HB 7 increases penalties for making terrorist threats in Alabama, elevating the first-degree offense to a Class B felony (from Class C) and the second-degree offense to a Class D felony (from Class A misdemeanor). It also requires public school principals to immediately notify law enforcement when a student's conduct potentially involves such a threat and mandates a mandatory one-year school suspension for students charged with making a terrorist threat in either degree. The bill specifies conditions for student readmittance and requires convicted individuals to pay restitution to victims. This directly affects K-12 students, school administrators, law enforcement, and courts by tightening legal consequences for threats targeting schools, public spaces, or officials.
HB 53 proposes a constitutional amendment to Alabama's 2022 Constitution, allowing the legislature to revive time-barred legal claims related to child sexual abuse. It directly affects victims of childhood sexual abuse whose cases may have been dismissed due to expired statutes of limitations. The amendment would modify Section 95 to add an exception permitting the legislature to restore such claims through general law. This change would enable victims to pursue legal remedies for abuse that occurred years ago, even if the original time limit had passed. The proposal requires voter approval via a statewide election after legislative passage.
HB 54, the Alabama Women's Childbirth Alternatives, Resources, and Education (CARE) Act, allows pregnant women sentenced to jail to serve probation before incarceration instead of being jailed immediately. It requires jails to offer pregnancy testing within three days of intake, releases pregnant women on probation (with electronic supervision and no fines) if they pose no threat, and mandates they serve probation through 12 weeks after birth. The bill requires women to self-surrender to jail 12 weeks after giving birth, with failure to do so classified as a Class A misdemeanor. This directly affects pregnant women in Alabama facing incarceration sentences, changing their path to jail from immediate admission to supervised probation during pregnancy and postpartum.
HB 41 would reclassify rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and sexual torture as capital offenses when the victim is under 12 years old. It would also require individuals convicted of these crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. The bill amends Alabama’s criminal code to add these offenses to the existing list of capital crimes, which currently includes murder under specific circumstances. This legislation directly affects individuals convicted of sexual violence against children under 12 and would increase penalties for such crimes.
HB 34 proposes two new offenses under Alabama law: (1) knowingly providing false name, address, or date of birth to police during an official interaction (a Class A misdemeanor), and (2) willfully refusing to answer specific questions (name, address, date of birth, or explanation of actions) during a lawful investigatory stop when police have reasonable suspicion of a crime (a Class C misdemeanor). The bill clarifies that officers must identify themselves and state the reason for the stop before asking for information, and includes an exception preventing people from being forced to give self-incriminating details. It also updates existing law to require officers to state the reason for a stop and repeals the previous false information statute. If passed, these changes would apply to individuals stopped by police during investigations where reasonable suspicion exists.
HB 58 requires Alabama courts to delay (continue) criminal and civil cases when a party, their lead attorney, or a key witness is on active military duty. It mandates that in criminal cases, bail must be set for defendants when the state secures such a delay, except for violent offenses or capital charges. The bill also requires courts to delay cases if a military witness is unavailable, provided they're material, outside the state, and a request was made per federal law (5 U.S.C. § 301). Civil cases follow similar delay rules but do not require bail setting. The Alabama Supreme Court must update its rules to align with these changes, effective October 1, 2026.
HB 26 would require parole or probation officers to restrict certain adult sex offenders (those convicted of offenses involving children) from using post office boxes or electronic devices with internet access, such as computers, tablets, or phones. It also mandates that courts or the Board of Pardons and Paroles may require these offenders to complete sex offender treatment, including periodic polygraph exams, as a condition of release. Violating these restrictions or treatment requirements would be a Class C felony. The bill applies specifically to sex offenders under community supervision (like parole or probation) and authorizes the Board to create rules for implementing the treatment program, which would include cost-sharing based on the offender’s ability to pay. The bill is pending in the Alabama House Judiciary Committee and would take effect October 1, 2026, if passed.
HB 29 amends Alabama's manslaughter law to include cases where sexual extortion of a minor under 18 directly causes the victim's death. The bill specifically adds that if a person commits sexual extortion (as defined in Section 13A-6-241) against a minor and the victim dies, the perpetrator can be charged with manslaughter if the court finds the sexual extortion was the proximate cause of death. It clarifies that a victim's suicide following sexual extortion is deemed a foreseeable consequence, not an independent cause. This change elevates such cases to a Class A felony (the highest penalty for manslaughter), directly affecting minors subjected to sexual extortion and those who commit such acts. The law would take effect October 1, 2026.
