HB 254 Alabama House · 2026 Regular Session

Vessels; stopping and boarding for safety or sanitation equipment inspections prohibited

HB 254 prohibits Alabama law enforcement officers from stopping or boarding vessels solely to conduct safety or marine sanitation equipment inspections. This directly affects vessel operators on Alabama waters and law enforcement agencies that previously performed such routine checks. The bill requires officers to have another legal reason beyond inspection purposes to stop a vessel. It takes effect on June 1, 2026.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Jan 15, 2026 Signed Mar 5, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed → Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 5, 2026

MINOR

The bill transitioned from its 'Engrossed' stage to its 'Enrolled' final form, marking its readiness for signing into law. The substantive policy content, which prohibits law enforcement from stopping vessels solely for safety or sanitation inspections, remains unchanged. The primary differences are formatting adjustments, such as updating the bill number and removing procedural tracking notes from the House and Senate journals.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from 6YE9P31-2 to 6YE9P31-3.

Procedural journal entries tracking the bill's reading and referral dates in the House and Senate were removed.

Certification language was added to confirm the bill originated in the House and was passed 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

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 648

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported Out of Committee Second House

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Pending Committee Action in Second House (Judiciary)

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 244

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 243

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Introduced

Public Safety and Homeland Security 1st Substitute Offered (Public Safety and Homeland Security)

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

lower

Jan 15, 2026

Lower · Passed

Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Public Safety and Homeland Security)

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors