What passed in the Alabama Legislature: Feb. 25-27, 2025
Alabama Senate convenes for a session, Feb. 25, 2005. (Photo/Stew Milne for the Alabama Reflector)
Here is a list of the bills that passed in the Alabama Legislature this week.
House
HB 73, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Sellers, D-Pleasant Grove, prohibits the possession of a trigger activator in Jefferson County, which enables a firearm to shoot automatically without manual reloading. It passed 25-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 101, sponsored by Rep. Mark Shirey, R-Mobile, allows the Mobile County sheriff to create guidelines for using the Sheriff's Office credit or debit card. It passed 16-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 104, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, allows the governing body of a Class 2 municipality to determine whether debris is a public nuisance and remove it. It passed 29-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 269, sponsored by Rep. Alan Treadaway, R-Morris, expands the boundary lines in Morris to include the corporate limits of the town in Jefferson County. It passed 27-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 159, sponsored by Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, renames the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission. It passed 101-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 147, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Greenhill, places bids and purchases by volunteer fire stations under local competitive bid law requirements. It passed 99-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 163, sponsored by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, allows research companies to deduct research expenses in the year the company spends it, instead of waiting five years. It passed 99-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 195, sponsored by Rep. Rick Rehm, R-Dothan, allows disabled veterans to get a disabled veteran license plate when their physical disability is at least 50%, instead of when the disability exceeds 50% of the veteran's mobility. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 205, sponsored by Rep. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, revises tax exemptions for personal property to include use taxes instead of only sales tax. It passed 101-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 261, sponsored by Rep. Corley Ellis, R-Columbiana, allows nonresident surplus line brokers to obtain a license from the Department of Insurance without a surety bond. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
SB 48, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, increases the Board of Registrar's pay from $80 to $115 each day a member participates in the business of the board. It passed 101-0. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.
HB 94, sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, expands the definition of a Class B felony in second-degree human trafficking to include online or print advertising of sexual labor. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 250, sponsored by Rep. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, requires public office candidates to submit a statement of economic interests within five days of the qualifying deadline, instead of within five days of filing for candidacy. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 106, sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, expands the coverage of catastrophe savings accounts to expenses less than $15,000. It passed 101-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 88, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Starnes, R-Prattville, distinguished parole officers as law enforcement officers. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 84, sponsored by Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, updates procedures for licensing and renewing licensing for chiropractors. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 238, sponsored by Rep. Parker Moore, R-Hartselle, allows nonviolent criminals that have served their time to receive an occupational license. It passed 97-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 266, sponsored by Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, creates a non-traditional high school diploma program for dropouts. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 262, sponsored by Rep. Corley Ellis, R-Columbiana, updates the state's life insurance policy to reference the correct section of the Code of Alabama 1975. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 57, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, prohibits local boards of education from purchasing land for its school that is outside of the school's municipality. It passed 76-8. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 287, sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, requires law enforcement agencies to annually report how many sworn-in officers are employed to the state. It passed 86-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Senate
SB 116, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would make it a state crime to possess or distribute firearm conversion devices, commonly referred to as 'Glock switches,' which enable semi-automatic pistols to fire as fully automatic weapons. The bill passed 28-0. It goes to the House.
SB 118, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would allow a judge to deny bail in cases of discharging a weapon into an occupied building, conspiracy or solicitation of murder. The bill passed 29-0. It goes to the House.
SB 108, sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would establish the crime of mail theft, or when a person takes mail addressed to another person from the addressee's mailbox. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to the House.
SB 47, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, would include community emergency response team members among first responders exempt from civil liability when providing aid. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House.
SB 68, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, would make it so the governing body of a local emergency management organization has the authority to enter into mutual aid agreements — instead of the organization's president. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House.
House
HB 220, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, allows the St. Clair County sheriff to create guidelines for using the Sheriff's Office credit or debit card. It passed 15-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 221, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, changes the salary of the St. Clair County revenue commissioner to be the same as the county's probate judge. It passed 14-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 223, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, authorizes the St. Clair County Commission to pay county officials' cost of living adjustment. It passed 12-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 236, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Fidler, R-Silverhill, increases the supplemental per diem pay of the board of equalization members from $150 to $200. It passed 20-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 254, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, allows the St. Clair County Mental Health Officer to commit individuals under certain circumstances. It passed 11-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 289, sponsored by Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, updates the allocations for Tennessee Valley Authority in Marshall County. It passed 10-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 294, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, allows the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit to auction, sell and destroy abandoned, stolen and unclaimed property obtained by the unit. It passed 12-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 301, sponsored by Rep. Brett Easterbrook, R-Fruitdale, abolished the Choctaw County office of constable. It passed 13-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 167, sponsored by Rep. Alan Treadaway, R-Morris, allows tow companies to report towed vehicles as unclaimed immediately to the Department of Revenue, instead of waiting five days. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 158, sponsored by Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, established a procedure for cost of living adjustments for retired teachers and state employees through the Education Trust Fund and General Fund appropriations. It passed 97-3. The bill now goes to the Senate.
SB 36, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, allows educational institutions and some state agencies to place bids online, in addition to in person. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to Ivey.
HB 66, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, prohibits people convicted of elder abuse from receiving any benefits associated with the death of the victim. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 280, sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa, requires participants of unpermitted events to reimburse municipalities. It passed 70-22. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 214, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, allows the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology to enter the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
SB 59, sponsored by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, allows the dependents of active duty military to provide medical and immunization records to enroll in a public or private school. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to Ivey.
HB 157, sponsored by Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, sets the base pay for elected and appointed local officials as the same as their predecessor's base pay. It passed 97-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 222, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, allows the Board of Pardons and Paroles to share GPS data with local law enforcement agencies during an active investigation. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 17, sponsored by Rep. Ron Bolton, R-Northport, prohibits squatted trucks from being raised four inches higher in the front fender than the back fender. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
SB 4, sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, allows local sheriffs and police chiefs to contract a school resource officer for nonpublic K-12 schools. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to Ivey.
HB 187, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, allows fees from the Sheriff's Fund to be spent on law enforcement functions of the office, instead of only for jail operations. It passed 97-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 44, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, reopens the Teachers' Retirement System to allow credits for prior services in St. Clair County. It passed 88-0. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Senate
SB 140, sponsored by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, would require the Alabama Department of Public Health to notify youth athletics associations that are not in compliance with the Coach Safety Act and allow ADPH to fine associations after two years of non-compliance. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House.
SB 83, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would require the adult changing tables to be powered and height-adjustable, and installed in newly constructed or renovated public buildings starting in 2028. The bill passed 27-0. It goes to the House.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
21 minutes ago
- New York Times
Hawley Breaks With Republicans to Oppose a Major Crypto Bill
While the clash between Elon Musk and President Trump captivated Washington on Thursday, another drama was playing out behind closed doors over a bill to regulate the $250 billion market for stablecoins, which could transform America's relationship with the dollar, upend the credit card industry, and benefit both Musk and Trump. The bill, the GENIUS Act, is poised to pass the Senate within days. But a prominent Republican, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, said that he will vote against the bill in its current form, warning that it would hand too much control of America's financial system to tech giants. 'It's a huge giveaway to Big Tech,' Hawley said in an interview. Mr. Hawley, who previously voted against the bill for procedural purposes, is concerned that the legislation would allow tech giants to create digital currencies that compete with the dollar. And he fears that such companies would then be motivated to collect even more data on users' finances. 'It allows these tech companies to issue stablecoins without any kind of controls,' he said. 'I don't see why we would do that.' Similar worries scuttled an effort by Meta to get into stablecoins. In 2019, Jay Powell of the Fed, among others, raised 'serious concerns' about Meta's cryptocurrency initiative, called Libra and then Diem. It abandoned the project in 2022. The GENIUS Act has exposed divisions in both parties. Democrats like Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts oppose the bill, warning it would make it easier for Trump, whose family announced its own USD1 stablecoin in March, to engage in corrupt practices. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Legislative recap for Thursday, June 5
The dome of the Maine State House in Augusta. Sept. 5, 2023. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) With a citizen-led campaign to impose voter ID requirements heading to the ballots, lawmakers discussed the issue at length Thursday before rejecting a legislative proposal mirroring the ballot initiative. Several Republican members of the Maine House of Representatives said if returning clothes and buying cigarettes requires photo identification, so should voting. They alleged rampant voter fraud by noncitizens, which Maine's Secretary of State has said is not the case. Democrats pushed back, saying Maine already has a robust system to prevent fraud, and that requiring voter ID would disadvantage students, seniors and people with disabilities. With a 72-69 vote, the bill, LD 38, was rejected. 'There is a fundamental difference between having to show an ID to buy alcohol or tobacco products or returning an unwanted item to a store,' said Rep. Kelly Noonan Murphy (D-Scarborough).'None of those things are sacred rights granted to us in the Constitution. And therefore, imposing barriers on that right … is un-American.' With papers shuffling between chambers this week, Maine Morning Star has compiled a slightly more pared down roundup again for Thursday, focusing on the biggest items of debates as well as legislation and issues that we've followed all session. Here's an overview of what happened Thursday. Both chambers have now passed an amended version of LD 1726, which seeks to improve planning for the future of the energy grid. The House supported it with a 75-69 vote, and the Senate followed suit passing the bill 19-13 Thursday afternoon. After LD 1928 squeaked through the House with a 72-70 vote, the Senate passed it 17-15. This bill would ban single-use plastic containers — such as mini shampoo bottles — at lodging establishments starting in 2030. Although Rep. Michael Soboleski (R-Phillips) said the well-intentioned legislation overlooks sanitation concerns and poses challenges for businesses, others praised it for its potential to chip away at plastic use in the state. 'A conservative estimate is that this bill could eliminate as many as 73 million single-use plastic bottles per year from Maine's waste stream as we struggle to recycle our way out of the catastrophe of microplastics, that is meaningful action,' said Rep. Vicki Doudera (D-Camden). Although the proposed net energy billing reform that could save ratepayers more than $65 million has yet to hit the floors, the Senate and House passed an amended version of LD 839, which would create a fund to offset transmission and distribution costs associated with the policy that would otherwise be passed onto ratepayers. Additionally, lawmakers backed a bill requiring internet providers to treat all broadband internet traffic equally, a concept commonly referred to as 'net neutrality.' LD 536 passed the House 79-66, while the Senate gave its approval Thursday. With a 74-67 House vote, both chambers supported LD 246, which asks courts to consider a sentence other than imprisonment for primary caregivers. Rep. Adam Lee (D-Auburn) said the bill is needed because 'the research is clear, children with incarcerated parents are more likely to face mental health challenges, exhibit behavioral problems, experience social isolation and suffer from economic hardship. These children are also more likely to perform poorly in school and have higher absentee rates.' With a 73-69 vote, the House also passed LD 1859, a bill that would offer regional hubs for childcare, which can serve as access points in communities, tailored to the needs of those families. The Senate approved it Wednesday. Both chambers have now rejected LD 1476, which sought to impose a new lodging fee to help fund homeless shelters in the state. A heavily amended version of LD 1787 passed in the Senate after the House gave approval Wednesday. The bill initially sought to allow candidates for district attorney, sheriff and county commissioner to participate in the Maine Clean Election Act, but the version now being considered was amended to increase the contribution limits for gubernatorial seed money donations. (Read more about other proposals related to changing Maine's clean elections here.) Legislation (LD 1900) to grant authority to certain Wabanaki Nations to develop tribal power districts and recognize the authority for child support enforcement passed the House 75-67 on Wednesday and Senate 20-12. There was also bipartisan support for LD 1886, which would extend the current penalties applied when a motor vehicle violation results in death to violations that result in serious bodily harm. Lawmakers killed a proposal (LD 1461) to prohibit school boards from adopting a mask mandate unless directed by a health agency. So far, the Legislature has only supported modest refinements to the state's paid family and medical leave. That approach continued Thursday, when two more bills looking to amend the program were rejected. LD 1169, which would allow employers to get a refund for any premiums paid into the state's plan if they are approved to use a private substitute plan, was voted down 73-68 by the House and 18-14 by the Senate. Both chambers also rejected LD 1400, which looked to exempt certain public school employees from the program. And the Senate cast a final enactment vote for LD 588, which would give agricultural employees the right to engage in certain concerted activity, which includes talking about wages, working conditions and other employment matters with other employees or the employer. (Read more about that here.) After the Senate narrowly voted it down, the House passed LD 1535, which would require the Public Utilities Commission to gather a group of municipal, police and fire officials to discuss the high electricity usage related to illegal cannabis grows in the state. During discussions Wednesday, Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec) said the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee is carrying over legislation into the next session that could provide a more comprehensive approach, including this sort of study. The Senate insisted on its original vote Thursday night. Leaving it in limbo, the House did not again take up LD 810, the bill seeking to modify the law born out of a 2021 referendum question requiring the Maine Legislature to approve any new high-impact transmission lines. It fell shy of passage in the House with lawmakers voting 72-75 before ultimately killing the bill under the hammer. However, the Senate passed the bill 18-16 Wednesday. During an evening session, the Senate rejected LD 1036, which would prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to tenants solely because they rely on programs such as General Assistance or housing vouchers. Since the House passed the proposal 72-70 on Wednesday, the lower chamber will need to take it up again. Sen. Chip Curry (D-Waldo) said this is an important issue, but asked the Senate to reject the measure simply because the Judiciary Committee is carrying a similar bill into the next session to allow more time to work on it. Although the House rejected LD 1236 earlier in the day on Thursday, the Senate voted 22-10 in favor of its passage after a failed 16-16 vote to reject the bill and impassioned floor speeches about the importance of addressing the presence of fentanyl in the state. The amended version of the bill seeks to create a Class A crime for aggravated trafficking of fentanyl when it results in an overdose. While no one refuted that fentanyl poses a crisis, Curry said the state can't incarcerate its way out of it. Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart said he supports a multipronged approach to solving the substance use crisis including access to treatment and other supports, but argued that this bill could bolster that. The Senate advanced two bills that aim to support mobile home park residents in purchasing their parks. (Read more about that here.) Maine is one step closer to joining its New England peers who all have so-called food waste bans on the books now that the Senate has approved a slightly amended version of LD 1065. The bill would prohibit significant generators of food waste, which could include schools, hospitals, food producers and others, from disposing of food waste if they are close to a facility that could compost or otherwise dispose of the waste. The House passed a bill (LD 1078) expanding access to needle exchange programs in a 74-65 vote. The bill would allow certified programs to operate additional locations within the same county. (Read more about our syringe service program coverage here). SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
7 senators to watch as Republicans make changes to Trump's big bill
WASHINGTON — As Senate Republican leaders push to a massive bill for President Donald Trump's agenda by July 4, they are juggling a host of competing demands. Some senators are genuine threats to vote against the legislation, while others are expected to support it in the end after using their demands to shape it. Several of them have complicated political considerations. The Republicans who are speaking out most loudly point to a variety of ways the House-passed bill may change in the Senate, as party leaders seek to ease enough of their concerns. With all Democrats expected to vote against the package, Republicans will need at least 50 votes to pass it, as Vice President JD Vance could break a tie. Here are seven key senators to watch. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is the only Republican senator who has voted against this legislation every step of the way. He has blasted the spike in military spending, the huge increase in deficits and, in particular, the $5 trillion debt limit hike. Paul does support a key part of the package — an extension of the Trump's 2017 tax cuts — but he wants to offset it with trillions of dollars in additional spending cuts, which the GOP has no hope of finding consensus on. Paul typically doesn't play games with his red lines. Barring an uncharacteristic about face, expect him to vote against the bill. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is the sole surviving GOP senator to represent a state that Democrats consistently win at the presidential level. And she faces re-election this year. Her trajectory has been revealing, from supporting the initial budget resolution to voting against the revised version. A key reason for her opposition? Concerns that the Medicaid cuts would harm low-income and elderly constituents. She also expressed reservations about going after waste and fraud in Medicare, as GOP leaders have begun to consider. In addition, Collins and others like Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, would firmly oppose overruling the parliamentarian, the Senate's in-house referee who settles rule disputes, if she disqualifies some policies. Collins voted for the party's 2017 tax law, but she has been willing to vote against major GOP bills in the past. Party leaders will need to take her demands seriously in order to win her vote. When Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted for the budget blueprint in April that kickstarted the process of writing the legislation, she quickly followed it up with a broad set of grievances that will need to be addressed, or she'll be 'unable to support' the final product. Among other things, she took issue with Medicaid cuts and an accounting trick her party is using to obscure the cost of the tax cuts. Two months later, her concerns persist. Asked Thursday by NBC News what she wants to change in the emerging bill, Murkowski replied dryly, 'Oh, I'll give you a list.' Murkowski has criticized the phaseout and repeal of clean energy tax credits that benefit her state, writing a letter in April with three of her colleagues — Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Curtis — highlighting the importance of America's energy independence, which they argued could be weakened as a result of this bill. Murkowski has shown an independent streak and a willingness to take political arrows when standing her ground. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and will help craft some of the biggest and most contentious pieces of the bill — including the tax cuts and Medicaid cuts. Despite his soft-spoken and non-confrontational style, Crapo won't be able to make everybody happy. And any changes he makes in the Senate would have to be palatable to the wafer-thin House Republican majority, which engaged in painstaking negotiations before passing its version of the bill by a one-vote margin. One example of the disconnect is the expanded $40,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, to placate a group of blue-state House Republicans. But there are no GOP senators representing blue states where that is a big issue. Crapo said "there's not a strong mood in the Senate Republican caucus right now" to expand SALT. The bill represents his biggest test since taking the powerful gavel. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he wants to adjust the phaseouts of the clean energy tax credits with a more 'targeted' approach to protect U.S. businesses that are already invested in existing projects. He said there's 'general consensus that the House proposed language will be modified.' Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito, agreed, telling NBC News some phaseouts will likely be pushed back. A member of the Finance Committee, Tillis has sounded generally positive about the direction of the bill, making him a likely 'yes' vote. But he's skeptical that the Senate will meet the Independence Day deadline: 'There's a lot of things that have to go perfectly right to get all that done and be out by July 4.' Tillis faces a tough political balancing act: He's up for re-election next year in a state that Democrats will be targeting; but first he needs to get through a Republican primary, which means staying on Trump's good side. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has railed against the bill and its estimated $2.4 trillion contribution to the deficit, insisting he can't vote for it as written. He has slammed the idea of a mega-bill, calling for breaking it up and limiting the debt ceiling hike. Trump asked him to be 'less negative' during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Johnson said. 'I think we had a good, lively discussion between the two of us,' Johnson told NBC News. 'He obviously would like me to be a little less negative, a little more positive, which I'm happy to do.' Johnson said he isn't trying to make Trump and GOP leaders' jobs harder. And the senator zig-zagged his way to 'yes' on the 2017 tax law after initially coming out against it, so party leaders have reason to be optimistic that he won't sink this legislation. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has been the Senate GOP's most vocal opponent of cutting Medicaid "benefits' — and he's been specific about which parts of the House bill he's worried about, citing the Medicaid provider tax and cost-sharing provisions. Notably, Hawley said he's fine with coverage losses resulting from Medicaid work requirements and expanded proof-of-eligibility provisions. Those make up the bulk of the House bill's savings. Hawley has also expressed reservations about including any provisions in the bill related to Medicare, which Republicans recently said they would discuss related to savings connected to so-called 'waste, fraud, and abuse.' Hawley called that 'a terrible idea,' telling reporters Thursday, 'If you don't ever want to win an election again, just go fiddle around with people's Medicare that they've worked hard for, paid into.' This article was originally published on
