and permit both in-person and online sports wagering. It would create a state gaming commission to license and regulate all authorized gaming activities while prohibiting future local constitutional amendments related to gaming. The amendment also authorizes the Governor to negotiate a Tribal-State compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians for gaming operations on tribal lands, subject to federal law. If approved by voters, this change would require constitutional ratification before taking effect.

HB 373 increases Jefferson County Sheriff's compensation through three key changes. It sets the sheriff's base salary at $160,000 annually starting next term, adds a $40,000 annual expense allowance (payable monthly from county funds), and mandates a future base salary of $225,000 for the next term (making the previous $160,000 and $40,000 provisions void). The bill also requires the sheriff to receive cost-of-living adjustments matching those given to deputy sheriffs after the bill's effective date. These changes directly affect Jefferson County's sheriff, who will receive higher base pay, a new allowance, and future salary increases tied to county budget provisions.

HB 134 revises Lamar County's process for selling county-owned personal property and equipment. The bill allows the county to hold annual public auctions (in person or online) for such items, with online auctions no longer requiring newspaper advertising. For in-person auctions, the county must advertise the event for two weeks, and a list of auction items must be available at the county commission office. The law also includes minor technical updates to align the code with current language style.

HB 201 authorizes the Escambia County Sheriff to use credit or debit cards for official office purchases, subject to specific financial safeguards. The bill requires the sheriff to establish written procedures including monthly spending limits per purchase and total monthly spending, secure card access controls, and monthly bill reviews to prevent unauthorized charges. It also mandates that the sheriff consider factors like annual fees and rewards when selecting a card provider, with any rewards deposited into the sheriff's discretionary account. The law explicitly prohibits exceeding budgeted funds or creating new debt for the county.

HB 133 revises how Lamar County distributes revenue from its one-cent privilege license tax. The bill amends an existing law to clarify that the state may charge up to 5% of collected taxes for administrative services, and it changes the distribution: half of the tax revenue must go to Lamar County's public schools, while the other half is allocated for road construction and maintenance (with one-fourth per commissioner's district). This affects Lamar County taxpayers and directly impacts the county's school funding and infrastructure budgets. The changes update outdated language in the original 1977 law but do not alter the tax rate or overall revenue amount.

SB 65 amends Alabama law to increase the annual salary for Marshall County's revenue commissioner. Currently set at $67,500, the position will receive $106,781 starting July 1, 2026, paid monthly from the county's general fund. This change replaces the previous salary figure and applies specifically to Marshall County's revenue commissioner. The bill directly affects the county's revenue commissioner by adjusting their compensation rate.

HB 200 authorizes Escambia County to impose an additional annual $5 fee on new vehicle registrations, transfers, or renewals starting in 2027. This fee applies to all vehicles registered within the county and is collected separately from existing vehicle registration charges. The revenue generated must be distributed monthly to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Fund for law enforcement purposes. The fee requires county commission approval by December 1, 2026, and takes effect June 1, 2026.

HB 203 allows Henry County Sheriff's Office and its task forces to sell, use, or destroy abandoned, stolen, or unclaimed property (like personal items or firearms) after it remains unclaimed for six months. The sheriff must publicly advertise auctions (via newspaper or courthouse notice), hold proceeds in a separate account for six months to allow owners to reclaim items, and then use unclaimed funds for law enforcement purposes. Property owners can claim items before sale by proving ownership, and firearms sold require federal licensing and must comply with federal transfer laws. Unclaimed firearms may also be used or destroyed by the sheriff's office if deemed unsafe or unlawful. This bill directly affects the sheriff's office operations, potential property owners, and how county law enforcement funds are managed.