Sen. Arthur Orr

Maddy summarySB 272 requires public schools and government offices to redact financial details like account numbers and tax IDs from public records before releasing them. It also prohibits using school directory lists (names and addresses of individuals or entities) for selling products or services to those listed. Requesters of such records must certify they won’t misuse the data, and violators face civil penalties up to $500 per violation. The law directly affects school districts, businesses seeking public records, and anyone handling school-related personal information.

Maddy summarySB 317 recreates Alabama's Commission on the Evaluation of Services as a formal legislative department and establishes a new Legislative Committee to oversee it. The bill requires state agencies receiving direct state funding to provide data and develop evaluation plans for new programs or major program expansions (defined as a 25%+ budget increase or significant changes to service delivery). It mandates agencies to create logic models and track specific outcome metrics, with the commission publishing evaluation standards and reviewing agency reports. This directly affects all state departments, agencies, and institutions that receive state appropriations, requiring them to submit program evaluations annually.

Maddy summarySB 92 prohibits Alabama campaign committees, political action committees (PACs), and political parties from accepting internet credit card contributions unless the card's billing address is in the U.S. (with exceptions for U.S. citizens living abroad who provide their U.S. voter registration address). It requires contributors to provide the credit card verification code and a U.S. billing address, or an alternative U.S. address for overseas citizens. Financial institutions processing such payments without these requirements face fines equal to the contribution amount. The bill applies to all campaign contributions made via internet credit card transactions and takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 63 prohibits Alabama health insurers from using artificial intelligence (AI) exclusively to decide coverage for medical services. It requires final decisions to deny or reduce coverage to be made by a licensed physician or qualified health care professional, not AI alone. Insurers must disclose to enrollees when AI is used in coverage determinations and annually certify their AI tools comply with fairness and transparency standards. The Alabama Department of Insurance can investigate and impose penalties for violations of these requirements.

Maddy summarySB 59 requires Alabama's public colleges and universities to submit an annual report to the Executive Budget Office by October 31. The report must detail all state and federal funds received and spent during the previous fiscal year, broken down by funding source and certified as accurate. This bill directly affects all public institutions of higher education in Alabama, including the Alabama Community College System, by mandating transparency in how they use public funds.

Maddy summarySB 221 would change Alabama's sales tax rules by excluding credit card transaction fees from the taxable amount when customers pay by card. Specifically, merchants would no longer include fees charged by credit/debit card networks (e.g., interchange fees) when calculating sales or use tax on purchases. This directly affects merchants who currently pay tax on the total amount charged to customers, including these fees. The bill requires the Department of Revenue to create implementation rules and takes effect September 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an Alabama Charter School Finance Authority and grants it bonding authority to manage financial operations for charter schools. It creates a board with specific powers to enter contracts and make investments on behalf of the authority. The legislation also provides immunity from lawsuits for the authority's members, officers, and employees when acting within their official duties, except in cases of intentional, willful, or wanton misconduct. This protection applies to claims involving property damage, personal injury, or other civil liabilities arising from their official actions.

Maddy summarySB 292 creates the Alabama Property Protection Act of 2026 to prevent title fraud, directly affecting real estate professionals (title agents, attorneys, realtors, notaries), online property platforms, and homeowners. It establishes best practices for verifying property ownership before listings, classifies standard fraudulent property sales as a Class D felony and aggravated cases as Class C, and creates an Alabama Title Fraud Recovery Fund administered by the Securities Commission to recover funds from fraudulent transactions. The bill also requires online platforms to verify ownership before publishing listings, mandates expedited legal processes for victims to clear ownership, and prohibits remote notarization for property transfers in certain cases. These changes aim to strengthen fraud prevention and victim recovery through concrete regulatory and enforcement mechanisms.

Maddy summarySB 273 revises Alabama's stalking law by upgrading penalties for repeat offenders. Specifically, it changes the penalty for a second or subsequent violation of "stalking in the second degree" from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class C felony. This directly affects individuals convicted of stalking who commit a second or later offense after being warned to stop. The bill does not change the definition of stalking itself but increases the criminal consequences for those with prior convictions. The amendment takes effect on October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 57 requires Alabama's Department of Human Resources to request a federal waiver from the USDA to prohibit SNAP (food stamp) benefits from being used to purchase candy and soda. If approved, the state would ban SNAP recipients from buying these items, with the department required to resubmit the waiver request annually if denied. The bill defines "candy" as foods with sugar as the first ingredient (excluding single-ingredient sugars) and "soda" as carbonated beverages with sugar as a top ingredient (excluding diet drinks). This policy would directly affect Alabama SNAP recipients who currently use benefits for these items, effective October 1, 2026.