HB 153 Alabama House · 2026 Regular Session

Class 8 municipalities; to authorize certain municipalities to opt out of county personnel board

HB 153 allows specific Class 8 municipalities in Alabama (with a population of 25,000+ per the last census and corporate limits spanning two counties) to opt out of their county personnel board's jurisdiction after six months' notice. If a municipality opts out, it must create its own civil service system to protect existing employees' rights and comply with federal/state anti-discrimination laws. The bill prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or political views and requires municipalities to adopt explicit anti-discrimination policies. It repeals an existing opt-out provision (Section 11-43-5.2) and confirms retroactive validity for prior actions under related legislation.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Jan 2026
House Passage
Jan 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Feb 2026
Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Signed Feb 24, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrolled · 4 edits · Feb 24, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was finalized as an enrolled act, converting it from a draft proposal into official law. The substantive policy content remains consistent, authorizing specific municipalities to opt out of county personnel boards and establish their own civil service systems while maintaining employee rights.
Scope change
The bill's scope is now confirmed as law, applying to Class 8 municipalities with a population of 25,000 or more that span two counties and were under a county personnel board as of January 1, 2023.
TECHNICAL

The document status changed from 'Introduced' to 'Enrolled,' indicating the bill has passed all legislative stages and is ready for execution.

The bill number identifier was updated from 5VGK96M-1 to 5VGK96M-2, reflecting the final version number.

Page headers and footers were updated to reflect the enrolled status and final pagination, removing draft-specific markings.

The bill text was reorganized to include formal certification signatures from the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, along with dates of passage by both chambers.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
18
Key actions
6
Committee
4
Feb 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 324
upper
Jan 28, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee Second House
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Pending Committee Action in Second House (County and Municipal Government)
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 60
lower
Jan 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
lower
Jan 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (County and Municipal Government)
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Danny Garrett
Danny Garrett
RRepublican
AL
44