Good news for transit advocates: SB85 passed the House! Our friends at Alabama Arise have been actively supporting this bill, and their Executive Director, Kimble Forrister, had this to say about the House vote on February 22nd:
Creating the Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund is an important step forward for public transportation. Today’s House vote for SB 85 brings us closer to the day when our state will finally step up and make a meaningful investment in public transportation so all Alabamians can get where they need to go in a timely manner.
Alabama is one of only five states with no state funding for public transit. That lack of investment makes it harder for thousands of Alabamians, especially seniors and people with disabilities, to meet basic everyday needs like going to the doctor’s office or the grocery store. It also serves as a barrier to economic development, making it harder for people to get to work and costing our state tens of millions of dollars in federal matching funds every year.
This bill does not provide state funding, but it sets the stage for needed investment by creating a landing place for future appropriations to support and expand public transportation across Alabama.
HB224 is pending its third reading in the Senate, so there could be some movement on that bill this week.
HB408 was introduced on February 18th. You can read more in the table below, but essentially the bill would amend the Alabama Lead Reduction Act to add definitions, increase regulations relating to lead hazard reductions, increase the authority of the Department of Public Health to conduct lead inspections and enforce the act, and increase penalties for violations of the act.
HB422 was introduced on February 15th. This bill would provide the procedure for depositing of material from the dredging of the inlets of this state.
There is a hearing this week for SB273 on February 28th @ 2:00 pm.
| Bill No. | Sponsor | Summary | Committee | Status |
| HB5 | Hanes (R)
Whorton |
Amending Ala. Code 40-8-140: provide income tax refund check off to state parks, Dep’t of Mental Health and Medicaid | Ways & Means General Fund | · 2/20: passes House |
| HB40 | South (R) | Amend Ala. Code 32-9-20: extends length restrictions and allows greater weight restrictions for trucks using natural gas | Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure | · 2/15: pending third reading
· 2/8: moves to the Senate referred to committee (Transportation and Energy) · 2/8: passes in House |
| HB53 | Johnson ® | Repeal Ala. Code 22-30B-19: Abolish the Alabama Legacy for Environmental Research Trust Fund
COMPANION BILL SB 122 |
Ways & Means General Fund | · 2/8: moves to Senate and referred to committee (Finance and Taxation General Fund)
· 2/6: passes in House |
| HB58 | Drake (R) | Amend Ala. Code § 9-14-8: Create Park for Patriots Act of 2018. Adds in active, Alabama resident | Military & Veterans Affairs | · 2/22: enrolled in House
· 2/15: passes Senate · 1/25: read for the second time and placed on the calendar · 1/16: moves to the Senate, referred to committee (Veterans and Military Affairs) · 1/16: passes in House |
| HB78 | Johnson ® | Propose local amendment for Coosa County to additional payments from the Alabama
Trust Fund to the Forever Wild Land Trust to reimburse Coosa County for lost ad valorem tax payments as a result of the acquisition of property by the Forever Wild Land Trust. |
Local Legislation | · 1/25: third reading, carried over to Call of the Chair (voice vote adopted) |
| HB113 | Johnson (R) | Amend Ala. Code 22-25C-1 and 22-25C-2: requires bond paid to be used for clean up of facility and repeals provisions for fees
COMPANION BILL SB48 |
Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure | |
| HB217 | Morrow (D) | Amend Ala. Code 22-22A-6, to change the qualifications of that the Environmental Management Commission of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management so that a geologist may serve as a member of the commission. | Boards, Agencies and Commissions | |
| HB224 | South (R) | Notification to State Health Officer required when changes made to fluoride levels
COMPANTION BILL SB180 |
Health | · 2/8: moves to Senate and referred to committee (Health & Human Services)
· 2/8: passes House |
| HB362 | Tuggle ® | This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the Forever Wild Land Trust to annually reimburse the amount of ad valorem tax revenue lost as a result of property previously subject to ad valorem tax being acquired by the Forever Wild Land Trust, which monies shall be paid to the county tax official in each county where the property has been acquired and distributed as other ad valorem tax proceeds unless the county opts out. The amount of reimbursement would be the amount as if the property was taxed at current use value of the property as forest property with good productivity. The bill would also provide that if funding for the Forever Wild Land Trust is not continued after September 30, 2032, the Forever Wild Land Stewardship Account would receive up to $1,000,000 from the Alabama Trust Fund annually. | State Government | · 2/8: pending 3rd reading, state government introduced amendment |
| HB370 | Davis(R) | This bill would further provide for permits for shoreline restoration, including the use of living shoreline techniques, by riparian property owners in coastal areas. The bill would authorize riparian property owners to sever and use materials in their riparian rights use area and for the purposes of shoreline restoration without fee or charge by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or the Department of Environmental Management when the source sediment is used for the construction of living shorelines in front of a property owner’s r’parian property. | Agriculture and Forestry | |
| HB408 | Ingram (R) | Amend Ala. Code sections 22-37A-2, 22-37A-3, 22-37A-4, 22-37A-5, 22-37A-6, and 22-37A-7: This bill would amend the Alabama Lead Reduction Act to add definitions, increase regulations relating to lead hazard reductions, increase the authority of the Department of Public Health to conduct lead inspections and enforce the act, and increase penalties for violations of the act. | Health | · 2/18: introduced in House |
| HB422 | Sessions (R) | This bill would provide the procedure for
depositing of material from the dredging of the inlets of this state. |
Agriculture & Forestry | · 2/15: introduced in House |
| SB33 | Ward (R) | Amend Ala. Code 29-2-270 to 29-2-275: Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Energy Policy: this bill would revise the membership of the committee, delete the requirement that the committee complete the Alabama Energy Plan, limit the reporting of the committee, delete authorization for the committee to create and staff a Legislative Energy Policy Office, would authorize the committee to form advisory committees as needed. | Transportation & Energy | · 2/1: read for the second time and placed on the calendar
· 1/25: Moves to the House, read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure · 1/23: Passes Senate |
| SB48 | Pittman (R) | Amend Ala. Code 22-25C-1 and 22-25C-2: requires bond paid to be used for clean up of facility and repeals provisions for fees.
COMPANION BILL HB113 |
Finance and Taxation General Fund | · 1/23: moves to House (referred to committee on Ways & Means General Fund)
· 1/23: passes Senate |
| SB75 | Bussman (R) | ®er the Sunset Law, provides for the continuance of the Surface Mining Commission until October 1, 2022
SB 134 RELATED |
Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development | · 2/1: passes House, assigned Act No.. 2018-74
· 1/25: read for the second time and placed on the calendar · 1/18: moves to House (referred to committee on Boards, Agencies and Commissions) · 1/16: passes Senate |
| SB122 | Sanford (R) | Repeal Ala. Code 22-30B-19: Abolish the Alabama Legacy for Environmental Research Trust Fund
COMPANION BILL HB53 |
Finance and Taxation General Fund | · 2/15: pending third reading in the House
· 2/6: moves to the House and referred to committee (Ways & Means General Fund) · 2/6: passes Senate |
| SB134 | Bussman ® | Remove the Surface Mining Commission from the sunset review process
RELATED TO SB75 |
Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development | · 1/25: read for the second time and placed on the calendar
· 1/18: moves to House (referred to committee on Boards, Agencies and Commissions) · 1/16: Passes Senate |
| SB180 | Bussman ® | Notification to State Health Officer required when changes made to fluoride levels
COMPANION BILL TO HB224 |
Health and Human Services | · 2/1: moves to House and referred to committee (Health)
· 2/1: passes Senate |
| SB268 | Allen (R) | Amend Ala. Code 32-9-20: extends length restrictions and allows greater weight restrictions for trucks using natural gas
COMPANION BILL TO HB40 |
Transportation and Energy | |
| SB273 | Scofield (R) | Amend Ala. Code 22-22A-6, to change the qualifications of that the Environmental Management Commission of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management so that a geologist may serve as a member of the commission.
COMPANION BILL TO HB217 |
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry | |
| SB289 | Ward (R) | Amend Ala. Code 37-8-52 and 37-8-5-3: increase distance to 10 feet in which one can operate tools, machinery, or equipment, or move a building within [six feet] of a high voltage overhead conductor of electricity unless certain safeguards are in place. | Transportation and Energy | · 2/15: pending third reading in the Senate |
| Public Transportation | ||||
| HB10 | Williams (Jack) (R) | Alabama Public Transportation Act. Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund, established, ADECA required to administer trust fund; Public Transportation Trust Fund Advisory Committee, created. ADECA must adopt rules, make annual reports, conduct a public transportation needs assessment, enter into contracts, conduct audits and award grants. | Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure | |
| HB25 | Pringle (R) | Amend Ala. Code 23-1-21 and 23-1-21.2: establish a State Transportation Commission (and requirements and duties thereof) | Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure | |
| HB97 | Faulkner (R) | Would require transportation network companies to obtain a permit from the PSC, maintain an agent for service of process, implement a nondiscrimination
policy, implement a zero tolerance intoxicating substance policy, and maintain certain records, collect local assessment fee for each trip. COMPANION BILL TO SB65 |
Commerce and Small Business | |
| HB190 | Faulkner (R) | Transportation network companies, Public Service Commission permit required to operate, minimum requirements imposed | Commerce and Small Business | · 2/15: sent to the Governor (amendment offered)
· 2/8: pending third reading in the Senate and amendment offered · 1/30: moves to Senate · 1/30: amendments made by Coleman & Givan and co-sponsors (Garrett, Williams (JD), Fridy, Shiver, Faust, Ainsworth, Pettus, Mooney & Drake) and passes house |
| SB65 | Singleton (D) | Would require transportation network companies to obtain a permit from the PSC, maintain an agent for service of process, implement a nondiscrimination
policy, implement a zero tolerance intoxicating substance policy, and maintain certain records, collect local assessment fee for each trip. COMPANION BILL TO HB97 IDENTICAL TO SB143 |
Transportation and Energy | No movement on this bill since first read: but, SB143 is co-sponsored with Marsh and is identical |
| SB85 | Smitherman (D) | Creates the Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund
*isn’t noted but seems like companion bill to HB10 |
Transportation and Energy | · 2/20: passes House
· 2/1: read for the second time and placed on the calendar · 1/25: Moves to House, read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure · 1/25: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 148 |
| SB143 | Singleton (D) | Would require transportation network companies to obtain a permit from the PSC, maintain an agent for service of process, implement a nondiscrimination
policy, implement a zero tolerance intoxicating substance policy, and maintain certain records, collect local assessment fee for each trip. COMPANION BILL TO HB97 IDENTICAL TO SB65 |
Tourism and Marketing | · 1/25: Passes Senate with substitute by Singleton |
