Criminal Justice (Firearms)

This bill prohibits individuals from carrying firearms in specific Alabama municipalities without a valid form of identification. It applies only to Class 1 municipalities and Class 3 municipalities organized under Act 618, requiring people to produce ID when asked by law enforcement. The law allows individuals to avoid penalties if they can verify their identity to an officer even without physical ID, and courts must dismiss charges and expunge records if valid ID is later produced. Violations would result in a Class C misdemeanor charge. The bill would take effect on October 1, 2026.

SB 267 requires most Alabamians to obtain a permit to carry a pistol in a vehicle or on their person starting January 1, 2027, replacing the current no-permit requirement. Exceptions include carrying on personal property, at home, at a fixed business location, or with an unloaded pistol locked in a vehicle compartment. Violating this requirement would be a Class A misdemeanor. Existing concealed carry permits remain valid until the effective date, and the bill also revises employer property carry rules and makes minor code adjustments.

HB 420 increases penalties for discharging a firearm into an occupied school bus or school building to a Class A felony, the highest level of felony in Alabama. It also establishes a Class B felony for firing a gun on school property during school hours or activities, and a Class C felony for other discharges on school property. The bill includes exceptions for self-defense, organized firearm competitions, and school-sanctioned events involving firearms. The law will take effect on October 1, 2026.

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.

SB 142 expands Alabama's reckless endangerment law by adding a new provision for conduct creating a substantial risk of serious injury to multiple people, which would be punishable as a Class C felony. It also increases penalties for using a firearm during such an offense, elevating it to a Class B felony. The bill directly affects individuals who recklessly endanger multiple people or use weapons while committing reckless endangerment. These changes would take effect on October 1, 2026, modifying existing penalties under Alabama Code Section 13A-6-24.