SB 251 Alabama Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Tax abatement and tax incentive programs, North American Industry Classification System Code references and definitions updated to latest terms

SB 251 updates Alabama's tax abatement and incentive programs by removing outdated references to the 2012 *Accelerate Alabama Strategic Economic Development Plan* and replacing them with current terminology from the *Alabama Jobs Act*. It also aligns the industry classification system (NAICS codes) used to determine eligibility for these programs with the latest 2022 version, affecting businesses seeking tax benefits. The bill makes technical revisions to existing tax code language to reflect these updates, without creating new programs or changing eligibility criteria. This is a procedural update to ensure state tax law references remain current and accurate for businesses and local governments administering these programs.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 3, 2026 Last action Mar 5, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 5 edits · Feb 19, 2026
MODERATE
This bill updates Alabama's economic development laws by replacing references to the outdated 'Accelerate Alabama' plan with the new 'CatALyst' plan and modernizing industry classification codes. It also reorganizes the bill's structure and adds new definitions for terms like 'Data Processing Center' and 'Inducement' to clarify how tax incentives are applied.
Scope change
The bill's scope shifted from referencing the 'Accelerate Alabama' Strategic Economic Development Plan to the 'CatALyst' plan, and it expanded the list of defined terms to include specific criteria for data processing centers and headquarters facilities.
ELIGIBILITY

Replaced references to the 'Accelerate Alabama' Strategic Economic Development Plan with the 'CatALyst' plan as the current guide for qualifying business sectors.

TECHNICAL

Updated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code references to align with the 2022 updates.

Corrected formatting errors and removed duplicate text that appeared in the introduced version.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'Data Processing Center' (requiring 20+ jobs and $40k average compensation) and 'Inducement' to clarify tax incentive agreements.

Added a definition for 'Education Taxes' to specify which taxes must be used for educational purposes.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Actions timeline

Total actions
14
Key actions
6
Committee
4
Amendments
3
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee Second House
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
Pending Committee Action in Second House (Economic Development and Tourism)
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 506
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Hatcher motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 505
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Introduced
Finance and Taxation General Fund 1st Amendment Offered (Finance and Taxation General Fund)
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Introduced
Finance and Taxation General Fund 1st Amendment (Finance and Taxation General Fund)
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Finance and Taxation General Fund)
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Kirk Hatcher
Kirk Hatcher
DDemocratic
AL
26