The Alabama Legislature met for days 4, 5, and 6 in the second week of the 2024 Regular Session. 15 committee meetings were held throughout the week.

DURING THE WEEK 

The House passed comprehensive gaming legislation which would allow casino gaming, sports wagering and a state lottery. HB151 by Representative Chris Blackshear is the Constitutional Amendment that would be voted on by the public to authorize the enterprises in HB152, also by Representative Chris Blackshear, which sets out the specifics. The bills now go to the Senate for consideration. If the Constitutional Amendment is approved by the public, there will regulated, limited forms of gaming along with provisions banning current illegal gaming in the state. 

The Senate spent most its time debating and ultimately passing SB1 by Senator Garland Gudger which prohibits certain assistance in the preparation of absentee ballots, SB10 by Senator Chris Elliott providing that county and municipal library board members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authorities, and SB77 by Senator Chris Elliott which revises the composition of the Board of the Department of Archives and History. 

NOTABLE FLOOR ACTION THIS WEEK 

HOUSE FLOOR 

HB151 by Rep. Blackshear: A proposed Constitutional Amendment to authorize an official state lottery, casino-style games, limited sports wagering, traditional raffles, and traditional paper bingo (as amended). 

HB152 by Rep. Blackshear: To establish the Alabama Gaming Commission, to define the various forms of gaming allowed under the bill, provide for the various gaming licenses, fees, and taxes, establish the Alabama Lottery Corporation, provide for the creation and operation of a state lottery, and provide for the distribution of the various fees and taxes collected (as amended). 

SENATE FLOOR 

SB1 by Sen. Gudger: To prohibit any person from ordering, requesting, collecting, prefilling, obtaining, or delivering an absentee ballot application or absentee ballot of a voter in certain circumstances and to provide for exceptions (as substituted and amended). 

SB10 by Sen. Elliott: To provide that library board members shall serve at the pleasure of their respective appointing authorities (as amended). 

SB23 by Sen. Williams: To prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of meat made from cultured animal cells (as substituted). 

SB63 by Sen. Carnley: To provide that a county commission is not liable for and may not be a party to a suit challenging the expenditure or use of public funds where a local law provides that the public funds are to be expended or used at the discretion of a single public official. 

SB77 by Sen. Elliott: To revise the composition of the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives (as amended). 

SB83 by Sen. Smitherman: To provide that indigent defense attorneys are compensated based on the level of the original criminal charge, and to revise the total compensation caps for indigent defense attorneys (as amended). 

NOTABLE COMMITTEE ACTION THIS WEEK 

HOUSE COMMITTEES 

HB66 by Rep. Brown: To require food service establishments to notify consumers of the country of origin of seafood products, use the correct common name of seafood products, and notify consumers as to whether fish or shrimp are farm-raised or wild (Public Hearing but no vote in House Ports, Waterways and Intermodal Transit Committee). 

HB87 by Rep. Brown: To authorize an airport authority to form any necessary legal business entity or venture relating to airport operations and conduct any activities required for the operation of the authority (House Ports, Waterways and Intermodal Transit Committee). 

HB93 by Rep. Stubbs: To provide that a county commission is not liable for and may not be a party to a suit challenging the expenditure or use of public funds where a local law provides that the public funds are to be expended or used at the discretion of a single public official (House County and Municipal Government Committee). 

HB121 by Rep. Stubbs: To provide that a supervisor may not take any adverse employment action against a county or municipal employee who reports a violation of law or rule to a public body (House County and Municipal Government Committee). 

HB128 by Rep. Gidley: To define the term “place of worship” and prohibit a municipal historic preservation commission from designating a place of worship as a historic property or historic district, authorize a place of worship to voluntarily agree to be designated as a historic property or historic district, and to authorize a place of worship that was previously designated as a historic property or historic district to agree to that designation (House Urban and Rural Development Committee). 

SENATE COMMITTEES 

SB53 by Sen. Orr: To eliminate the eligibility to work form currently required of individuals under the age of 16 (Senate Children and Youth Health Committee). 

SB60 by Sen. Orr: To provide for the allocation of funds to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to facilitate growth in the state’s system of inland ports and transfer facilities and for the coordination of a transportation system for inland waterways (Public Hearing but no vote in Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee). 

SB61 by Sen. Orr: To create the CHOOSE Act to establish a refundable income tax credit to offset the cost of qualifying educational expenses, to direct the Department of Revenue to establish education savings accounts through which parents can access funds to direct the education of participating students, and to establish program requirements for parents of participating students, education service providers and participating schools (Public Hearing but no vote in Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee). 

SB62 by Sen. Orr: To provide for a sales and use tax exemption for purchases of certain baby supplies, baby formula, maternity clothing, and menstrual hygiene products (Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee). 

SB64 by Sen. Stutts: To authorize the operation of off-road vehicles on certain county roads if the vehicle meets certain conditions, and to allow other off-road vehicles to cross a county road under certain conditions (Public Hearing but no vote in Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee). 

NOTABLE INTRODUCTIONS 

HOUSE 

HB162 by Rep. Lomax: To provide a cap in increases on Class IV property tax assessments under certain conditions (Assigned to House Ways and Means General Fund Committee). 

HB165 by Rep. Brown: To require written consent of a parent or legal guardian for any minor to receive a vaccination (Assigned to House Judiciary Committee). 

HB167 by Rep. Sells: To require manufacturers of certain Internet-enabled devices, manufactured on or after January 1, 2025, to contain a filter that is activated if the user is a minor, and only allow a user with a password to deactivate or reactivate the filter (Assigned to House Judiciary Committee). 

HB169 by Rep. Woods: To require each public preK-12 school to post the curricula for each class on the website of the school and to permit parents or guardians to examine instructional and supplemental materials used in the classroom upon request (Assigned to House Education Policy Committee). 

HB171 by Rep. Sells: To exempt certain aircraft from ad valorem taxation (Assigned to House Ways and Means General Fund Committee). 

HB180 by Rep. Shirey: To increase the compensation for election workers in Mobile County and authorizing the appointment and compensation of computer technical assistants (Assigned to Mobile County Legislation Committee). 

HB181 by Rep. Lipscomb: To create the Alabama Waters Task Force to consider and address issues relating to Alabama’s water resources (Assigned to House Ports, Waterways and Intermodal Transit Committee). 

HB183 by Rep. Lipscomb: To prohibit the state and political subdivisions of the state, and their law enforcement officers, agents, and employeesfrom transporting homeless individuals to another city or county within the state, unless being done for a lawful purpose (Assigned to House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee). 

HB186 by Rep. Pettus: To prohibit political parties from disqualifying an individual from running for office based solely on receipt of contributions from a particular person or political action committee (Assigned to House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee). 

SENATE 

SB87 by Sen. Allen: A proposed Constitutional Amendment to require local boards of education to adopt policies requiring each K-12 public school to broadcast or sanction the performance of The Star Spangled Banner at least once per week during school hours (Assigned to Senate Education Policy Committee). 

SB90 by Sen. Sessions: To require food service establishments to notify consumers of the country of origin of seafood products, use the correct common name of seafood products, and notify consumers as to whether fish or shrimp are farm-raised or wild (Assigned to Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee). 

SB91 by Sen. Coleman-Madison: To provide for an additional license tax and registration fee on motor vehicles and for the distribution of the proceeds to the Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund (Assigned to Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund). 

SB92 by Sen. Weaver: To define man, woman, boy, girl, father, mother, male, female and sex for purposes of state law, to provide policy on the differences between sexes, to provide that state and local public entities may establish separate single-sexspaces or environments in certain circumstances, and require the state or political subdivisions that collect vital statistics related to sex as male or female for certain purposes to identify each individual as either male or female at birth (Assigned to Senate County and Municipal Government Committee). 

SB94 by Sen. Carnley: To exempt the gross proceeds from the sale of honeybees and their byproducts from state sales and use tax (Assigned to Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee). 

SB95 by Sen. Figures: To specify that an individual under 21 years of age commits a violation for the possession of an electronic nicotine delivery system or other electronic battery-powered device capable of producing a vapor upon inhalation, without regard to which particular e-liquid or other substance, if any, was contained or otherwise used in the device (Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee). 

SB97 by Sen. Coleman-Madison: To prohibit individuals from storing a loaded firearm where a reasonable individual know a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm, and provide a criminal penalty for violating this prohibition (Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee). 

SB98 by Sen. Orr: To establish the School Security Program within the State Department of Education, require periodic inspections of school facilities at public K-12 schools, and to provide criteria for school security inspections (Assigned to Senate Education Policy Committee). 

SB110 by Sen. Sessions: To limit the assessed value of certain real property for ad valorem tax purposes, with exceptions (Assigned to Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee).