The Alabama Legislature convened for two legislative days last week, approaching the two-thirds mark of the 2026 Regular Session having completed 19 legislative days.
Lawmakers will return Tuesday to begin the 20th legislative day out of a maximum of 30.
Action on Education, General Fund Budgets Expected This Week
The Legislature is expected to begin committee and possibly floor votes on the state’s two budgets this week, beginning in committee on Tuesday.
Committee Schedule:
- Education Trust Fund (ETF) Budget: Will begin consideration in the House Ways and Means Education Committee on Tuesday.
- General Fund Budget: Will begin consideration in the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee on Tuesday.
Floor Action: The Legislature is expected to meet for three floor voting days this week, providing opportunities for both budgets to advance if they clear their respective committees quickly.
Career Tech Package Clears House
Alabama lawmakers advanced two bills from the career and technical education package on Thursday, sending both to the Senate for consideration.
TRAIN Act – Industry-to-Classroom Tax Credits
HB517 – Representative James Lomax
House Majority Whip James Lomax, R-Huntsville, sponsored the Talent Readiness and Industry Needs (TRAIN) Act, which creates a mechanism to bring experienced industry professionals directly into CTE classrooms. The bill passed the House unanimously on Thursday.
Key Provisions:
- Employer Tax Credits: Creates up to $10 million in annual, non-transferable income tax credits to incentivize employers to temporarily loan qualified employees to teach CTE courses at Alabama community colleges and public high schools. Credits would offset a portion of the salary employers continue paying employees during their teaching assignments, with a cap of $250,000 per employer and no more than 50% of the employer’s total tax liability.
- Credit Timeline: Tax credits would be available beginning in the 2027 tax year.
- Workforce Teaching Certificate: Establishes a new credential enabling skilled professionals to provide classroom instruction after completing targeted training and background checks, without requiring traditional teacher certification.
- Eligible Institutions: All Alabama community colleges and public high schools.
Status: Passed House unanimously Thursday; pending in the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee.
Expedited CTE Teacher Certification
HB520 – Representative Marcus Paramore
Representative Marcus Paramore, R-Troy, sponsored the CTE Teacher Certification Act, which creates an expedited certification pathway for experienced teachers relocating to Alabama. The bill passed the House unanimously on Thursday.
Key Provisions:
- Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must hold a valid teaching certificate from another state, be recommended for a certificate by a local superintendent of education, and pass a criminal background check.
- Streamlined Process: Removes barriers for qualified out-of-state CTE teachers to quickly begin teaching in Alabama public high schools.
- Effective Date: June 1, 2026.
Status: Passed House unanimously Thursday; pending in the Senate Education Policy Committee.
Closed Primary Elections Bill Filed in House
HB541 – Representative Ernie Yarbrough
A bill to require qualified voters in Alabama to register their political party affiliation before voting in any primary or primary runoff election has been filed. Rep. Ernie Yarbrough. The bill was filed after leading gubernatorial candidate Senator Tommy Tuberville expressed support for the proposal.
Current Law: While current law prevents a voter who voted in one party’s primary from voting in the other party’s primary runoff, Alabama does not require or ask party affiliation at the time of voter registration. Voters may participate in either party’s primary without declaring party affiliation in advance.
Proposed Change: HB541 would require voters to register their political party affiliation before participating in any primary or primary runoff election.
Status: Pending in the House Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee.
Online Sales Tax (SSUT) Update Bill Filed
SB347 – Senator Greg Albritton
Prior to the 2026 Legislative Session, many cities across the state filed suit against the Department of Revenue seeking to rule the SSUT illegal. The SSUT is essentially a sales tax on out-of-state and online vendors selling goods into Alabama. The SSUT is a flat 8% tax, which is often lower than the rate in most municipalities (9-10%). In response to the cities dismissing their lawsuit and pledging to work with members of the Legislature, Senate General Fund Chairman Senator Greg Albritton has filed a bill seeking to address some concerns about the SSUT that many Alabama cities currently have.
Key Provisions:
- Current Law: The distribution of the SSUT is based in part on population counts from the once-a-decade Census. Faster-growing cities have pointed to this fact as one that unfairly locks in their distribution at an otherwise lower level than it should be, failing to reflect actual growth between Census periods.
- Proposed Change: While SB347 does not modify the distribution formulas themselves, it does change the methodology, requiring the population data to be updated every five years using estimates released from the Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Estimates Program, beginning in 2027.
Status: Scheduled for Senate Committee Hearing on Tuesday, March 10.
Bill to Prohibit SNAP Purchases of Candy and Soda Passes Senate
SB57 – Senator Arthur Orr
Senator Arthur Orr’s bill to prohibit the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding for the purchase of sugary candies and sodas passed the Senate on Tuesday.
Key Provisions:
- Current Law: SNAP recipients may purchase candy and soda using their SNAP cards. Eighteen states, however, have prohibited the use of SNAP for purchasing soda and candy, though differences on how they define candy and soda exist.
- Prohibition – Candy: The bill defines candy as any food product that lists certain sugars and sweeteners as a primary ingredient, such as chocolate bars, chewing gum, and similar products. It does not include baked goods and prepared desserts.
- Prohibition – Soda: The bill defines soda as having any combination of carbonated water and certain sugars and sweeteners as the first two ingredients. If passed, SNAP recipients would be unable to purchase such products with their SNAP cards.
- DHR Waiver: The Alabama Department of Human Resources would be required to file a waiver with the U.S. Department of Agriculture seeking permission to exclude candy and soda from the definition of “eligible foods” under federal rules.
Rationale: Senator Orr has stated that the bill’s impetus is combating obesity in the state, specifically in the Medicaid program, which primarily covers low-income Alabamians who are more likely to benefit from the SNAP program.
Status: Passed the Senate by a vote of 24-2 on Tuesday; pending in the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee.
Mandatory Reimbursement Rate for Ambulance Services Passes Senate
SB269 – Senator Bobby Singleton
The Senate approved a bill by Senator Bobby Singleton on Tuesday that supporters say will help financially struggling emergency medical services throughout the state, specifically in rural areas.
Key Provisions:
- Standardize Reimbursements: Health insurers would be required to contract with any willing licensed EMS provider for in-network coverage under terms similar to other comparable providers. For in-network providers, 200% of the Medicare rate would be the minimum reimbursement rate provided for emergency ground transport and treat-in-place care. For out-of-network providers, 180% of the Medicare rate would be reimbursed.
- Require Certain Reporting: Ambulance providers will be required to annually report to the Alabama Department of Public Health operational details such as their vehicle and employee counts, transport volumes, income, and net profits. Similarly, health insurers will be required to report the number of denied claims and their value, as well as out-of-pocket charges and total payments for ambulance services compared to all other health claims. A study, provided by a business school that is an expert in risk management and insurance, must evaluate the bill’s effects and issue a report by December 1, 2028.
- Effective Date and Sunset: The bill would go into effect on October 1, 2026, and would stand repealed as of June 1, 2029.
Status: Passed the Senate 27-2 with 1 abstention on Tuesday; pending in the House Insurance Committee. Rep. Ed Oliver, D-Dadeville, is the House sponsor.
The following bills are being tracked by our governmental relations team:
| Bill | Sponsors | Title | Last Action | Latest Version |
| AL 2026rs SB 130 |
Elliott | Taxation and Revenue; Homestead ad valorum taxes of certain veterans prohibited from inclusion in debt-to-income ratio under certain circumstances | Senate, Mar 5, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Finance and Taxation General Fund) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 585 |
Fidler | Money transmissions, transaction fee imposed for certain outgoing international wire transfers, income tax credit established to offset transaction fees imposed on taxpayer, reporting of certain suspicious cash transactions required, Securities Commission to enforce (Financial Services (House)) | House, Mar 5, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Financial Services) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 259 |
Shaw | Stablecoin; license required for issuance or sale of stablecoins, payment, authorize use of payment stablecoin by governmental entities for contracting, Alabama Securities Commission to enforce and authorize, penalties provided
House Calendar: Special Order Calendar (March 10, 2026) Position: 10 |
House, Mar 5, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Financial Services) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 96 |
Pringle | Debtors homestead exemption; in bankruptcy cases; increase homestead exemption for seniors and disabled | House, Mar 5, 2026: Enacted | Act Number 2026-203 |
| AL 2026rs HB 544 |
Shaw | Cryptocurrency; governmental entities authorized to use stablecoins as payment to vendors and contractors (Financial Services (House)) | House, Mar 3, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Financial Services) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 55 |
Hollis | Mortgages; authorize lenders to mortgagors to make additional mortgage payments (Banking and Insurance (Senate)) | Senate, Mar 3, 2026: Pending Committee Action in Second House (Banking and Insurance) | Engrossed |
| AL 2026rs HB 351 |
Shaw | Data privacy; processing of data regulated, consumer actions related to data authorized (County and Municipal Government (Senate))
On the agenda – Senate County and Municipal Government Standing Meeting Mar 10, 2026 01:30pm Finance and Taxation |
Senate, Feb 25, 2026: Pending Committee Action in Second House (County and Municipal Government) | Engrossed |
| AL 2026rs HB 303 |
Bedsole | Cryptocurrency; measures to prevent fraud by cryptocurrency kiosk operators imposed, penalties established, Alabama Securities Commission authorized to enforce (Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development (Senate)) | Senate, Feb 25, 2026: Pending Committee Action in Second House (Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development) | Engrossed |
| AL 2026rs SB 221 |
Orr | Taxation; to exclude credit card transaction fees from sales and use tax calculations
Senate Calendar: Regular Calendar (March 05, 2026) Position: 41 |
Senate, Feb 19, 2026: Carried Over | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 402 |
Datcher | Local land bank authorities; shorten tax sale redemption period; restrictions on geographic scope; creation of multijurisdictional land banks by agreement; Governor’s emergency authorization to create land bank (Fiscal Responsibility (House)) | House, Feb 5, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Fiscal Responsibility) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 104 |
Blackshear | Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property; allow finders to contract and locate State Treasurer property, account for digital assets
Senate Calendar: Regular Calendar (March 05, 2026) Position: 24 |
Senate, Feb 5, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Finance and Taxation General Fund) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 77 |
Paschal | Taxation and Revenue; disabled veterans’ homestead taxes inclusion in debt-to-income ratio under certain circumstances prohibited
Senate Calendar: Regular Calendar (March 05, 2026) Position: 23 |
Senate, Feb 5, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Finance and Taxation General Fund) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs SB 232 |
Stewart | Volunteer fire departments; authorized to deposit funds with financial institutions (Banking and Insurance (Senate)) | Senate, Jan 29, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Banking and Insurance) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 344 |
Lipscomb | Volunteer fire departments; authorized to deposit funds with financial institutions (County and Municipal Government (House)) | House, Jan 29, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (County and Municipal Government) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 207 |
Wadsworth | Alabama Uniform Trust Code; amended to conform with Alabama Qualified Dispositions in Trust Act, limit property subject to creditors’ claims
House Calendar: Regular Calendar (March 10, 2026) Position: 25 Companion Bills: SB 179 |
House, Jan 29, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Financial Services) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 206 |
Wadsworth | Trusts; amend Alabama Principal and Income Act, permit trustee to adjust between principal and income
House Calendar: Regular Calendar (March 10, 2026) Position: 24 Companion Bills: SB 178 |
House, Jan 29, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Financial Services) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 324 |
Moore (P) | Artificial intelligence; age verification systems required for chatbots, safeguard protocols required, therapy chatbot requirements established, private right of action and enforcement provided for (Judiciary (House)) | House, Jan 22, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Judiciary) | Introduced |
| AL 2026rs HB 252 |
Shaw | Campaign finance; campaign contributions required to be held in federally insured institution (Ethics and Campaign Finance (House)) | House, Jan 15, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Ethics and Campaign Finance) | Introduced |
