The Alabama Legislature convened for Week 8 of the 2026 Regular Session, meeting on Tuesday and Thursday. Committee meetings were held throughout the week, with floor sessions in both chambers on those same days.
Lawmakers will return for Day 20 on Tuesday, March 10, with the House convening at 1 p.m. and the Senate convening at 2 p.m.
As the session continues, Week 8 featured legislative activity across several policy areas, including criminal justice, economic development incentives, election procedures and education policy.
This Week at a Glance
- Total bills introduced: 933
- Passed house of origin: 395
- Passed both chambers: 141
- Pending governor’s signature: 34
- Bills enacted: 92
- Constitutional amendments pending referendum: 15
What Stood Out This Week
Legislation enacted this week addressed criminal penalties, coastal resource management, health coverage, and technology safeguards for minors. Lawmakers also continued moving proposals through committee addressing school policy requirements, public transparency and regulatory authority. Meanwhile, new bill introductions reflected ongoing policy debates around election procedures, economic development incentives and local taxation authority.
Notable Bills Enacted
- SB12 – Senator Garlan Gudger: Repeals a 2025 act authorizing annexation of certain community development districts by wet municipalities located in dry counties. Act No. 2026-2
- SB89 – Senator David Sessions: Repeals statutory provisions establishing the State Pilotage Commission and bar pilot requirements. Act No. 2026-18
- HB181 – Representative Chip Marques: Requires dredging projects exceeding one million cubic yards in coastal areas to beneficially use at least 70 percent of dredged material. Act No. 2026-41
- HB41 – Representative Matt Simpson: Classifies rape, sodomy, or sexual torture involving victims under age 12 as capital offenses and establishes minimum incarceration requirements before parole eligibility. Act No. 2026-55
- HB161 – Representative Parker Moore Hill: Requires app store providers to implement age verification, parental notification, and data protection safeguards for minors accessing applications. Act No. 2026-59
- SB169 – Senator David Sessions: Creates the Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Holt Safe Streets Act addressing penalties related to fatal vehicle incidents. Act No. 2026-64
- SB71 – Senator Jack Williams Chesteen: Restricts state agencies from adopting environmental regulations more stringent than federal standards unless supported by scientific evidence. Act No. 2026-81
- HB300 – Representative Mary Moore Holk-Jones: Requires health plans covering breast examinations to provide coverage without deductibles, co-payments or coinsurance charges. Act No. 2026-190
- HB96 – Representative Chris Pringle: Increases homestead exemption protections for residents over 62 and individuals with disabilities. Act No. 2026-203
Floor Action to Watch
House Floor
- HB97 – Representative Chris Pringle: Creates the Alabama Geographic Information Executive Council and statewide GIS coordination structure for emergency and public services.
- HB405 – Representative Napoleon Bracy: Creates the offense of third-degree bail jumping and establishes criminal penalties.
- HB420 – Representative Alan Baker Butler: Increases penalties for discharging a firearm into an occupied school bus or school building.
- HB452 – Representative Chris Pringle: Extends the historic rehabilitation tax credit program through 2032.
- SB242 – Senator Randy Bell: Requires certain commercial driver license holders to maintain U.S. work authorization and English proficiency standards.
Senate Floor
- HB163 – Representative Kerry Stubbs: Authorizes local governments to facilitate private financing for qualified energy efficiency projects.
- HB214 – Representative Matt Lomax: Prohibits campaign contributions and donations from foreign nationals.
- SB5 – Senator Gerald Allen: Proposes a constitutional amendment requiring schools to broadcast or sanction the first stanza of the national anthem weekly.
- SB57 – Senator Arthur Orr: Requires the Department of Human Resources to prohibit the purchase of candy and soda with SNAP benefits.
- SB105 – Senator Kelley: Requires counties and municipalities to publish financial statements, audits, expenditures, and budgets online.
Committee Movement
House Committees
House committees considered several education-related proposals, including constitutional amendments requiring daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and policies allowing voluntary prayer or religious readings in schools. Other legislation addressed restrictions on telephone solicitation practices and increased penalties for fleeing law enforcement.
Senate Committees
Senate committees reviewed measures addressing municipal auditing thresholds, property title fraud prevention, regulation of unmanned aircraft systems near large events, and criminal penalties related to law enforcement pursuits. Additional legislation focused on the protection of religious worship sites and boating regulations.
Newly Introduced Legislation
House
House introductions included proposals addressing gambling tax policy related to historical horse racing in Mobile County, requirements for party affiliation in primary elections, economic development incentives for automotive manufacturing supply chains, tourism marketing initiatives, municipal taxation procedures and a pilot program for automated work zone speed enforcement.
Senate
Senate introductions included companion legislation establishing a work zone speed enforcement pilot program, enforcement provisions tied to the CHOOSE Act education program, adjustments to the distribution of Simplified Sellers Use Tax revenues and Mobile County legislation related to historical horse racing taxation.
Budget Watch
Key budget measures pending or advancing include:
- General Fund: SB146 – $3.7 billion budget pending in the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee
- Education Trust Fund: HB238 – $9.9 billion budget pending in the House Ways and Means Education Committee
What’s Next
The Legislature will reconvene on March 10 for Day 20 of the session, with committee hearings and floor sessions expected to continue work on education policy proposals, public transparency measures and budget legislation.
