Legislative Summary

The Alabama Legislature is quickly approaching the halfway mark, having completed 13 of the 30 allotted session days. It was another three-day week, with committee meetings being held between sessions. As of this week, there have been 373 bills introduced in the House and 238 introduced in the Senate.

This week, new bail reform legislation was introduced. We also saw bills dealing with childcare tax credits, another changing definitions in the Child Physical and Sex Abuse Victims Act, as well as a bill that updates aspects of the Uniform Commercial Code relating to digital transactions, which was brought by the Alabama Law Institute.

Other legislation of interest this week included a comprehensive update to the Vessels Act, more legislation relating to property and real estate, and another tax incentive for doctors and dentists in rural areas.

Bills moving in committee included the increase of caps for guardians ad litem in Senate Judiciary, which received a favorable report. The general fund budget and its accompanying bills moved out of House committee. A public hearing was held on the “Second Chances” bill, that allows for the review of sentencing in certain life without parole cases. A bill aimed at addressing gang violence was debated in Senate committee.

The Alabama Law Institute’s revisions to the Alabama Business and Nonprofit Entity Code was also in House committee. “The Game Plan” package of economic incentives received final passage and has already been signed by the governor.

There are local bills in Pickens, Limestone and Blount counties to increase court costs.

There was a lot of activity this week. Please consult the tracking below for bills that may be of interest to you and those in your area of practice.

As always, the Alabama State Bar encourages all members to be aware of legislation that may impact court costs and fees. Access to justice is a priority. Please be aware of advertisements that may be occurring for local bills and those that may already be filed to use the courts as a fundraiser for non-court entities. We encourage you to be informed and notify us as well.

Legislative Tracking

The Alabama State Bar provides legislative status reports concerning pending legislation that may be of interest to our members, with direct links to the actual legislation. The reports divide legislation into the following categories for your convenience: criminal, court costs, domestic relations, judicial, elections ethics and government relations (EEGR), civil/general and tax.

You can find our comprehensive updated bill-tracking spreadsheet here.

Legislative Calendar

The regular session of the 2023 Legislative Session continues as follows:

• The Senate has adjourned until Tuesday, Apr. 25 at 2:30 p.m.
• The House has adjourned until Tuesday, Apr. 25 at 1:00 p.m.