The Alabama Legislature met for Day 3 of the annual Regular Session on Tuesday, February 11. Twenty committee meetings were held during the week to consider legislation. Both Houses met on Thursday, February 13 for Day 4.
443 bills have been introduced so far this Session.
The Legislature will return to Montgomery on Tuesday, February 18 for Day 5 of the Session with the House convening at 1:00 p.m. and the Senate convening at 3:00 p.m..
DURING THE WEEK
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee held a Public Hearing on SB127 by Senator Gerald Allen which would expand the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 and the jurisdiction of the Committee on Alabama Monument Protection, as well as increasing fines from a total of $25,000 to $10,000 per day. Earl Hilliard, Jr., representing Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, spoke in opposition to the bill, stating that cities should not be forced to keep Confederate monuments as it is hurtful to many residents and hampers economic development efforts.
Several Senators also spoke in opposition to the bill, which was carried over.
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee also debated and carried over SB83 by Senator Andrew Jones which would abolish the office of State Auditor at the end of the current term. Current State Auditor Jim Zeigler spoke in opposition to the bill.
The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee failed to give a favorable report, by a vote of 6-8, to SB58 by Senator Arthur Orr that would have required the term of a deferred presentment transaction (payday loan) to be a minimum of 30 calendar days.
The Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee held a public hearing, but did not vote, on SB172 by Senator Arthur Orr which would expand the right of some wireless providers to install their facilities on public rights-of-way. Several representatives of cities spoke in opposition to the bill.
The House State Government Committee held a public hearing, but did not vote, on a bill that would prohibit public K-12 schools from participating in, sponsoring, or provide coaching staff for interscholastic athletic events at which athletes are allowed to participate in competition against athletes who are of a different biological gender.
BILLS PASSED BY HOUSE:
HB12 by Rep. Collins
HB29 by Rep. Jackson
HB53 by Rep. Hall HB59 by Rep. Reynolds
HB147 by Rep. Sells
BILLS PASSED BY SENATE:
SB12 by Senator Smitherman
SB48 by Senator Elliott
SB67 by Senator Holley
Property with overlapping police jurisdictions; all property to be annexed with consent of all parties and affected municipalities under certain conditions.
To extend protections granted to in-home cottage food production to include in-home producers of roasted coffees.
To establish the crime of female genital mutilation.
To provide for enhanced penalties for persons found guilty of committing a crime against a law enforcement officer when it is shown beyond a reasonable doubt that the crime was motivated by the victim’s employment as a law enforcement officer.
To prohibit a municipality that does not already have an occupational tax from imposing an occupational tax unless authorized by local law.
To expand the Missing Senior Citizen Alert Act to include missing and endangered persons suffering from a mental or physical disability who are at risk of bodily harm or death.
To authorize the governing body of a Class 8 municipality with an incorporated arts council, main street program, or downtown development entity that is located primarily on an island to establish three entertainment districts within its corporate limits.
To prohibit a person from leaving a domestic animal in a motor vehicle unattended in a manner that creates an unreasonable risk of injury or harm to the animal.
HOUSE:
HB66 by Rep. McClammy
HB84 by Rep. Hill
To authorize a municipality or county to establish a local redevelopment authority for property that is contiguous to an active US Air Force military installation (Amended in House Ways and Means General Fund).
To limit mayoral pardons in relation to convictions for domestic violence (House County and Municipal Committee).
SIGNIFICANT FLOOR ACTION THIS WEEK
NOTEWORTHY BILLS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE THIS WEEK
SENATE:
SB3 by Senator Elliott
SB108 by Senator Orr
SB124 by Senator Marsh
SB129 by Senator Chambliss
HOUSE:
HB210 by Rep. Hanes
HB213 by Rep. Whitt
HB229 by Rep. Lawrence HB233 by Rep. Reynolds
HB235 by Rep. Gray
To provide for the expenditure of funds received by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, pursuant to the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, for coastal conservation, restoration, and protection (Senate Governmental Affairs Committee).
To prohibit a public official, agency of the state, municipality, or county from intentionally adopting a policy or practice that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws (Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee).
To provide that any Class 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 municipality that does not create and adopt a municipal plan or is not executing its plan in good faith is ineligible to receive grants from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (Amended in Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee).
To create and fund the General Fund Budget Reserve Fund, and provide for the withdrawal and use of the monies deposited into the fund (Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund).
SIGNIFICANT INTRODUCTIONS THIS WEEK
A proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit any toll from being fixed, charged, or collected for the construction, renovation, or use of a public road, bridge, tunnel, or interstate highway unless approved by the electors in the county or counties affected (House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee).
To require all campaign finance reports and statements be filed electronically with the Secretary of State, including candidates for municipal offices, without exception (House Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee).
To provide a cost-of-living increase for certain state employees (House Ways and Means General Fund Committee).
To allow a municipality to use electronic records and signatures in the conduct of its affairs (House County and Municipal Government Committee).
To authorize local boards of education to offer yoga to students in grades K-12 (House Education Policy Committee).
HB238 by Rep. Hollis
SENATE:
SB165 by Senator Melson
SB173 by Senator Jones
SB183 by Senator Sessions
To require a man to undergo a vasectomy within one month of his 50th birthday or the birth of his third biological child, whichever comes first (House Judiciary Committee).
To authorize and regulate the use of medical cannabis for certain medical conditions, and to authorize and regulate the cultivation, processing, testing, transporting and dispensing of medical cannabis (Senate Judiciary Committee).
To prohibit a municipality that does not already have an occupational tax from imposing an occupational tax unless authorized by local law (Senate Governmental Affairs Committee).
To authorize any county to issue bonds to refund certain bonds previously issued by the county, and to ratify and confirm the validity of any refunding bonds originally issued prior to January 1, 2011 (Senate Banking and Insurance Committee).
