This bill requires Alabama to reimburse SNAP recipients for benefits stolen from their electronic food assistance cards. It mandates that the state pay back the full amount lost when benefits are stolen due to inadequate security measures, applying to all Alabama residents affected. Payments would begin immediately upon the bill's enactment, addressing financial losses currently borne by vulnerable individuals. The law targets security gaps in the state's handling of SNAP benefits without altering program eligibility or funding.
HB 401 requires dental insurance companies in Alabama to spend at least 85% of collected premiums on actual dental care claims for policyholders. Insurers failing this threshold must refund the excess to customers. The bill also mandates annual public reporting of financial data to the Insurance Commissioner and limits premium increases to the dental services consumer price index. This directly affects dental insurers and their policyholders, focusing on transparency and cost control in dental coverage. The bill is currently pending in the House Insurance Committee as of March 2025.
HB 409 prohibits Alabama state and local agencies, including law enforcement, from enforcing any "red flag law" (temporary firearm removal orders based on perceived risk). It creates a legal cause of action allowing individuals harmed by such enforcement to sue for $50,000 per violation, plus damages and attorney fees, and requires courts to expedite related injunctions. The bill directly affects residents who might face firearm removal orders, law enforcement agencies, and local governments. It explicitly excludes existing firearm restrictions based on criminal convictions (like Section 13A-11-72) from its scope. The bill would take effect October 1, 2025, if passed.
HB 408 would change Alabama's self-defense law by creating a presumption that a person's use of physical force in defense is reasonable, directly affecting defendants in criminal cases claiming self-defense. It shifts the burden of proof: the state must now prove a defendant's force was unreasonable using "clear and convincing evidence," rather than the defendant proving it was reasonable. The bill also clarifies that justified self-defense immunity protects individuals from criminal prosecution or civil lawsuits, unless force was used against a law enforcement officer acting in their official duties. It makes minor technical updates to align the law with current legal writing style. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for review.
HB 406 prohibits Alabama beer wholesalers from providing or paying for draft line cleaning services to licensed beer retailers. This directly affects beer wholesalers and retailers who use draft systems to serve beer. The bill amends Alabama Code Section 28-9-5 to add this prohibition, while also making minor technical updates to the code. It will take effect on October 1, 2025.
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to Alabama's 2022 Constitution, specifically amending Section 160 to prohibit reducing a district attorney's salary during their term of office. It directly affects elected district attorneys across Alabama's judicial circuits by guaranteeing their compensation cannot be cut while they serve. The key provision adds explicit language stating that "compensation shall not be diminished during his or her official term," building on existing salary provisions. This is a procedural constitutional change, not a new law, requiring voter approval at the 2026 primary election to take effect.
SB 227 amends Alabama law to adjust compensation for judges and district attorneys. It sets a new $140,000 starting salary for newly appointed or elected district attorneys (replacing a previous formula based on circuit judge pay) and removes restrictions on future DA salary increases. The bill also implements automatic 7.5% salary raises for judges after 6, 12, and 18 years of service, and prohibits counties from providing additional pay to circuit or district judges. These changes affect all Alabama judges, district attorneys, and other elected officials whose pay was previously tied to judicial salaries. The bill updates existing salary structures without creating new funding requirements.
HB 394 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Montgomery City Council members to join Alabama's Employees' Retirement System (ERS) on the same terms as other state employees. It would authorize council members to participate in the ERS, including the ability to purchase service credit for time served before the amendment's ratification. The bill does not change existing retirement benefits but enables council members to access the state system instead of a separate local plan. If approved by voters, it would require a constitutional amendment vote following Alabama's election procedures. This is a procedural change affecting Montgomery City Council members' retirement options, not a direct funding or policy shift.
HB 398 authorizes Jefferson County and its municipalities to add up to $20 to residential building permits (covering permits for home construction, remodeling, or related trades). The funds collected will be directed exclusively to the Central Alabama Homebuilding Academy to train individuals in 14 specific construction trades, including carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, roofing, and HVAC. County and city governments must approve the academy’s annual budget before distributing funds, and the academy must provide annual reports on program activities and finances. This bill directly affects homebuilders paying permits and benefits the academy’s training programs, with funds flowing to the academy starting June 1, 2025.
SB 228, the Equality in Financial Services Act, prohibits Alabama banks and insurers from using "social credit scores" to deny services. These scores are defined to include evaluations based on religion, speech, association, firearm ownership, or refusal to comply with certain environmental or diversity initiatives. The bill allows financial institutions to claim a religious exemption for service decisions but bans discrimination based on non-financial factors. Violations would be treated as unfair trade practices, subject to fines and enforcement by Alabama's Banking Department or Department of Insurance.
HB 397 requires Alabama real estate licensees (brokers and salespeople) to make specific disclosures when handling residential property assignments. It mandates that licensees disclose to buyers if the seller isn't the legal property owner (deed holder) and disclose in writing to sellers the buyer's intent to assign their purchase rights before any assignment occurs. The bill also requires licensees to provide at least three business days' written notice of the assignment's effective date and set a fixed closing date without automatic extensions. These requirements aim to prevent undisclosed property rights transfers and give buyers and sellers clear advance notice, with the Alabama Real Estate Commission authorized to impose fines or license penalties for violations.
HB 381 requires Alabama’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to issue "recycle credits" to businesses that use recyclable materials to produce new products or energy. These credits can be used by businesses to pay solid waste disposal fees instead of cash, replacing fees for one ton or four cubic yards of waste. Credits can be transferred to other businesses for a fee but expire after three years or when used. The bill also establishes civil penalties of up to $1,000 for falsifying credit applications and directs fees collected to three funds: 40% to the Solid Waste Fund, 40% to DEM for administration, and 20% to the Alabama Recycling Fund.
