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Alabama 2023 Senate Legislative Report: April 5-7

Throughout the week, the Senate passed a number of bills that the House will now consider.

The Alabama Senate during a special session. JOHN H. GLENN/APR
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The Alabama Senate convened for day five of the 2023 Legislative Session on Tuesday, April 5, and met Wednesday and Thursday for days six and seven.

Throughout the week, the Senate passed a number of bills that the House will now consider. Here is a list of the bills that passed the Senate this past week, by each legislative day. 

5th Legislative Day

SB5 by Sen. Linda Coleman Madison– This bill ensures that at least one residential transition center established by the Board of Pardons and Paroles is a women’s center.

SB9 by Sen. Clyde Chambliss – This bill would provide that the state’s electronic vote counting system must require the use of a paper ballot that is marked and inspected by the voter prior to the ballot being cast and counted.

SB10 by Sen. Clyde Chambliss– Prohibits the use of electronic vote counting systems that are capable of connection to the Internet or cell phone networks or that possess modern technology.

SB16 by Sen. Tom Butler– Amends existing law to state that an entity, rather than a person, providing pharmacy services to residents of this state would be required to have a permit issued by the board.

SB22 by Andrew Jones –Amends existing law to provide contract letting requirements for local emergency management organizations, to increase supplemental funding for assistance to local emergency management organizations, to establish standards for course work for local emergency management director certification, and to change salary supplements for local emergency management directors and revise local emergency management organization eligibility for federal funds.

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SB33 by Sen. Steve Livingston – Prevents a municipality from setting speed limits on county-maintained streets within its corporate limits.

SB40 by Sen. Chris Elliott – Creates prohibitions on the ability of local and county governments to adopt or enforce certain building codes requiring the installation of certain latent, non-operable features in residential structures.

SB45 by Sen. Will Barfoot – Raises the salary for each member of the board of registrars from $80 to $100 per day and provides that a county may allow any member of the county board of registrars to participate in any health insurance program provided by the county.

SB66 by Sen. Tim Melson – To prohibit the sale, distribution, marketing or possession of psychoactive cannabinoids found in hemp for certain age groups, to levy a five percent tax on the gross proceeds of products containing psychoactive cannabinoids sold at retail.

6th Legislative Day

SB12 by Sen. Will Barfoot – To designate Alabama Peace Officers’ Memorial Day a state holiday.

SB25 by Sen. Greg Albritton – Grants the Board of Physical Therapy jurisdiction over physical therapists and physical therapy assistants licensed in other states who have compact privileges to practice in the state of Alabama.

SB28 by Sen. Tim Melson – Expands the scope of the practice of podiatry to include treatment of disorders of the foot and ankle.

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SB46 by Sen. Arthur Orr – Would establish the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact and facilitate the mobility of P-12 licensed teachers across state lines and among compact member states, authorize state licensing authorities in compact states, which would include the State Department of Education, to legally recognize, in a manner consistent with terms of the compact, teachers licensed within those states, provide eligibility requirements for licensed teachers to teach pursuant to the compact, provide accommodations for licensed teachers who are active duty personnel and their spouses, provide for a coordinated licensure database for reporting licensure, investigative information, and disciplinary actions, establish the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact Commission, and would provide for membership, powers, and duties, for the rulemaking functions of the commission, oversight of the compact, enforcement of the compact, default procedures, dispute resolution, withdrawal of compact states, and amendments to the compact.

SB55 by Sen. Arthur Orr – Would create the Colby Act to provide for a supported decision-making agreement as an alternative to a guardianship or conservatorship and to provide the scope and limitations of a supported decision-making agreement.

SB92 by Sen. Josh Carnley – This would extend the provisions of Act 2022-229 to allow local units participating in the Employees’ Retirement System additional time to elect to come under the provisions of the act.

SB109 by Sen. Linda Coleman Madison – To provide further for the scope of practice of licensees of the Alabama Board of Social Work Examiners.

SB142 by Sen. Vivian Davis Figures – Would alter, rearrange and extend the boundary lines and corporate limits of the municipality of Spanish Fort in Baldwin County.

7th Legislative Day

SB11 by Sen. Will Barfoot – To further provide for the modification or termination of an uneconomic trust.

SB38 by Sen. Steve Livingston – Would alter, rearrange and extend the boundary lines and corporate limits of the municipality of Skyline in Jackson County.

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SB58 by Sen. Rodger Smitherman – To prohibit certain motor vehicle speed contests, motor vehicle exhibitions of speed, and motor vehicle sideshows and to provide criminal penalties for a violation.

SB68 by Sen. Clyde Chambliss – To reopen the State Police Tier II Plan to any employee of the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency who is certified by the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission and performs law enforcement duties; to modify the Tier II benefits received by all State Police Tier II members; and to clarify that employees of the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency are state policemen for retirement purposes.

SB69 by Sen. Andrew Jones – To remove the time limit for purchasing hazardous duty time for prior eligible service for certain firefighters, law enforcement officers, and correctional officers covered under the Employees’ Retirement System or the Teachers’ Retirement System as Tier I plan members.

SB74 by Sen. Gerald H Allen – To alter, rearrange and extend the boundary lines and corporate limits of the City of Lake View in Tuscaloosa and Jefferson Counties

SB84 by Sen. Shay Shelnutt – To authorize disability insurers to offer paid family leave benefit policies.

SB91 by Sen. Josh Carnley – This bill would revise the requirements for how notice must be given for a referendum on an assessment regarding nuts, bulbs, fruits and vegetables in general and regarding peanuts, specifically. This bill would change the length of time an assessment on the sale of nuts, bulbs, fruits and vegetables is in effect before a referendum is needed. This bill would change the percentage the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries may deduct from the sum of the assessment on the sale of nuts, bulbs, fruits and vegetables for administrative costs and would change the length of time between audits of the books and accounts of an organization certified to conduct a referendum regarding an assessment on the sale of sheep and goats.

SB96 by Sen. Sam Givhan – To amend Section 6-5-549.1 of the Code of Alabama 1975, to provide that the term “health care provider” as used in the Alabama Medical Liability Act of 1996 and the Alabama Medical Liability Act of 1987 would include emergency medical services personnel and any emergency medical provider service.

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SB108 by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison – To increase various threshold dollar amounts for which competitive bidding is generally required and would authorize those dollar amounts to be further increased based on increases in the Consumer Price Index.

SB117 by Sen. JT ‘Jabo’ Waggoner – To authorize a licensed manufacturer or importer of alcoholic beverages to donate a limited amount of alcoholic beverages to a licensed nonprofit special event.

SB128 by Sen. Clay Scofield – To authorize the State Forester to sell surplus personal property owned by the Alabama Forestry Commission.

SB131 by Sen. Vivian Davis Figures – This bill would provide further for definitions and the membership of the Alabama Board of Funeral Service, establish the Alabama Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Act of 2023, and would transfer the regulation of preneed contracts pursuant to the Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Act from the Commissioner and the Department of Insurance to the board, and authorize the Department of Insurance to temporarily transfer certain funds to the Alabama Board of Funeral Service to defray costs associated with the administration and operation of the Alabama Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Act of 2023.

SB147 by Sen. David Sessions – To provide that no municipal governing body may adopt or continue in effect any ordinance, rule, resolution or directive that prohibits a person from permitting their livestock or animals to run at large on the premises of another or public land which does not require the same mens area as state law.

Patrick Darrington is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can reach him at pdarrington@alreporter.com.

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