What passed in the Alabama Legislature: Feb. 11-13, 2025

Yahoo

14-02-2025

Sen. Lance Bell, R-Pell City (left) and Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, move a banner for schools marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 for the Alabama Senate to see on Feb. 12, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
Here is a list of the bills that passed in the Alabama Legislature this week, the second of the 2025 Regular Session.
House
HB 160, sponsored by Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, allows the board of the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority to pay the chair $2,000 per month and members of the board $1,750 a mont for meetings attended. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 29, sponsored by Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, would require most Alabamians claiming unemployment to contact five potential job representatives per week, up from three, in order to claim or maintain benefits. The bill passed 76-25. It goes to the Senate.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
HB 93, sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, would exempt the personal property of members of the Alabama State Port Authority from being audited. It passed 102-1. The bill goes to the Senate.
HB 2, sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, would require parental consent for vaccinations of children 14 years and older. The bill passed 92-5. It goes to the Senate.
HB 54, sponsored by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, would allow district and circuit court judges to issue short term protection orders when making specific findings of evidence of abuse or neglect of a child. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 49, sponsored by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for people convicted of rape and sodomy in the first degree where the victim is a child younger than 12. The bill passed 86-5. It goes to the Senate.
HB 38, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, would give prosecuting attorneys immunity when they give legal advice to police. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 43, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, requires offenders sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison for a Class A, B or C felony to serve a minimum of 10 years in prison, 'jail-type institution or treatment institution' and the rest of their sentence through probation. The bill passed 55-44. It goes to the Senate.
Senate
SB 61, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, would allow the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology to enter into the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact, allowing school psychologists to have equivalent licenses in member states. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House.
SB 59, sponsored by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, would allow dependents of active-duty military personnel to use military medical records as evidence of immunization in place of the Alabama Certificate of Immunization. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to the House.
SB 86, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would establish portable benefits accounts for independent contractors and gig workers. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to the House.
House
SB 79, sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, defines sex-based terms like mother, father, male and female into Alabama law. It passed 77-12. The bill was signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday.
Senate
SB 39, sponsored by Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, would require board members of agencies subject to the Alabama Sunset Law to complete a governance course by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House.
SB 36, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, would make volunteer fire departments and rescue squads subject to local competitive bid laws and decrease the deadline for filing a notice of protest of a competitive bid contract offering from 14 to five days. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to the House.
SB 94, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would make some revisions to the state's adoption procedures and clarify the role of the Department of Human Resources. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to the House.
House
HB 76, sponsored by Rep. Bryan Brinyark, R-Northport, allows the Fayette County Sheriff to use a credit card for official use. It passed 48-0. The bill goes to the Senate.
HB 78, sponsored by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, allows the circuit and district court judges of the 28th Judicial Circuit to conduct nonjury proceedings in Foley and Fairhope courthouses. The bill passed 33-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 87, sponsored by Rep. A.J. McCampbell, D-Linden, increases the expense allowance of the Marengo County coroner from $400 to $1,000 a month; authorizes the Marengo COunty Commission to approve future increases and authorizes the commission to hire a deputy coroner. The bill passed 25-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 98, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Killen, allows the Lauderdale County sheriff to have fundraising events and to use the profits to fund the operations of the department. The bill passed 19-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 99, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Killen, allows the Lauderdale County revenue commissioner to accept electronic filings for business personal property tax returns and authorizes the commissioner to create procedures for filing returns. The bill passed 23-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 100, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Killen, allows the Lauderdale County sheriff to create procedures to make purchases using a credit card or debit card. The bill passed 21-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 132, sponsored by Rep. Mike Kirkland, R-Scottsboro, extends the terms of offices for the Scottsboro mayor and certain members of the city council and school board members by one year. The bill extends the term of office for city council members and city board of education members whose terms set expire in 2026 to 2027; the mayor and council members with terms set to expire in 2028 to 2029, and board of education members whose terms are scheduled to expire in 2028 or 2030 to 2029 and 2031, respectively. The bill passed 19-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 135, sponsored by Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, allows the Dale County Commission to increase a local lodging tax from 2% to 4%. The bill passed 19-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 193, sponsored by Rep. Ben Robbins, R- Sylacauga, removes certain property from the corporate limits of the town of Bon Air and adds it to the city of Childersburg. The bill passed 15-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB102, sponsored by Rep. Jeana Ross, R-Guntersville, requires local boards of education to allow students to participate in dual enrollment programs. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 230, sponsored by Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Fairview, requires that a realtor provide a disclosure form to a customer in writing and includes how much the realtor is compensated prior to showing a property. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 114, sponsored by Rep. Randall Shedd, R-Fairview, continues the Board of Dental Examiners through Oct. 1, 2027. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 110, sponsored by Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, continues the State Board of Medical Examiners and the Medical Licensure Commission through October 1, 2027, and makes employees and board members subject to the state ethics laws. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 115, sponsored by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, continues the Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors through October 1, 2026. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 116, sponsored by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, continues the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board through October 1, 2027. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 125, sponsored by Rep. Margie Wilcox, R-Mobile, continues the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners through October 1, 2027. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 89, sponsored by Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, provides pregnant women with presumptive eligibility for Medicaid, making them eligible to receive health care benefits for up to 60 days prior to getting approved for the program. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 196, sponsored by Rep. Margie Wilcox, R-Mobile, allows a county commission to assume control of a county juvenile detention center after an order from a juvenile judge of the county. It passed 98-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 168, sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Morris, allows the governing body of a local emergency management organization to enter into a mutual agreement with other organizations to receive aid, removing the decision from the director of the local emergency management organization. The bill passed 100-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 52, sponsored by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, allows contributions to the Alabama Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) savings account to remain tax deductible through December 31,2025. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 191, sponsored by Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, sets conditions for how local governments can enact local sales and use tax exemptions. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 45, sponsored by Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, requires the Alabama Medicaid Agency to cover any noninvasive colorectal cancer screening test assigned a grade A or B under the recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB156, sponsored by Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, allows law enforcement to arrest people in Alabama on an out-of-state warrant for any felony crime if the arresting officer has actual knowledge that an out-of-state warrant has been issued. The bill passed 92-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 79, sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, prevents the State Board of Medical Examiners and the Medical Licensure Commission from taking action against pharmacists for prescribing medications for off-label treatments. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 161, sponsored by Rep. Craig Lipscomb, R- Rainbow City, standardizes building codes in Alabama and gives the Division of Construction Management the authority to adopt building codes. The bill passed 97-2. It goes to the Senate.
HB 190, sponsored by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, states the role of the State Department of Human Resources and county departments of human resources throughout the Minor Adoption Code and the Adult Adoption Code. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 72, sponsored by Rep. Ritchie Whorton, R-Owens Cross Roads, increases the annual fee for the volunteer and professional firefighter license plate from $1 to $10 and changes the distribution formula of proceeds, putting 35% into a firefighters annuity and benefit program; 35% in a state emergency relief fund for firefighters; 15% for a peer support program and 15% for maintaining the Alabama Firefighter Memorial in Tuscaloosa.The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 27, sponsored by Rep. Kerry 'Bubba' Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, prohibits people who are on the sex offender registry from getting employed or volunteering as a first responder. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.
HB 243, sponsored by Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, removes part of the property and construction taxes from private use industrial property, tangible property and taxable services after June 1, 2026, and requires the local tax collecting official and Department of Revenue to collect the money and deposit it into the Alabama Development Fund. The bill passed 100-2. It goes to the Senate.
Senate
SB 63, sponsored by Sen. Lance Bell, R-Pell City, would require law enforcement agencies to collect fingerprints and DNA from any person living in the country without permission in custody. The bill passed 24-7. It goes to the House.
SB 22, sponsored by Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, would allow the state to take back economic incentives awarded if the company receiving the incentive or a related company engaged in human trafficking violations or violated the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to the House.
SB 53, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, would establish a process to determine immigration status detained by law enforcement and establish the crime of human smuggling if a person knowingly transports a person living in the country without authorization into Alabama. The bill passed 24-8. It goes to the House.
SB 55, sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliot, R-Josephine, would invalidate out-of-state driver's licenses issued without legal presence verification. The bill passed 24-4. It goes to the House.
SB 32, sponsored by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, would require a person convicted of murder with the use of a machine gun be sentenced to life in prison and make an assault in the first and second degree using a machine gun a Class A felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison. The bill passed 30-1. It goes to the House.
SB 48, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, would provide for the qualifications of members of the boards of registrars, establish hours of operation and increase their salary to $115 per day. The bill passed 29-0. It goes to the House.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE