Alabama Senate Republicans utilized a rarely invoked procedural tactic, the cloture petition, last Thursday to curtail Democratic debate and accelerate the passage of several conservative bills.
The five bills, now advancing to the House, encompass measures mandating pre-installed pornography filters on minors’ electronic devices and altering the appointment process for the Alabama Department of Archives and History board.
The Democratic filibuster, however, initiated by Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham), was not aimed at these specific bills. Instead, his opposition centered on newly introduced Senate Bill 330, sponsored by Sen. Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook), which proposes a reorganization of the Birmingham Water Works board.
The Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) has faced scrutiny in recent years due to alleged management deficiencies and rate hikes. Sen. Smitherman previously contested a similar bill to restructure the board in 2023.
Sen. Roberts’ current legislation seeks to terminate the terms of the existing board members and establish a smaller, five-member regional board that would include an appointment by the lieutenant governor. The bill also stipulates financial expertise for certain board members. Sen. Roberts argued that a more compact board would be “more nimble and responsive.”
While Senate Bill 330 does not explicitly name the Birmingham Water Works, its language would apply to municipal water boards that “serve customers or have assets in four or more counties other than the county where the authorizing municipality is located.”
The bill is scheduled for a public hearing before the County and Municipal Government Committee on Tuesday.
Alabama Senate Passes Bills Mandating Phone Filters and Parental Consent for App Downloads
Two bills focused on protecting minors online, sponsored by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, have passed the Senate and will now be considered by the House.
- SB186 (Phone Filter): This bill, which passed 28-5, would require smartphones and tablets sold to minors to have a filter activated to block sexually explicit material starting in 2027.
- SB187 (App Protection): Passed with a vote of 26-6, this bill would require app stores to verify user ages and link minors’ accounts to their parents, thus necessitating parental consent for app downloads.
Hemp Regulation Bill Advances in Senate
Rep. Andy Whitt’s HB445, a broad bill seeking to regulate the sale of hemp products legalized under federal “Farm Bill” provisions, has passed the Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development on Wednesday.
Senators are now working to consolidate various existing Senate bills concerning hemp products – ranging from a complete ban to similar testing and regulatory requirements – into a comprehensive compromise bill, with HB445 serving as the primary legislative vehicle.
Any amendments to HB445 will require a Senate vote before the bill is sent back to the House for either concurrence or a request to convene a conference committee to resolve any differences.
Alabama Version of Federal “Laken Riley Act” Passes House, Heads to Senate
The Alabama House of Representatives has passed HB7, sponsored by Representative Ernie Yarbrough, by a vote of 74-26, sending the bill to the Senate. Named after a University of Georgia student killed by an undocumented immigrant in Athens last year, HB7 includes the following key provisions:
- Enforcement Agreements: State and local law enforcement agencies would be authorized to enter into memorandums of understanding and agreements with federal agencies to enforce federal immigration laws.
- Immigration Status Checks: Local law enforcement would be required to make efforts to determine the immigration status of individuals upon arrest.
- Immigration Detainers: County and municipal jails would be mandated to comply with and fulfill any request from a federal immigration agency for an immigration detainer on an arrested individual.
- Foreign National Inmate Reporting: State, county, and local jails would be permitted to prepare reports detailing the total number of foreign national inmates housed in their facilities.
Alabama Senate Approves Two Voting Integrity Bills, Sent to House
The Alabama Senate passed two bills on Thursday, aimed at bolstering the integrity of the state’s elections, according to their sponsors.
- SB142 (Sen. Wes Kitchens): This bill removes the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) as a database for identifying registered voters with potential address changes. It mandates that county boards of registrars utilize a National Voter Registration Act designated agency for this purpose.
- SB158 (Sen. Will Barfoot): This bill prohibits the use of foreign driver’s licenses as acceptable forms of identification for voting. The bill passed with a vote of 25-6.
Alabama House Passes “Conservative Red Meat” Bills, Heads to Senate
During a day focused on bringing bills to a vote, the Alabama House of Representatives passed the following notable pieces of legislation, sending them to the Senate for consideration:
- HB67 (Rep. Scott Stadthagen): This bill prohibits public schools and libraries from knowingly presenting or hosting drag performances in the presence of a minor without parental or legal guardian consent. It also restricts certain state entities from allowing minors to share specific facilities with individuals of the opposite sex during overnight programs operated or sponsored by the state. The bill passed by a vote of 76-9 with nine abstentions.
- HB178 (Rep. Mark Gidley): This bill mandates that public K-12 schools display the Ten Commandments and other foundational U.S. historical documents, such as the Mayflower Compact and the Declaration of Independence. The displays are to be funded through donations to mitigate potential legal challenges. The bill passed by a vote of 81-11 with seven abstentions.
- HB244 (Rep. Mack Butler): This bill prohibits instruction on “general ideology” or sexual orientation in public schools, bans teachers from displaying pride flags or similar symbols, and restricts teachers from using pronouns that do not align with a student’s biological sex. The bill passed by a vote of 74-15 with 7 abstentions.
- HB247 (Rep. David Standridge): This bill proposes renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and requires all state and local entities to adopt this new name in their materials and communications. The bill passed by a vote of 72-26 with 1 abstention.
Alabama Legislature to Focus on Budgets as Session Nears End
The Alabama Legislature adjourned its 23rd day this week, with only seven legislative days remaining in its 30-day session. Lawmakers will reconvene tomorrow, and budget discussions are anticipated to take center stage.
Our governmental relations team is tracking the following bills:
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action | Latest Version |
| AL 2025rs SB 282 |
Barfoot | Virtual currency, declares preemption of virtual currency or cryptocurrency regulation by the Legislature and exempts virtual currency from ad valorem tax
Senate Calendar: Regular Calendar (April 22, 2025) Position: 177 |
Senate, Apr 17, 2025: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Finance and Taxation General Fund) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs HB 587 |
Shaw | Information Technology Auditors, qualifications for being hired to perform audits on state chartered financial institutions specified (Financial Services (House)) | House, Apr 17, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Financial Services) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs HB 483 |
Shaw | Virtual currency, declares preemption of virtual currency or cryptocurrency regulation by the Legislature and exempts virtual currency from ad valorem tax
House Calendar: Regular Calendar (April 22, 2025) Position: 84 |
House, Apr 17, 2025: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Ways and Means General Fund) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs HB 396 |
Paschal | Taxation and Revenue; Homestead ad valorum taxes of certain veterans prohibited from inclusion in debt-to-income ratio
Senate Calendar: Regular Calendar (April 22, 2025) Position: 180 |
Senate, Apr 17, 2025: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Finance and Taxation General Fund) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 130 |
Melson | Financial Institutions and Businesses; authorizes gold and silver bullion and coins as legal tender | Senate, Apr 14, 2025: Enacted | Act Number 2025-123 |
| AL 2025rs HB 484 |
Shaw | Public Blockchain, creation of; inclusion of certain state expenditures. (Ways and Means General Fund (House)) | House, Apr 8, 2025: Re-referred to Committee in House of Origin (Ways and Means General Fund) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 281 |
Shelnutt | Consumer Protection; platforms providing services allowing employees to access earned income prior to paycheck not considered a lender or debt collector; standards on platforms imposed
Senate Calendar: Regular Calendar (April 22, 2025) Position: 109 |
Senate, Apr 3, 2025: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Banking and Insurance) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 284 |
Barfoot | Public Blockchain, creation of; inclusion of certain state expenditures. (Banking and Insurance (Senate)) | Senate, Apr 1, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Banking and Insurance) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 283 |
Barfoot | State Treasurer, investment of funds in digital assets (Banking and Insurance (Senate)) | Senate, Apr 1, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Banking and Insurance) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs HB 482 |
Shaw | State Treasurer, investment of funds in digital assets (Ways and Means General Fund (House)) | House, Apr 1, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Ways and Means General Fund) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs HB 297 |
Fidler | International wire transfers; fee imposed on transfers; fee proceeds distributed to counties for specified purposes; income tax credit for paid wire transfer fees authorized (Financial Services (House)) | House, Mar 20, 2025: Re-referred to Committee in House of Origin (Financial Services) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs HB 418 |
Kiel | Financial Institutions and Insurers; using social credit score to discriminate prohibited; violations of insurers an unfair trade practice; fines, penalties and remedies authorized (Financial Services (House))
Companion Bills: SB 228 |
House, Mar 6, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Financial Services) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 228 |
Jones (A) | Financial Institutions and Insurers; using social credit score to discriminate prohibited; violations of insurers an unfair trade practice; fines, penalties and remedies authorized (Banking and Insurance (Senate))
Companion Bills: HB 418 |
Senate, Mar 5, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Banking and Insurance) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 77 |
Weaver | International wire transfers; fee on wire transfers imposed; income tax credit for wire transfer fees paid, authorized; Securities Commission and Revenue Department to administer
Senate Calendar: Regular Calendar (April 22, 2025) Position: 2 |
Senate, Feb 13, 2025: Carried Over to the Call of the Chair | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 141 |
Butler (T) | Financial Institutions; prohibit fee for periodic paper billing statements (State Governmental Affairs (Senate)) | Senate, Feb 11, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (State Governmental Affairs) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 29 |
Elliott | Government issued licenses, permits, and certifications; time frame imposed for issuing licenses etc.; exceptions provided
Senate Calendar: Regular Calendar (April 22, 2025) Position: 4 |
Senate, Feb 11, 2025: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (County and Municipal Government) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs HB 192 |
Shirey | International wire transfers; fee on wire transfers imposed with proceeds for ELL instructors; income tax credit for wire transfer fees paid, authorized; Securities Commission and Revenue Department to administer (Ways and Means Education (House)) | House, Feb 5, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Ways and Means Education) | Introduced |
| AL 2025rs SB 17 |
Coleman (M) | Digital assets, prohibits the state from certain actions related to digital assets and exempts certain actions from classification as a security or money transfer (Banking and Insurance (Senate)) | Senate, Feb 4, 2025: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Banking and Insurance) | Introduced |
