This Week In the Alabama Legislature

If there was one major story to come out of this past week's Alabama legislative session it would be Senate Bill 347. Sponsored by Senator Greg Albritton and Andrew Jones, the bill, if passed, "...changes the methodology for distribution of the county and municipal share of the simplified sellers use tax (SSUT) to be based on population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau Population and Housing Estimates Program updated every five years."

Currently online sales taxes are divided equally between the state and local governments with the amount distributed to the counties and municipalities allocated on a prorated basis according to the most recent federal decennial census prior to the distribution.

With the state and its municipalities growing, critics have complained the ten years wait between recalculation leads to inequitable distribution of the tax funds. That is part of what led to a lawsuit by Tuscaloosa, other large cities and municipal school systems claiming the current calculations causes them to lose money.

The plaintiffs in that case dropped the suit after legislative leaders signaled a willingness to negotiate a resolution. Representative from cities, counties, the legislature and local school systems have been meeting to find that resolution.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox and Senator Albritton, this past Thursday, announced SB 347 as the first step toward resolving the inequity. Maddox reacted saying, "While this is not a final resolution, it is an important part of the ongoing discussions and helps create a path for continued negotiations."

Albritton told the full senate body the negotiators hope to reach a final agreement before the end of the 2026 legislative session. That deadline is approaching fast with 10 meeting days remaining at the statehouse.

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Here is what passed during this week's legislative session (NOTE: Only bills with statewide application or those sponsored by West Alabama lawmakers are listed):

The House

House Bill 42, Allows people with a towed motor vehicle to report the vehicle as unclaimed immediately after it is towed. The bill passed 29-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 55, Authorizes mortgages to make bi-weekly mortgage payments and additional payments to the mortgage principal without penalty. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 75, Requires public high schools to create signing days for students entering the military or trade school after graduation. The bill passed 90-2. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 156, Enrolls Alabama in an interstate physician assistant licensure compact providing for licensing, regulations and enforcement. The bill passed 28-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 380, Allows two or more county school boards to consolidate into one multi-county school board. The bill passed 96-2. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 97, Establishes the Alabama Geographic Information Executive Council, the Alabama Geographic Information Program Office, the State of Alabama Geographic Information Officer and an advisory committee. The bill passed 104-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 138, Allows certain state retirees to go back to work without losing their retirement benefits. The bill passed 31-0 with a Senate substitute. It goes to the House for concurrence or conference committee.

House Bill 163, Allows local governments to create private financing for property owners to install qualifying energy, resiliency and insurance-reducing improvements with repayment secured by voluntary special assessments. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 213, Changes the name of the Alabama State Port Authority to the Alabama Port Authority and authorizes the Code Commissioner to change all references to the State Port Authority, the Alabama State Docks Department, and the Alabama State Port Authority to the Alabama Port Authority. The House concurred with Senate changes 105-0. It goes to Ivey.

House Bill 214, Prohibits foreign nationals from donating to Alabama candidates’ campaigns. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 273, Allows municipal employees to receive grant money even if funds flow through the municipal treasury. The bill passed 83-15. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 307, Allows spouses of veterans and the surviving spouse of deceased active-duty service members to be considered for state employment before those who don’t have military connections. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 311, Allows qualifying sheriffs to participate in both a supernumerary sheriff and the Employees’ Retirement System. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 312, Makes new calculations determining district attorneys’ retirement plans in the Judicial Retirement Fund. The bill passed 100-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 332, Requires the Department of Human Resources to create an anaphylactic response policy and requires all licensed day cares to adopt the policy and have its employees complete an anaphylaxis training program. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 378, Allows the Department of Revenue to compensate Alabama Certified Licensing Administrators who complete the department’s Professional Education and Training Program. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 379, Creates a rebate incentive program for small productions within the Alabama Entertainment Office. The bill passed 99-1. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 388, Exempts community foundations across the state from paying the state sales and use tax. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 405, Makes third degree bail jumping a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail and a $500 fine. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 407, Designates Miss Alabama as an official state ambassador. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 420, Increases the penalty for discharging a firearm into an occupied school or school bus to a Class A felony, punishable by 10 to 99 years in prison. The bill passed 98-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 435, Allows the Alabama Department of Revenue to issue titles to current owners of manufactured homes from 1999 or earlier when the owner applies. The bill passed 69-12. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 438, Reinstates the income tax checkoff for Victims of Crime and Leniency, Inc. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 452, Extends a tax credit for rehabilitation work on historic homes to 2032 and adjusts credit rewards and the definitions on historic structures. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 465, Allows those with invisible disabilities to be issued an invisible disability car decal. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 477, Increases the number of members on the Alabama Workforce Board from 40 to 45 and increased the number of members on a regional workforce board from 20 to 25. The bill passed 103-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 491, Authorizes the collection and spending of fees for remotely accessing records and ratifies and confirms the previous collection and spending of fees. The bill passed 27-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

House Bill 514, sponsored by Pickens/Tuscaloosa Rep. Ron Bolton (R-61), gives the Tuscaloosa County sheriff an additional expense allowance of $36,000 from the county general fund, to be void when the current sheriff leaves office. The bill passed 17-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 517, Establishes the Talent Readiness and Industry Needs (TRAIN) Act to allow businesses to collaborate with educational institutions to provide career and technical education training. The bill passed 104-0. It goes to the Senate.

House Bill 520, Requires the State Board of Education to create an expedited certification pathway for teachers to be able to teach career and technical education courses. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.

The Senate

Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Pickens/Tuscaloosa Sen. Gerald Allen (R-21), requires public schools to regularly broadcast or perform the national anthem. The measure, a constitutional amendment, passed 22-5. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 32, Exempts households whose sole income is veterans’ benefits from paying solid waste collection fees. The bill passed 33-0. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 57, Would prohibit food assistance recipients from using their benefits to purchase certain sodas and sugary processed foods. The bill passed 23-2. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 105, Requires local governing bodies to publish all financial statements, audits, monthly expenditures and budgets for each fiscal year starting in October 2028. The bill passed 33-0. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 160, sponsored by Fayette/Lamar/Jefferson Sen. Matt Woods (R-5), adds Alabama to the Athletic Trainer Interstate Compact. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 195, Would allow the removal of estate administration and will contest circuit courts without assigning special equity if the county’s probate and circuit courts do not have concurrent jurisdiction. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to Ivey.

Senate Bill 196, Exempts the purchase of playground equipment from competitive bidding when its price exceeds $100,000. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 205, sponsored by Pickens/Tuscaloosa Sen. Gerald Allen (R-21), establishes procedures for excavators following large projects under the Underground Damage Prevention Program. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 239, Removes a child custody provision requiring a temporary placement made under emergency jurisdiction to be final and only allows such placement if a custody proceeding is not made within six months of the emergency placement. The bill passed 105-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 242, Requires all commercial drivers to be proficient in English and provide valid entry documents if their license is from another country. The bill passed 84-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 249, Increases the annual fee for volunteer and professional firefighter license plates from $1 to $10. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey.

Senate Bill 254, Would allow the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles to use sanctions other than parole revocations for certain violations of parole terms. The bill passed 26-2. It goes to the House.

Senate Bill 269, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader, Hale/Greene 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 26-2. It goes to the House.

Day 20 of the 2026 Alabama Legislative session convenes at 1:00pm Tuesday in the house and 2:00pm in the senate. Ten days will remain in the session.