Legislative Summary

The Alabama Legislature met for three days this week, and 18 of the 30 allotted legislative days are now complete. The House of Representatives gaveled in before committees started on Wednesday, and the Senate met Wednesday afternoon following a packed day of committees. As of this week, there have been 440 bills introduced in the House of Representatives and 298 bills in the Senate.

Since the session has now passed the halfway point, the introduction of new bills has slowed down. Some bills of interest introduced this week include an expansion of the definition of child abuse, a bill seeking to specify the age for youthful offender, and several local bills.

Bills in committee this week included one that makes changes to pardons and paroles, another that involves the construction of a new Statehouse, and finally, a bill that makes changes to the legislative council. Also in committee, there was a felon in possession bill that aligns state law with federal law and a bill allowing for jurors over the age of 75 to be excused.

Additionally, legislation was moved out of Senate Judiciary committee that would create 13 new judgeships throughout the state over the next two election cycles.

The education budget passed out of committee and then out of the Senate on Thursday; it now heads to the House of Representatives. The increase of juror per diem and mileage also advanced out of the Senate. The House of Representatives had debates involving changes to Alabama’s voting laws.

There are local bills in Pickens, Limestone and Blount County to increase court costs.

As always, the Alabama State Bar encourages all members to be aware of legislation that may impact courts costs and fees. Access to Justice is a priority. Please be aware of advertisements that may be occurring for local bills and those that may already be filed to use the courts as a fundraiser for non-court entities. We encourage you to be informed and notify us as well.

LEGISLATIVE TRACKING

The Alabama State Bar provides legislative status reports concerning pending legislation that may be of interest to our members. The reports divide legislation into the following categories for your convenience: civil/general, court costs, criminal, domestic relations, elections ethics and government relations (EEGR), judicial, and tax.

You can find our comprehensive updated bill-tracking spreadsheet here.

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR

The regular session of the 2023 Legislative Session continues as follows:

• The Senate has adjourned until Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 2:30 PM.
• The House has adjourned until Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 1:00 PM.