SB 312 Alabama Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Marshall County; volunteer fire districts, annexation of new areas, application of fire service fee, enforcement

SB 312 amends Alabama law to allow Marshall County to annex new areas into existing volunteer fire districts and clarify how fire service fees apply. It defines "dwelling" to include mobile homes, tiny homes (under 500 sq ft), and recreational vehicles connected to utilities, while expanding "business property" to cover structures like food trucks. The bill requires fees on all dwellings and businesses within fire district boundaries, adds penalties for late payments, and mandates annual reports on fee collection by the county revenue commissioner. These changes directly affect property owners and businesses in Marshall County fire districts, with fees becoming effective after voter approval. The law prohibits fee increases for five years after initial approval.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Feb 17, 2026 Signed Mar 13, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 13, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was finalized and enrolled, moving from its initial introduction to its final enacted form. The text was reorganized to include the full legal language of the act, which authorizes Marshall County to expand volunteer fire districts and imposes new fire service fees on specific properties like tiny homes and food trucks.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include 'tiny homes,' 'food trucks,' and 'portable structures' under the definition of business property, and it clarified the process for annexing new areas into existing volunteer fire districts.
DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for 'tiny home' as a structure under 500 square feet and expanded 'business property' to include food trucks and portable structures.

REQUIREMENT

Added new procedural steps requiring the county commission to hold a public hearing and notify affected individuals before approving the annexation of new areas into fire districts.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized the document structure from a draft introduction format to a formal enrolled act format, including the complete text of the amended code sections.

Removed draft-specific metadata, such as the bill number 'TBGCQ91-1' and internal tracking codes, replacing them with the final enrolled identifier 'TBGCQ91-2'.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Actions timeline

Total actions
17
Key actions
6
Committee
4
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 663
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee Second House
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
Pending Committee Action in Second House (Local Legislation)
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 520
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Local Legislation )
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Wes Kitchens
Wes Kitchens
RRepublican
AL
9