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Associated Press
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
What was approved, and what failed, in the 2025 legislative session
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers ended the 2025 legislative session on Wednesday. Here is a look at a few of the notable bills that passed, and some that failed, during the session. WHAT WAS APPROVED: DEFINING SEX The 'What is a Woman?' law wrote definitions of 'man,' 'woman,' 'boy' and 'girl' into state law based on a person's reproductive organs at birth. SCHOOL CELLPHONE BAN Alabama is joining states that ban or restrict cellphones in public schools. Phones would have to be stored in a locker, car or storage device during the school day. BIRMINGHAM WATER WORKS It set up a new regional board to oversee the Birmingham Water Works. Birmingham city officials have filed a lawsuit challenging the restructuring. SALES TAX CUTS The state sales tax on food will drop from 3% to 2% on Sept. 1. Lawmakers also voted to exempt diapers, baby formula and menstrual hygiene products from the state sales tax. GLOCK SWITCH BAN The new law bans Glock switches and devices that convert semi-automatic weapons to automatic fire. Lawmakers approved it after multiple mass shootings, including one that killed four people outside a Birmingham nightclub. ALFA HEALTH PLANS The Alabama Farmers Federation will be able to sell health care plans that are not regulated like traditional insurance and can turn people away for preexisting conditions. Supporters said it will provide an affordable option for farmers and others. PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGERS The law puts regulations on pharmacy benefit managers. PBMs must reimburse independent pharmacists at the Medicaid rate. Lawmakers said it is needed to curb the closure of small pharmacies. PARENTAL LEAVE The new law will provide teachers and other state employees with paid parental leave, including up to eight weeks of maternity leave after the birth of a child. VETERANS BOARD The governor can now appoint the head of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs. The department restructuring was approved following a dispute between the governor and the previous commissioner. SPEEDY TRIAL The chief justice can, when requested, appoint a visiting judge to handle a criminal case. The attorney general's office backed the legislation. HEMP PRODUCTS The state will put new regulations on the sale of consumable hemp products, such as gummies and drinks. It limits the THC content to 10 milligrams and requires purchasers to be 21. IMMIGRATION Legislation approved Wednesday will make it a felony to knowingly bring an undocumented immigrant into the state. Another approved bill will require jails to collect fingerprints and DNA from unauthorized immigrants in their custody. POLICE IMMUNITY The bill provides enhanced legal immunity to police officers under certain conditions. The measure was approved after a late-night debate in the Alabama Senate. The Republican governor said she will sign the bill into law. Democrats sharply criticized the legislation. SHARK ALERT SYSTEM The alert system, similar to an Amber Alert, will send out a notice after an unprovoked shark bite off the Alabama coast. The system is named for Lulu Gribbin who survived a shark attack. JUNETEENTH Juneteenth, the June 19 day that commemorates the end of slavery after the Civil War, is now an official state holiday. SCHOOL FUNDING CHANGE The state will begin steering additional money to schools based on student needs such as poverty. Legislation sets aside $375 million to start the program. Lawmakers also steered an additional $80 million to the state's new school voucher program. WHAT FAILED: GAMBLING The draft proposal aimed to allow a lottery, sports betting and several casinos in the state. The Republican Senate leader said the bill had 'too few votes' to advance. GULF OF AMERICA The bill sought to require state and local government entities to use the name 'Gulf of America' on new maps, websites and materials and make reasonable efforts to update existing resources. ARCHIVES The bill would have put a politically appointed board in charge of the Alabama Department of Archives and History. SECOND CHANCE The bill would have allowed a small number of prisoners serving life sentences for non-violent offenses under Alabama's Habitual Offender Act to have their sentences reviewed. OVERTIME TAX CUT Alabama will again begin collecting income tax on workers' overtime break. Lawmakers did not extend the tax break that is set to expire in June. APP AGE VERIFICATION The legislation sought to require app stores to verify users' ages and require parental consent for minors to download an app. Utah approved similar legislation. PAROLE BOARD CHANGES The bill sought to expand the board and change who selects the chairperson. Another bill would have allowed inmates to speak by phone or teleconference at their parole hearing. TEN COMMANDMENTS IN SCHOOLS The legislation would've mandated the display of the 10 Commandments in all public schools.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Governor Ivey signed a bill allowing ALFA to offer healthcare plans to members
ALABAMA (WDHN) – Governor Ivey officially signed a bill that will permit the Alabama Farmers Federation to offer and provide health care plans for its members that does not have to follow the same laws and regulations as health insurance programs. The legislation passed the House 98-1, and it passed the Senate 30-2. People who support it said the plan would provide affordable plans for farmers and self-employed people who are ALFA members, and members who cannot afford their insurance. However, members who have employer-sponsored plans cannot buy the plans. People against it said the plan will create an unfair playing field with other insurance companies because it would not have to comply with the Affordable Care Act, and it could deny coverage to people with preexisting medical conditions This new legislation will go into effect shortly, now that the bill has Governor Ivey's signature Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama officially approved legislation that allows the Alabama Farmers Federation to sell healthcare plans to their members
ALABAMA (WDHN) – Alabama state lawmakers have officially approved the legislation that allows the 'Alabama Farmers Federation' to sell healthcare plans to their members that bypasses federal requirements, which can turn people away for preexisting conditions. Under the new legislation, medical visits, hospitalizations and other costs are not classified as health insurance. The new health plans would not have to follow the Affordable Care Act requirements and rules, and it could turn away people, due to their preexisting conditons. Initially, Senate Democrats wanted to require the ALFA plans to accept people with preexisting conditions and to give the Alabama Department of Insurance the ability to oversee the plans. The Alabama Senate passed the legislation on a vote of 30-2. Now, the bill heads to Governor Ivey's desk for her signature. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
01-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Alabama lawmakers approve bill to let Alfa sell health benefit plans
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — State lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation that will allow the Alabama Farmers Federation to sell healthcare plans to their members that can bypass federal requirements and turn people away for pre-existing conditions. The Alabama Senate voted 30-2 for the bill. The legislation now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. The bill would allow the Alabama Farmers Federation (Alfa) to sell health plans to farmers and anyone else who joins the organization. The bill specifies that the plans, even though they would provide benefits to pay for medical visits, hospitalizations, and other costs, are not classified as health insurance. The plans would not have to comply with the Affordable Care Act requirements and could deny coverage to people because of pre-existing conditions. Republican Sen. Arthur Orr said the proposal provides an option for people who want to participate. Orr said 11 other states, including Tennessee and Iowa, have similar laws in place. 'Folks, for me this is a freedom of contract issue. This is for individuals and an organization being able to engage in a contract for health care and the government has no role, or a very limited role in that,' Orr said. Supporters said the bill will provide a needed and less expensive option to farmers and others who are struggling with high health care costs. Opponents argued the plans will skirt federal requirements and create an unlevel playing field by allowing the group to refuse to sell plans to people with expensive medical conditions— something that traditional insurance plans cannot do. Senate Democrats unsuccessfully pushed for amendments that would require Alfa to accept people with pre-existing conditions and to give the Alabama Department of Insurance oversight over the plans. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton said the changes would ensure farmers get a health plan that will 'really benefit them.' 'We need to protect people on their pre-existing conditions. These farmers work in dangerous conditions on a daily basis. Every farmer handles chemicals on a daily basis,' Singleton said. Orr countered that people will leave the plan if they are unhappy with the coverage. People who enroll would be required to sign a notice that the benefits 'are not provided through an insurance policy.' Republican Sen. Jack Williams said farmers are struggling with insurance costs on top of the other financial pressures of running a farm. He said his 27-year-old grandson pays $2,400 monthly to buy insurance for his family. 'If we don't do something to help our young farmers out, we're not going to have any because they have to go to work somewhere else just to get insurance,' Williams said. Lawmakers earlier added several changes to the bill they said were aimed at boosting protections for consumers. Any monetary cap on benefits could not be less than $2 million per enrollee. The plans, while they could deny coverage to new applicants because of their health history, could not kick people off the plan or increase premiums because of an illness or medical event. People who have access to employer-sponsored plans would be ineligible to buy the plans.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama House OKs Alabama Farmers Federation health plans
Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, speaks on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on April 25, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The Alabama House on Thursday approved a bill sponsored by Faulkner to allow the Alabama Farmers Federation to sell health insurance plans. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House of Representatives Thursday voted to allow the Alabama Farmers Federation to offer health insurance for its members. The chamber approved HB 477, sponsored by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, by a vote of 98-1. It allows an organization fitting the description of the Alabama Farmers Federation (Alfa) to offer a health care plan that exists outside of state regulations and is only available to people who are members of the nonprofit. 'The rising cost of health care is a significant burden for our farmers,' Faulkner said when he introduced his legislation on the floor. 'As legislators, there is little we can do about fertilizer costs, or the price of cotton. But we can make a difference in one of the largest household costs for many farmer families and other citizens in Alabama regarding their health care coverage.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Faulker's proposal was introduced last week at the Alabama House Health Committee when the committee hosted a public hearing, and members of the public voiced several concerns regarding the bill. Members of the committee considered the legislation once again Wednesday, and several lawmakers on the committee introduced amendments to the bill even though the sponsor did not always agree with all the proposals. Two days later, Faulker's bill was approved in the House and passed onto the Senate. The bill allows Alfa to offer health plans that include outpatient services and hospital visits; visits to the emergency room; mental health and substance abuse services and prescription drug benefits. Members enrolled in the plan cannot be denied coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition. The plan cannot be cancelled because of a medical event. If someone enrolled in the plan must visit a provider that is not in the network, Alfa will pay that provider the median amount of the in-network rate or 80% of the maximum allowed charge for the service. Only members of the Alabama Farmers Federation can enroll in the health care plan, and only after they certify that they are not able to enroll in a health plan sponsored by their employer or that enrolling in the plan is too expensive. Under the bill, only insurance agents authorized by Alfa can market and sell the plan. The Alabama Department of Insurance may also review and comment on any complaint that a person enrolled in the plan files which will then be forwarded to the third party responsible for addressing the complaint. Several people during a public hearing on April 3 expressed concerns regarding the legislation prior to lawmakers introducing amendments to change the bill in committee. They said that it lacks several protections afforded to patients that are in the Affordable Care Act. 'We believe this bill threatens those protections by allowing the sale of health plans that are not required to cover essential health benefits… and can discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions, including cancer,' said Jane Adams during the public hearing, government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in Alabama, during the public hearing last Wednesday. Numerous changes were made to the bill after several lawmakers in the committee during Wednesday's meeting submitted amendments to include the other benefits, such as prescription drug coverage and mental health and substance abuse and allow for greater oversight by the Alabama Department of Insurance. On the House floor Thursday, Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, the chair of the House Health Committee, proposed an amendment setting the annual limit on the benefits of the health plan at least $2 million. 'We want to make sure that our farmers are taken care of,' Lee said. 'I am the first generation away from a dependence on farming, so I understand it, growing up in it. So, I know the hard times, the late nights, getting up and looking for a cloud in the sky. I understand that. We want to make sure that farmers get the best thing, and anything we can get in this bill.' The Alabama Hospital Association proposed the provision to lawmakers. Much of the debate circled around an amendment proposed by Rep. Frances Holk-Jones, R-Foley, and approved in committee that said the Alabama Department of Insurance 'shall enforce this act.' Faulkner, who opposed the amendment, moved to remove it from the bill Thursday, saying it was 'very confusing.' 'The state's Department of Insurance does not regulate self-funded plans,' he said. 'And the federal regulation that applies to self-funded plans does not have any application to our bill. Our bill is far more comprehensive, and so it doesn't make sense for that to be on there.' The debate over the move took two hours. 'These amendments, this one in particular, that says the plan will be enforced by the Department of Insurance, it is just a precaution,' said Holk-Jones, who has worked in the insurance industry for the past 40 years. 'It is a precaution for those individuals who have this policy. I call it a prenup. While we are in love with each other, and while we are agreeing to everything, that is when we want the prenup.' The chamber voted to remove the language. The bill moves to the Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
