Slow Early Legislative Activity In Alabama's State Government

The first partial week of work done by the Alabama Legislature produced little controversial activity in the house and senate but that is coming as more bills move out of committees and onto the floors of the two chambers.

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The lower chamber passed five bills while the upper chamber approved of nine.

In the House:

HB 50, Passed 101-0 and provides permanent state funding for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 95, Passed on a 72-25 mostly-partly line vote. It would require mandatory post-election audits. However, Democrats voted against the bill claiming there has not been enough research to identify past discrepancies. The state would reimburse counties for the audits. The bill now goes to the senate.
HB 124, Passed 92-8. It changes the name of the Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP) to the Loan Assistance in Support of Educators in Alabama (LASEA) Program and expands eligibility for loan forgiveness for educators. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 125, Passed 100-0. It decreases the age of an adult learner in the Alabama Reengage Program from 25 to 22 years old. The bill now goes to the Senate.
HB 145, Updates a definition for the Dept. of Revenue that establishes a license for interstate warehousers and will allow an interstate warehouser to purchase tobacco products directly from a manufacturer and sell to a licensed wholesale dealer in Alabama. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.

HB71, Sponsored by Tuscaloosa Rep. Chris England (D-70), was approved by committee. The bill makes it a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, for a medical examiner to take a person’s organs without contacting their next of kin. The law currently requires medical examiners to notify family members when organs are harvested and requires consent in all cases save for identification of the deceased but does not provide penalties. The bill now goes to the gull house for debate.

In the Senate:

SB 12, Passed 35-0. It repeals a controversial law passed in 2025 allowing the city of Cullman to annex land in Cullman County for a resort-style conference center on Smith Lake. The bill now goes to the House.
SB 19, Passed 35-0. It requires health insurance companies to cover prostate cancer screenings for all high-risk patients. The bill now goes to the House.
SB 89, Passed 35-0. It repeals a 2019 law establishing the State Pilotage Commission and requirements for bar pilots. The bill now goes to the House.
SB 134, Passed 35-0. It requires wholesale tobacco dealers within at least four states to get an interstate warehouse permit from the Alabama Department of Revenue. The bill now goes to the House.
SB 100, Passed 35-0. It extends the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy until Oct. 1, 2027, and changes the criteria of the Speaker of the House’s appointee. The bill passed 35-0. It goes to the House.
SB 114, Passed 35-0. It allows Alabama law enforcement to arrest persons of interest without a warrant if they have a felony charge in another state. The bill passed 35-0. It goes to the House.
SB 122, Passed 35-0. The bill extends the Alabama State Board of Registration for Foresters until 2030. The bill now goes to the House.
SB 35, Passed 35-0. It combines existing fees for water vessel registration based on vessel length and a $5 fixed fee, which will go to the State Water Safety Fund. The bill now goes to the House.
SB 127, Passed 35-0. It extends the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling under the Sunset Law until Oct. 1, 2028. The bill now goes to the House.
PENDING:SB 28 : Would create a salary cap for state employees who return to work after retirement. It would also allow retired state law enforcement officers to work as sheriff’s deputies, city police officers and school bus drivers without disrupting their retirement pay. It would also allow former employees licensed to practice law in this state to perform duties as an assistant district attorney. The bill by Sen. Chris Elliott, (R-32) was briefly discussed on the Senate floor Thursday morning but vote was delayed while he addresses colleagues’ concerns about negatively impacting the Retirement Systems of Alabama.