LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

This week, the Alabama Legislature quickly got down to business. It was a three-day week, with committee meetings packed full of bills on Wednesday, in addition to a session day. So far, 173 bills have been introduced in the Senate and 290 in the House of Representatives. As a reminder, the Alabama Constitution allows for up to 30 legislative days per session, and six of those are now complete.

Several notable bills were introduced this week, including legislation of general state interest, agency-related bills, and the General Fund budget along with its accompanying appropriation bills in the Senate. Bills addressing digital assets and social media were also introduced, along with several related to insurance. As usual, a number of criminal law bills were filed, many focused on creating new crimes or modifying sentencing under the Habitual Felony Offender Act. Additionally, bills concerning parental rights and notifications were introduced, including legislation raising the age of medical consent for certain treatments.

Key bills discussed in committee this week included a measure to excuse breastfeeding mothers from jury duty, multiple bills related to firearms and criminal justice, and legislation from the Alabama Law Institute updating the Adoption Code, Business Code, and Small Estates law, all of which passed out of committee.

Bills advancing out of their initial chambers and moving to the opposite house include legislation requiring parental consent for vaccinations, allowing the death penalty for the rape or sodomy of a child under 12, an update to the Adoption Code, several immigration-related bills, and numerous local measures.

There are many criminal law bills this session. Please see the tracking below for a complete list, and note that any miscellaneous bills may be categorized under the civil designation.

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. The reports divide legislation into the following categories for your convenience: civil/general, court costs, criminal, domestic relations, elections ethics, and government relations (EEGR), judiciary, and tax.

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

Look Up A Specific Bill Here

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR

The 2025 regular session of the Alabama Legislature will continue as follows:

• The Senate has adjourned until Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 2:00 p.m.
• The House has adjourned until Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 1:00 p.m.