LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

The Alabama Legislature closed out the 2026 Legislative Session this week. It was a 3-day week, with full calendars on all three days and lengthy debates. All 30 of the constitutionally allowed days were used. As for the introduction of bills, a total of 1,046 bills were introduced this year. There were 666 bills introduced in the House of Representatives and 380 bills introduced in the Senate.

The Alabama State Bar has tracked over 309 bills this session that could relate to your practice area. Please see the detailed tracking below for those bills. Please remember that bills reaching the Governor less than five days before the end of the session may be signed into law by the Governor within 10 days after adjournment. Bills not approved within that time do not become law. This is known as the “pocket veto,” and as the legislature has adjourned, it has no chance to reconsider. Therefore, it will be 10 days before the final status of all bills is known, and a final report will be forthcoming.

The calendars in both houses were very ambitious this last week. There were 134 bills placed on the calendars in both houses for final passage this week. This resulted in many debates and a lot of activity. Additionally, both the General Fund and Education budgets were in conference and concurred before being sent to the Governor for signature, which she did on Thursday.

Some bills receiving final passage this week are as follows: The Alabama Property Protection Act (aimed at prohibiting title fraud); the Uniform Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors Act; updates to the Uniform Trust Code; updates to the Uniform Principal and Income Act (allowing a trustee to adjust from principal and income in certain circumstances); revisions to the Alabama Business and Nonprofit Entities Act; as well as changes to guardianships and conservatorships. There were also numerous changes to criminal law, including revisions to parole considerations, stalking, eluding an officer, shooting into an occupied building, and revisions to self-defense and the defense of others. In the domestic relations realm, a bill was passed regarding the jurisdiction of certain PFAs in domestic violence cases. There were also bills as to tax abatements, economic development, education, data privacy, and the rounding of legal tender in the wake of eliminating the penny. There was also legislation allowing individuals over 80 to be exempt from jury duty upon request.

Lastly, the Alabama State Bar would like to extend a special thank you to Judge Jim Hill, who is retiring after 12 years of service in the Alabama Legislature. After retiring from the Circuit Court of St. Clair County, serving as a district judge, circuit judge, and presiding judge, he ran and became a member of the Alabama Legislature. He has served since 2014 and has been chair of the House Judiciary Committee since 2018. His leadership and commitment to the bar, judiciary, and the courts have been unmatched, and he will be greatly missed.

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

We are excited to present a new tracking method for our members this year. Hopefully, it will prove to be a more user-friendly experience.  The Alabama State Bar provides legislative status reports concerning pending legislation that may be of interest to our members. The reports divide legislation into the following categories for your convenience:  Civil/General; Court Costs; Criminal; Domestic Relations; Elections, Ethics, and Government Relations (EEGR); Judicial; and Tax.

A comprehensive master list containing all tracked legislation is also available here.

Look Up A Specific Bill Here

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR

The Senate and House have adjourned sine die.

The Alabama Legislature will return for an organizational session in January 2027.