Alabama Lawmakers Moving Rapidly During Election Year Session
It was a busy second week of the 2026 legislative session in Montgomery as state lawmakers attempted to move the agenda forward with primary election day looming in just over four months.
The legislature is attempting to quickly work through more than 500 bills filed this session." I applaud the work that our members have done. They have been prepared when they come in the chambers," House Speaker Nathanial Ledbetter told reporters in critiquing the work that has been accomplished so far.
Here is a look at a few of the bills that have statewide or West Alabama application:
Bills that Have Passed in the House:
House Bill 3 - Exempts some retails sales of first or other seafood from state sales and use taxes, and it would allow municipalities and counties to exempt the sales from local sales and use taxes
House Bill 17, Sponsored by Tuscaloosa Rep. Bill Lamb (R-62), would require a municipality with annual expenditures of at least $500,000 to undergo annual audits; requires a municipality with annual expenditures less than $500,000 but greater than $300,000 to undergo biennial audits and requires a municipality with annual expenditures less than $300,000 to undergo biennial audits or, in lieu of an audit, to submit an annual report to the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. The bill passed 102-0. It goes to the Senate.
House Bill 22, Would allow a Class IV municipality to hire the same accountant to conduct the municipality’s audit for more than three consecutive years. The bill passed 94-2. It goes to the Senate.
House Bill 28 - Establishes a state income tax credit for restaurants that recycle oyster shells
House Bill 56, Sponsored by Sen. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, allows taxpayers in Walker County that are 65 years old to claim senior property tax exemption. The bill, a constitutional amendment, passed 30-0. It moves to the House.
House Bill 57 - Sponsored by Northport Rep. Ron Bolton (R-61), would alter, rearrange, and extend the boundary lines and corporate limits of the City of Carrollton in Pickens County. The bill passed 15-0. It goes to the Senate.
House Bill 59, Would authorize the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy to distribute copies of proposed board rules to board permitted certified public accountants (CPAs) and notice of charges issued by the board against individuals. It passed 100-0. The Senate approved the bill on Thursday, sending it to Gov. Kay Ivey.
House Bill 77, Would require a tax assessing official to issue tentative certificates of permanent and total disability to disabled veterans with a 100 percent disability rating and prohibits settlement agents and loan closing officers from considering ad valorem taxes for their homesteads when calculating these veterans’ debt-to-income ratio upon receiving a tentative certificate. The bill passed 101-1. It goes to the Senate.
House Bill 87 - Exempts the gross proceeds from deer feed sales from sales and use tax
House Bill 93 - Prohibits nondisclosure agreements or other similar agreements from being used to prevent victims of sexual abuse from speaking out; Senate Bill 30 is a companion bill
House Bill 96 - Increases homestead exemption to $56,400 for people older than 62 years old and people with disabilities
HB 104, Would authorize the state treasurer to take custody and order the liquidation of abandoned digital assets and establish guidelines for the disposal of those assets. The bill passed 100-1. It goes to the Senate.
House Bill 117, Would allow county commissions to apply procurement or purchasing programs to services, consider whether those programs lead to administrative savings and allow counties to appoint someone other than a chief administrative officer to oversee the program. The bill passed 90-5 with 8 abstentions. It goes to the Senate.
HB 128, Would authorize the State Board of Midwifery to accept gifts and grants. The bill passed 100-2. It goes to the Senate.
House Bill 134 - Sponsored by Winfield Rep. Tracy Estes (R-17), would revise the process for personal property auctions by the Lamar County Commission and remove any publication requirement for the disposition of Lamar County property via online auction. The bill passed 6-0. The Senate approved the bill on Thursday, sending it to Gov. Kay Ivey.
House Bill 138 - Allows state retirees to return as full-time bus drivers without forfeiting the collection of retirement benefits
House Bill140, Would require that the regulations for transfers of land from developers to their immediate family members relating to the construction and development of subdivisions within a county be exempt from some government regulations expiring 24 months after the date of such transfers. The bill passed 101-0 with 2 abstentions. It goes to the Senate.
House Bill 153, Would authorize a Class 8 municipality with a population of 25,000 or more and a corporate limit to opt out of a county personnel system and set up its own civil service system. The bill passed 97-0. It goes to the Senate.
House Bill 161 - Requires app store providers to verify age of minors and have parental consent for minors to download apps
House Bill 245 - Requires Alabama Department of Revenue to oversee Rural Hospital Investment Program Board operations
Bills That Have Passed in the Senate:
Senate Bill 30 - Prohibits nondisclosure agreements or other similar agreements from being used to prevent victims of sexual abuse from speaking out; House Bill 93 is a companion bill
Senate Bill 33 - Expands eligibility for veterans to get a license plate tag that designates them as having been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation
Senate Bill 46 - Allows a driver to have a distinction on their license or ID card for medical conditions such as hearing loss and autism spectrum disorder
Senate Bill 67, sponsored by Sen. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, increases the age cap for probate judges in Walker County from 70 to 75 years old. The bill, a constitutional amendment, passed 30-0. It moves to the House.
Senate Bill 102, sponsored by Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, extends the Board of Home Medical Equipment until Oct. 1, 2027. The bill passed 26-0. It moves to the House.
, Extends the Alabama Private Investigation Board to Oct. 1, 2028. The bill passed 30-0. It moves to the House.
SB 128, MSickle Cell Oversight and Regulatory Commission under the oversight of the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), and extends it to Oct. 1, 2030. The bill passed 26-0. It moves to the House.
Senate Bill 149 - Co-sponsored by West Alabama Senator April Weaver (R-14), allows the State Board of Education to give temporary teaching licenses to veterans who meet specific teaching requirements
Governor Ivey signed her first bill of the session into law this week. Senate Bill 12 repealed the controversial Smith lake annexation law.
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