Next To Last Week of Legislative Session Was Active

To paraphrase actor McDonald Carey at the beginning of each episode of the long running soap opera "Days of Our Live", Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of the 2026 Alabama Legislative session. When lawmakers return to Montgomery Tuesday there will be three meeting days remaining and there is still a lot of work to do.

Work done this week put state lawmakers in position to give final passage to the state's two budgets as required, deal with some controversial issues, conduct some bill signing ceremonies with the governor and adjourn sine die next Thursday so they can go home and hit the campaign trail.

The state's $3.7 billion FY27 General Fund Budget saw $12.6 million added to the upper chamber's version, Senate Bill 146. The less than one percent differential sailed through the house on a 104-0 vote. However, because of the small difference, the bill moves back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.

The house passed budget includes:

• $16 million for a 2% pay raise for state employees and $18 million for the State Employees Insurance Board to offset the rising healthcare costs,
• A $735,000 increase for the Department of Human Resources, and
• A $325,000 increase for the Alabama Department of Mental Health over the Senate version.

The $12 billion Education Trust Fund (ETF)Budget passed with 12 days left in the session. The senate made minor changes to the ETF passed by the house with a 2% increase in teacher pay.

The ETF returns to the House for final concurrence.

What else happened in the legislature during the next to the last week of the session? (NOTE: Only bills of statewide application or sponsored by members of the West Alabama Legislative delegation are listed):

The House

House Bill 2, Requires all state and local entities to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” The bill passed 26-5. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 7, Increases the penalties for making terrorist threat in the first degree to a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison; allows a terrorist threat in the second degree to be classified as a Class D felony if the person convicted has a prior record of making threats, and requires school principals to notify law enforcement of student terrorist threats and suspend them for at least 30 days. The House concurred with Senate changes, 102-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 86, sponsored by Tuscaloosa County Rep. Chris England (D-70), updates parole consideration to include an inmate’s employment status and education gained while incarcerated and allows the Board of Pardons and Paroles to consider the inmate’s low-risk to reoffend. The bill passed 34-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 95, Requires probate judges to conduct a post-election audit after each county and general election. The bill passed 22-7. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 128, Authorizes the State Board of Midwifery to accept gifts and grants and makes technical revisions and updates to the law. The bill passed 34-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 132, Updates the crime of second-degree assault to include intent to harm a child in an educational environment if the person committing the crime is over 19 years old, not employed or enrolled in the educational space and causes physical injury to any person. The bill passed 34-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 169, Decreases the number of members serving on the Board of Trustees for the Alabama Department of Archives and History from 17 to 16. The bill passed 61-35. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 224, sponsored by Marengo, Pickens, Sumter counties Rep. A.J. McCampbell (D-71), allows for other revenue sources to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The bill passed 103-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 225, Requires boards of education to post notices of vacancies within seven calendar days instead of 14 days. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 235, Makes supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending in September from the Education Trust Fund to different agencies totaling $419 million and from gross income tax receipts from the CHOOSE Act Fund to the Alabama Department of Revenue for $100 million. The bill passed 33-0 with a substitute. It goes to the House for concurrence or conference committee.

House Bill 236, Makes supplemental appropriations from the Education Trust Fund Advancement and Technology Fund for $1 billion for the fiscal year ending in September. The bill passed 33-0 with a substitute. It goes to the House for concurrence or conference committee.

House Bill 237, Transfers $399 million from the Educational Opportunities Reserve Fund for the fiscal year ending in September to the Renewing Alabama’s Investment in Student Excellence (RAISE) Fund and makes appropriations from the Educational Opportunities Reserve Fund to various higher education institutions totaling $101 million. The bill passed 33-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 238, Makes appropriations for the support, maintenance and development of public education in Alabama for fiscal year 2027. The bill passed 32-0 with a substitute. It goes to the House for concurrence or conference committee.

House Bill 239, Increases the salaries of public education employees by 2% and authorizes one-time bonuses for education retirees. The bill passed 33-0 with an amendment. It goes to the House for concurrence or conference committee.

House Bill 248, Makes revisions to the Alabama Business and Nonprofit Entities Code. The bill passed 98-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 259, Authorizes the Alabama Securities Commission to license Stablecoin issuers beginning in 2028. The bill passed 33-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 266, Raised the penalty for reckless endangerment to a Class C felony punishable up to one year in prison if an individual recklessly engages in conduct that could seriously injure multiple people and a Class B felony punishable up to 20 years in prison if a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument is used while performing the reckless action. The House concurred with Senate changes 99-1. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 267, Authorizes the State Forester to receive sickness and annual leave and reimbursement for travel. The bill passed 34-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 268, Authorizes the state 911 Board to monitor call statistics of local communication districts and share crime reporting data with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. The bill passed 34-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 282, Changes the start date of the terms of members of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles from July 1 to March 1. The House concurred with Senate changes 99-0. It goes to Gov. Ivey.

House Bill 303, sponsored by Bibb/Chilton/Shelby counties Rep. Russel Bedsole (R-49), requires operators of cryptocurrency kiosks to clearly disclose all terms and conditions for the use of its products and provide the customer with a specific warning, outlined in the legislation. The House concurred with Senate changes 96-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 312, Makes new calculations determining district attorneys’ retirement plans in the Judicial Retirement Fund. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 353, Requires the Alabama State Department of Education to develop an Advanced Math Pathway for students; requires local boards to adopt an automatic enrollment policy and automatically enroll students in the advanced pathway classes if they score proficient or higher on statewide end-of-the-year math assessments in fifth through eighth grades or demonstrates proficiency using a local measure; allow parents to opt their child into the classes and require the department to report annually to the legislature on student enrollment and progress in advanced math classes. The bill passed 103-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 381, Requires camps in the state to have emergency preparedness standards. The bill passed 33-1 with an amendment. It goes to the House for concurrence or conference committee.

House Bill 404, Allows Class 1 municipalities with a population of 300,000 residents or more to establish and regulate a nonprofit community land trust to create affordable housing alternatives. The bill passed 78-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 466, Adds Parkinson’s Disease to the list of firefighter’s occupational diseases and further provides for disability and death benefits for firefighters. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 475, Expands the Public Service Commission from three to seven members, with those members being appointed by the governor this summer until they will be elected in staggered terms every two years starting in 2032. The bill passed 32-0 with a substitute and an amendment. The House later concurred 72-26. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill into law on Thursday.

House Bill 487, Makes supplemental appropriations in the amount of $43.1 million from the Opioid Treatment and Abatement Fund. The bill passed 34-0 with a substitute. It goes to the House for concurrence or conference committee.

House Bill 496, Allows adjoining homeowners to receive notice of municipal lien foreclosures and have bidding preference in foreclosures of municipal liens. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 499, Allows County local legislators to revise the number of constables in the county; revise the areas within the county to be represented by constables and revise when the constable is considered to have vacated their office. The bill passed 66-2. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 510, Gives industrial development boards in municipalities with a population between 175,000 and 299,999 residents to issue and sell bonds and to acquire, construct, expand, improve, replace, equip, maintain, operate, lease and dispose of development properties. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey

House Bill 513, Exempts the Alabama Industrial Development Training Institute from state procurement law and review by the Joint Legislative Contract Review Committee. The bill passed 75-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 514, sponsored by Pickens/Tuscaloosa counties Rep. Ron Bolton (R-61), gives the Tuscaloosa County sheriff an additional expense allowance of $36,000 from the county general fund. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 527, Allows individuals to deduct up to $1,000 of qualified overtime compensation and extends a grocery sales tax holiday from May 1 to June 30. The bill passed 100-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 568 Changes child labor certificate fees and distribution of fines collected for child labor law violations and addresses regulations for boiler and pressure vessels and elevators. The bill passed 103-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 565, Creates the College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Act to establish a program to provide bonus funding to higher education institutions that meet identified student and institution performance goals and objectives. The bill passed 33-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 573, sponsored by Clarke/Conecuh/Marengo counties Rep. Thomas Jackson (D-68), allows a qualified taxpayer who is 65 years old or older in Perry County to claim a senior property tax exemption. The measure, a constitutional amendment, passed 32-0. It goes on a future ballot to be considered by voters.

House Bill 584, Extends screentime limits to K-12 students. The bill passed 98-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 591, Makes supplemental appropriations from the Rural Health Transformation Program to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2026, and creates the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Rural Health Transformation Program Funds. The bill passed 104-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 593, Creates the Alabama Small Craft Alcoholic Beverages Act; new license categories for small craft wineries and small craft distilleries; permits a brewpub, small craft winery or small craft distillery to allow tours of their manufacturing facilities and allow brewpub, small craft winery, or small craft distillery or any other alcoholic beverage manufacturer to have a storage facility off the licensed manufacturing premises. The bill passed 71-21. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 604, Establishes a standing accountability council to ensure accountability measures are supporting improved outcomes for students. The bill passed 93-1. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 605, Authorizes regulated collaboration between rural health care providers and related entities and articulates a state policy displacing competition where needed to preserve rural health care access. The bill passed 101-0. It moves to the Senate.

House Bill 613, sponsored by Marengo, Pickens, Sumter counties Rep. A.J. McCampbell (D-71) Alters the boundary lines and corporate limits of the City of Demopolis in Marengo County. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 614, Makes supplemental appropriations from the Rural Health Transformation Program to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2027. The bill passed 101-0. It moves to the Senate.

The Senate

Senate Bill 32, Exempts households whose sole income is veterans’ benefits from paying solid waste collection fees. The bill passed 102-0. It goes back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.

Senate Bill 99, Requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in history classrooms and common areas in every school in the district. The bill passed 27-6. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 118, Creates the Alabama Background Check Service, which allows law enforcement to collect biometric identifiers for noncriminal justice purposes to identify individuals. The Senate concurred 32-0 with House changes. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 143, Removes a sunset clause on supplemental privilege assessment, secondary supplemental assessments and surcharges for beds in nursing facilities. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 144, Removes a sunset clause for a quarterly assessment payment for emergency medical transport providers, and makes the quarterly payment for Medicaid maintenance permanent. The bill passed 104-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 145, Removes a sunset clause for private hospitals that pay a provider privilege tax to the Alabama Medicaid Agency and makes the tax permanent. The bill passed 104-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 146, Appropriates $3.7 billion for state agencies in the state General Fund budget for fiscal year 2027. The bill passed 104-0. It goes back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.

Senate Bill 152, Allows for other revenue sources to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The bill passed 104-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 153, Appropriated $36.6 million to the Children First Trust Fund for fiscal year 2027. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 154, Provided a 2% cost of living raise to all state employees, which will be distributed to employees on the first pay day on or after Oct. 1, if passed into law. The bill passed 97-0. It goes back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.

Senate Bill 162, Appropriates $169,000 to the Coalition Against Domestic Violence for fiscal year 2027 and requires an annual audit from the coalition for funding to be released. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 163, Adopts the Esthetics Licensure Compact, allowing estheticians to get a license through a multistate licensing program. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 174, Allows oil and gas wells to be converted to alternative energy facilities. The bill passed 85-3. It goes back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.

Senate Bill 197, Exempts mobile food vendors from local health and fire inspections as long as they get regular inspections from state authorities. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 203, Elevates the crime of indecent exposure with sexual motivation to a minor from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony on a third conviction, punishable by up to one year in prison. The bill passed 103-0. The Senate later concurred with House changes 32-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 219, Requires all service contract provider registration fees to be paid to the State Treasury to fund the Special Examination Revolving Fund. The bill passed 99-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 226, Appropriates $836 million in supplemental funds for the rest of fiscal year 2026 for state agencies. The bill passed 102-0. It goes back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.

Senate Bill 233, Changes the conditions for classifications of felonies for eluding an officer and elevates the base punishment from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in person. The bill passed 80-15. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 248, Allows the State Board of Education and local boards to adopt policies on release time religious instruction and requires it to allow students’ parents to choose whether or not their students participate in a program. The bill passed 88-4. The Senate later concurred with House changes 32-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 269, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader, Choctaw/Greene/Hale counties Sen.  Bobby Singleton (D-24), requires private ambulance services to charge no more than 180% of the out-of-network cost and 200% of the in-network cost that is charged based on the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ambulance fee schedule, based on Greene County’s zip code. The bill passed 91-3. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 271, Amends the Alabama Constitution to require an election to fill a vacancy in the lieutenant governor’s office at the next state general election if the vacancy occurs in the first two years of the lieutenant governor’s term. The bill passed 101-0. The Senate later concurred with House changes 25-0. It goes on the ballot for a future election.

Senate Bill 279, Exempts certain services from getting a general contracting license, like pressure washing, floor waxing and security system maintenance. The bill passed 100-0. It goes to Ivey.

Senate Bill 288, Requires agriculture boards to appoint their own successors, instead of the Legislature, every five years. The bill passed 99-1. It goes back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.

Senate Bill 298, Would require Class III municipal law enforcement agencies to have a minimum staffing ratio of 1.9 full-time law enforcement officers for every 1,000 residents or grant the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency oversight of its police force. The bill passed 28-7. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 317, Creates the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services to evaluate programs and their costs proposed by the Legislature within 30 days of each regular and special session. The bill passed 102-0. It goes back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.

Senate Bill 318, Expands the crime of sexual torture. The bill passed 34-0. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 333, Allows any industrial development board in a Class 2 municipality to manage any loans, grants or leases for development projects. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 342, Would allow students who receive money from the CHOOSE Act, a voucher-like program providing money that can be used for private school tuition, to maintain athletic eligibility after moving to a high school. The bill passed 30-2. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 363, Creates the Alabama Centralized Grant Management Database, which will be an online platform that will keep track of all available federal, state, local and private grants. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 364, Would require public schools to provide classes on violence prevention, conflict resolution and mediation before high school graduation. The bill passed 34-0. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 370, Allows a Major 21st Century Manufacturing Zone to be located within a tax increment district. The bill passed 33-1. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 378, Requires the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to administer the Alabama Dam Safety Program, replacing all responsibilities of local agencies. The bill passed 33-0. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 380, Gives retirees of the Teachers’ Retirement System a $1 per month served bonus, subject to any leftover revenue to the Education Trust Fund. The bill passed 33-0. It goes to the House.

Day 28 of the 30-meeting day 2026 Legislative Session begins on Tuesday at 1:00pm in both the House and Senate Chambers