HB 520 prohibits employers, public accommodations (like restaurants or hotels), hospitals, health insurers, and occupational licensing boards from discriminating against individuals who refuse certain vaccines, drugs, or facial coverings for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. It allows affected individuals to seek court orders, damages, and attorney fees for violations, and authorizes the Alabama Attorney General to enforce the law or defend entities facing federal penalties for complying with it. The bill specifically exempts surgical masks during medical procedures. This law creates a legal remedy for discrimination based on health-related choices while maintaining medical safety standards.
HB 524 allows juvenile offenders (those convicted of crimes while under 18) serving life without parole to become eligible for parole after completing 10 years in prison. This applies specifically to individuals sentenced to life without parole for offenses committed as minors, changing their eligibility from automatic lifelong incarceration to a potential parole consideration after a decade. The bill amends Alabama's parole law to establish this 10-year timeline as the standard for juvenile offenders, without altering other parole criteria or standards. It directly affects current inmates who were under 18 at the time of their offense and are serving life sentences without parole.
SB 290, the "Pregnancy Resource Act," creates a state income tax credit for Alabama residents and businesses that make cash contributions to eligible pregnancy centers or residential maternity facilities. The credit covers up to 50% of a taxpayer’s state income tax liability (capped at $10 million annually), provided the recipient organization is federally tax-exempt, operates in Alabama with specific service requirements (e.g., 20+ weekly hours, free pregnancy support services), and certifies it does not provide or support abortion services. Taxpayers must submit contribution details to the Department of Revenue, and organizations must annually verify eligibility through written certification. The credit applies to contributions made in 2026-2030, with a maximum 50% limit per organization per year.
HB 514 allows municipal employees in Alabama to receive grant funds flowing through their municipality's treasury, provided they meet two conditions: the grant benefits must be identical to those given to other recipients, and the employee cannot participate in decisions about who receives the funds. This changes existing law that generally prohibited employees from having financial interests in municipal contracts. The exception does not apply to elected municipal officials. The bill specifically references community development block grants as an example of eligible programs. It aims to clarify and update conflict-of-interest rules for grant programs while maintaining safeguards against misuse.
HB 519, known as The Adaline Deal Act, prohibits hospitals, transplant centers, insurance providers, and healthcare professionals from requiring individuals to be vaccinated (or unvaccinated) to donate or receive organs. It directly affects organ donation processes by banning vaccine status as a condition for either donation or transplantation. The bill authorizes Alabama’s Attorney General to enforce this rule, seek court orders to stop violations, and impose $50,000 fines on violators. The law takes effect on October 1, 2025, and is currently pending in the House Health Committee.
HB 373 renames the Alabama Film Office to the Alabama Entertainment Office and updates the state's entertainment incentive program. It increases the maximum spending threshold for rebate eligibility, adds music albums as qualified productions with minimum spending requirements, and raises the annual cap on incentives. The bill also allocates a portion of annual incentives specifically for music albums and allows unspent incentives to carry forward to future years. These changes directly affect entertainment companies producing films, TV shows, and music albums in Alabama seeking tax rebates for qualified production spending.
SB 294 regulates health insurance prior authorization in Alabama by setting strict time limits for insurers to approve or deny requests (72 hours for non-urgent cases, with extensions for complex medical necessity questions). It requires insurers to use licensed physicians or healthcare professionals - not automated systems - to make coverage decisions and mandates that insurers grant "gold card" status to providers with consistently high-quality medical necessity claims, waiving prior authorization for them. The bill directly affects health insurers, healthcare providers, and patients by reducing administrative delays for routine care while ensuring decisions are made by qualified medical professionals. It aims to modernize the process without changing coverage rules, focusing on faster access to medically necessary services.
HB 517 updates Alabama's Underground Damage Prevention Program to require excavators to follow specific procedures before starting complex or large construction projects. It defines "complex or large projects" as those exceeding 40 days, involving five or more simultaneous work crews, or needing multiple locate requests in a single day. The bill adds new requirements for these projects, including additional notification steps to protect underground utilities before excavation begins. These changes apply directly to construction companies, contractors, and utility workers managing large-scale ground-disturbing work. The bill also removes automatic expiration deadlines for the program.
HB 516 amends Alabama's consumer protection law to prohibit businesses from using computer interactions (like chatbots) that deceive consumers into believing they are communicating with a human. This directly affects businesses using automated customer service systems and protects consumers from being misled during commercial transactions. The bill adds a specific provision to the existing list of unlawful deceptive practices, making it illegal to design interactions that reasonably cause consumers to believe they are speaking with a person. It does not require businesses to identify AI interactions but bans the deceptive practice itself. The bill is currently pending review by the House Commerce and Small Business Committee.
SB 295 adds new requirements for excavators planning complex or large projects that could risk damaging underground utilities. It defines "complex or large projects" as those exceeding 40 days, involving five or more simultaneous work crews, or requiring multiple locate requests in one day. The bill mandates special procedures before starting such projects, including additional coordination with the One-Call system to prevent accidental damage to utility lines. This directly affects construction companies, contractors, and municipalities undertaking major excavation work.
HB 525 adds any independent historically Black college or university (HBCU) located in Selma, Alabama, to the list of institutions eligible for the Alabama Student Grant Program. This change directly affects students attending qualifying Selma HBCUs, allowing them to receive state grants to cover tuition and related expenses. The bill amends existing law to include these institutions under the definition of "approved institution" in the grant program, which currently funds students at specific Alabama colleges. It does not alter student eligibility requirements but expands which schools can participate. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 515 requires health insurers to have licensed healthcare professionals - not artificial intelligence - make final decisions on whether medical treatments are covered. Insurers must disclose when AI is used in coverage determinations, cannot base decisions solely on group data, and must consider each patient’s unique circumstances. The bill also allows individuals harmed by AI-related coverage denials to sue insurers for damages. It directly affects health insurers, healthcare providers, and patients enrolled in most health benefit plans (excluding limited policies like Medicare supplements). The law takes effect October 1, 2025.
