LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

The Alabama Legislature began its second week with packed committee meeting agendas and three session days. At the end of this week, six session days of the allotted 30 are now complete. As of this week, 535 bills have been introduced in the first two weeks: 329 bills in the House of Representatives and 206 bills in the Senate.

The Alabama State Bar is now tracking more than 200 bills of interest to attorneys, which can be found in the tracking below.

Some bills of interest introduced this week include: removal of certain probate cases to circuit court; changes to bail bond laws; updates to trusts regarding disbursements and claims; changes to the definition of use of force in certain cases involving self-defense; and changes to certain sex crimes. There were also numerous consumer protection law updates, several bills reflecting updates brought forward by the Administrative Office of Courts, and an Alabama Law Institute bill with updates to the Alabama Business and Nonprofit Entities Act.

Some bills of interest debated in the House and Senate Judiciary Committees this week include: changes to the reckless endangerment statute; exploitation and abuse of elders; public corruption; changes to the standard of review in cases arising from the Administrative Procedure Act; cloning; and prostitution.

The House of Representatives and the Senate worked through special order calendars all three days, moving bills to the next chamber for debate.

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 has adjourned until Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 3:00 pm.

The House of Representatives has adjourned until Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 1:00 pm.