Legislative Summary

It was a very busy week at the Alabama Legislature. Any bills not having passed their house of origin this week are no longer capable of final passage. There were long calendars, and legislators worked late into the night on Tuesday.

Committees met all day Wednesday, and both houses worked full calendars on Thursday.

There are now three legislative days remaining and much unfinished business. A total of 347 bills have been introduced in the Senate and 494 bills are in the House of Representatives.

As to new bills, very few were introduced. Senate Judiciary did not meet and House Judiciary had just a few bills. Most bills that have moved through these committees are awaiting final passage. The majority of anticipated legislation pending does not involve major issues pertaining to the legal profession, but are definitely of interest to many, some of which include gaming, ethics, budgets, workforce and education bills.

Please refer to the tracking for the progress (or lack thereof) as to bills of interest to your practice.

One bill increasing court costs was introduced this week but it is the companion to the Choctaw County house bill below.

Current court cost bills are as follows:

• HB478 – Covington County – $30 booking fee upon conviction to sheriff HB491/SB347- Choctaw County – creation of $50 fee in all cases including municipal for a jail fund
• HB85 Marion County – $30 fee per document; proceeds to Sheriff
• HB311 Baldwin County – increase from $30 per document filed to $60 per document filed with majority of proceeds to the Sheriff
• HB384 Tuscaloosa County -increase from $12.50 per document to $60 per document and increase to $85 for out of county; majority of proceeds to Sheriff and District Attorney
• HB431 Houston County – increase fee by $20 per case for county jail and District Attorneys
• SB263 Etowah County – $35 fee per document for Sheriff

As always, the Alabama State Bar encourages all members to be aware of legislation that may impact court 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, with direct links to the actual legislation. The reports divide legislation into the following categories for your convenience: civil/general, court costs, criminal, domestic relations, elections ethics and government relations (EEGR), tax, and judicial.

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

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR

The 2024 regular session of the Alabama Legislature will continue as follows:

• The Senate has adjourned until Tuesday, May 7, at 4:00 p.m.
• The House has adjourned until Tuesday, May 7, at 1:00 p.m.