Crimes and offenses; arson in the first degree, elements of crime further provided to include arson in connection to a theft; minimum penalties provided

HB 328 amends Alabama's arson law to specifically include cases where a fire is set "in conjunction with or to effectuate a theft" causing $25,000 or more in property damage. This new provision makes such acts a serious felony (arson in the first degree), directly affecting individuals who commit arson as part of a theft scheme. The bill establishes a mandatory minimum 20-year prison sentence for these offenses, requiring the sentence to run consecutively with any other related convictions. The law applies to any arson incident meeting the theft connection and damage threshold, not to standard property arson cases.