HB 31 allows voters who are disabled, blind, or unable to read or write to designate a specific person to deliver both their absentee ballot application and completed absentee ballot to election officials. This changes current law, which required these voters to personally deliver these materials. The bill specifically permits a designated individual to handle this delivery for eligible voters, removing a barrier to absentee voting access. It also includes minor technical updates to align the law with current language. The bill directly affects voters with disabilities, blindness, or literacy challenges who need assistance with absentee voting procedures.
HB 85 increases penalties for making terrorist threats in the first or second degree. It directly affects students in public K-12 schools by allowing immediate suspension if charged with such threats. The bill requires principals to sign formal complaints when warranted and mandates provisions for student readmittance and restitution after suspension. These changes aim to address school safety concerns while outlining specific school administrative procedures for handling threat-related incidents. The bill is currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee as of February 2025.
HB 77 allows a designated person (a "designee") to deliver both a disabled voter's absentee ballot application and the completed absentee ballot itself to the election manager. This directly affects voters with disabilities who require assistance to submit absentee voting materials. The bill's key provision removes a barrier by authorizing a trusted individual to handle the physical delivery of these documents, ensuring disabled voters can participate in absentee voting without needing to mail or personally deliver them. The change aims to improve accessibility for disabled voters in the absentee voting process.
HB 50 expands Alabama's abortion exceptions by authorizing abortions to preserve the mother's health or if the pregnancy results from rape or incest. It requires a man convicted of rape or incest causing a pregnancy to pay for the abortion and related costs, and undergo a vasectomy or castration (as ordered by a court). Mothers seeking abortions to preserve their health may petition courts to compel the father to cover all medical expenses related to the pregnancy and abortion. The bill also allows fathers to avoid payment obligations by agreeing to a vasectomy, pending court approval. The bill is currently pending committee review in the Alabama House of Representatives.
HB 4 updates Alabama's obscenity laws by refining the definition of "sexual conduct" and clarifying which libraries are exempt from criminal obscenity provisions. It specifies that obscenity laws no longer apply to college/university libraries and their staff, but they continue to apply to public libraries and public school libraries when minors are present without parental consent. The bill makes technical revisions to modernize the legal code language without changing core enforcement. This directly affects library staff and patrons in different library settings across Alabama. The bill is pending in the House Judiciary Committee as of February 2025.
HB 32 requires Alabama local school boards to pay employees semi-monthly (on the 1st and 16th of each month) starting August 1, 2026, directly affecting school employees and school board budgets. School boards may opt out via written resolution filed with the State Superintendent within 60 days, but the bill explicitly states this change cannot reduce any employee's annual pay. Payments adjust to the last workday before weekends/holidays (except October 1, which moves to the next workday). The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with implementation rules to be adopted by state education officials.
SB 2 revises Alabama's regulations for tobacco, e-cigarettes, and nicotine products under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. It expands the definition of "electronic nicotine delivery systems" to include battery-powered devices delivering non-tobacco substances via vapor, bans vending machine sales of these products, and requires retailers to pay one-time and annual fees. The bill also increases administrative penalties for violations, mandates warning signage at retail locations, and requires schools to adopt vaping prevention programs for K-12 students. These changes directly affect tobacco retailers, e-liquid manufacturers, and public schools, with new fees and penalties funding a Tobacco Licensing and Compliance Fund.
HB 65 requires Alabama's State Board of Education to create a model policy restricting student cell phone use during school hours in public K-12 schools, with exceptions for emergencies, health care, or special education plans (IEP/504). Local school boards must adopt their own policies based on this model by the start of the 2026-2027 school year. The bill directly affects all Alabama public K-12 schools, their administrators, and students by establishing standardized rules for electronic device use during the school day. It does not prohibit devices entirely but mandates policies limiting use to specified circumstances. The bill is pending committee review and would take effect June 1, 2025, though implementation deadlines are set for 2026.
HB 10 (Alabama) limits how long law enforcement agencies can delay disclosing body-worn or dashboard camera recordings to requesters. It requires agencies to stop delaying disclosures after six months from the request date and mandates they reassess delays every 30 days, providing written justification for ongoing withholdings. This directly affects law enforcement agencies (who must follow these disclosure rules) and individuals or their representatives who request recordings of themselves. The bill replaces current practices allowing indefinite delays during investigations with clear time limits and transparency requirements.
HB 13 prohibits the sale, transfer, or possession of assault weapons by anyone under 18 years old in Alabama. The bill defines "assault weapon" broadly to include firearms with specific features like detachable magazines, certain stocks, or short barrel lengths (excluding antique firearms). Violating these provisions would be a Class B felony for selling to minors or a Class C felony for underage possession. The bill is pending in the Alabama House Judiciary Committee and would take effect October 1, 2025, if enacted.
HB 59 would require every Alabama county to establish at least one early voting center open for 4-6 days during the week before an election. These centers must operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, allowing registered voters to cast ballots without needing an absentee ballot excuse. The bill specifies that county governing bodies must designate the centers and hours, while clarifying that election officials’ existing duties (like county registrars) remain unchanged. The Secretary of State must create implementation rules, and the law would take effect October 1, 2025.
This bill would add Election Day to Alabama's list of official state holidays, defined as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November during years with presidential or gubernatorial elections. It would require all state offices, schools, and banks to close on this day, affecting state employees and government operations. The change would take effect October 1, 2025, if passed, aligning Alabama with other states that observe Election Day as a holiday. The bill simply adds this date to the existing holiday schedule without altering how holidays are observed.
