2025 Alabama Legislative Update: Regular Session - Week Five

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Back The Blue Act

This week, the Alabama House of Representatives passed the Back the Blue Protection Act, sponsored by Representative Rex Reynolds and Senator Lance Bell, which aims to expand legal immunity for law enforcement officers. The bill makes it more challenging to prosecute officers for actions within the scope of their duties. The legislation includes provisions to protect officers from civil liability or prosecution unless their actions are deemed reckless or violate a victim’s constitutional rights.

Representative Reynolds, a former Huntsville police chief, stated that the bill would establish higher legal standards to bring criminal charges or lawsuits against officers and facilitate the early dismissal of charges if an officer is found to have acted within their discretionary authority. However, the bill faced opposition from some members on the House floor who expressed concerns that it could reduce accountability and create a perception that officers are above the law. Democrats pushed back on this legislation during debate, arguing that lowering standards and decreasing accountability is not beneficial for the community.

The bill passed the House with a vote count of 73-29 and will now move to the Senate for further consideration.

Religious Released Time

This week, the Alabama House Education Policy Committee held a public hearing on a bill, sponsored by Representative Susan DuBose, which requires local school boards to implement policies allowing students to attend off-campus religious instruction and receive credit for qualifying courses. This legislation ensures that students have the opportunity to enrich their education through religious studies, which can foster moral development and community engagement.

Currently, Alabama law permits, but does not require, school boards to implement policies offering released time instruction and credit for qualifying courses. This bill, however, would make it mandatory for local school boards to establish such policies. While the legislation mandates the implementation, it still allows local school boards to tailor the released time policy to fit their district’s unique needs, ensuring flexibility and local control. This approach promotes educational diversity and student choice. The curriculum for the required elective credit must meet the standards set by the State Board of Education for elective credit to be awarded. Additionally, the credits received cannot exceed the normal credit awarded for an elective course in the particular school system.

Representatives from the Alabama Association of School Boards and the School Superintendents of Alabama opposed the bill, arguing for local control and claiming this legislation is “government overreach.” However, critics emphasize their resistance is more about maintaining power than prioritizing the best interests of students and parents. The bill's proponents argue that it centers on parental rights, aiming to ensure consistency and provide students with valuable educational opportunities. One mother, whose child was denied participation in a released time program, shared her frustration during the public hearing: "It's disheartening to see my child miss out on something that other students in different districts can enjoy. This bill would level the playing field and give all students the same opportunities."

Currently, twelve Alabama school districts use these programs, with several others under development. A landmark Supreme Court ruling deems released time programs constitutional if guardians consent, no public funds are used, public school employees do not provide instruction, and private sponsors assume liability. Tennessee and Florida have similar mandatory policies, demonstrating the feasibility and success of these programs in neighboring states. Released time programs have strong support from Alabama parents, with over 4,000 signatures in favor. An identical companion bill has been filed by Senator Shay Shelnutt in the Senate. The House Education Policy Committee will vote on the legislation in their next meeting. 

Department of Veterans Affairs Board

This week, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill, sponsored by Senator Andrew Jones and Representative Ed Oliver, to reshape the Alabama Board of Veteran Affairs. The legislation, backed by Governor Kay Ivey, would maintain the existing board structure and selection process while elevating the ADVA Commissioner to a cabinet-level position, granting the governor the authority to hire and fire the Commissioner. 

Proponents of the bill argue that this restructuring will streamline operations and improve oversight of veteran services in Alabama. Representative Ed Oliver, who carried the bill in the House, emphasized that the three historical organizations that formed the ADVA have endorsed the legislation. However, critics argue that the bill centralizes too much power in the governor's office. 

The bill passed the House with a vote of 56-39 and has been sent to Governor Ivey for her signature.

Parental Leave

This week, the Alabama K-12 Public School and State Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025, sponsored by Senator Vivian Figures and Representative Ginny Shaver, passed the Senate. The bill proposes eight weeks of paid parental leave for female state employees and teachers and two weeks for male employees for the birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage of a child. The leave also applies to the adoption of children aged three or younger.

The bill passed the Senate with a vote count of 28-3 and has now moved to the House, where it will be considered for further action. Governor Kay Ivey has championed this bill, emphasizing its importance in supporting Alabama families and helping to recruit and retain highly talented public school teachers and state employees.

However, this legislation will likely not move until questions regarding the financial impact of the legislation are addressed. House Ways and Means Education Committee Chairman Garrett expressed concerns over the lack of a detailed fiscal note, stating, "The concern I have … we don’t have a good fiscal note." He mentioned that he has asked Governor Ivey's office for additional information about the cost and hopes to have it in the near future. 

Glock Switches

This Thursday, the House passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Will Barfoot and Representative Phillip Ensler, which bans handgun conversion devices, known as "Glock switches.” These devices convert semi-automatic handguns into automatic weapons. The bill classifies possession of these devices as a state Class C felony. It is important to note that Glock switches are already banned under federal law, but this legislation gives state and local officials better ability to enforce this ban.  

Proponents argue that this legislation is crucial for reducing gun violence and protecting communities. They further emphasize that this bill has bipartisan support and aims to provide local law enforcement with the tools to arrest and prosecute individuals possessing these lethal devices. The push for the ban follows a violent 2024 in the state, including a mass shooting in the Five Points area in Birmingham, where a Glock switch was used. 

The bill now returns to the Senate for approval of House amendments before heading to Governor Kay Ivey, who has expressed strong support.

International Wire Transfer

This week, legislation, sponsored by Representative Jennifer Fidler, related to wire transfers was carried over in committee this week after some discussion. The bill would impose a 4% fee on international money wire transfers originating from Alabama. This fee would not apply when the money debited is from an account held by the requester at a banking institution or credit union authorized to do business in the state or any business entity authorized by law to operate in the state other than a money transmission business. Representative Fidler also clarified that people facilitating debit and credit card transactions would not be subject to this fee.

The legislation aims to generate revenue to support county sheriffs and fund English language learner programs in public schools. Additionally, Alabama residents would be eligible for a tax credit to offset the transfer fees. Conservative estimates indicate that this legislation would annually generate well over twelve million dollars in fees for the state.

Since the bill was carried over in committee, it will be voted on in another meeting after further discussion.

Workforce Transparency Act

This Thursday, the Workforce Transparency Act, sponsored by Representative Ben Robbins, passed the House with no debate. This legislation is aimed at creating greater transparency and accountability in the employment of temporary foreign workers in Alabama and recouping funds for the use of public benefits in Alabama by non-U.S. citizens. 

Specifically, this legislation regulates “labor brokers,” a new legal term discussed in the following paragraph, and mandates the reporting of specific information to the Department of Workforce. It also creates a framework for the state to be reimbursed for public benefits used by non-U.S. citizens authorized to be in the U.S. Additionally, the bill updates existing code regarding new hire reporting to now require the inclusion of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) numbers for non-U.S. citizens authorized to be in the U.S., whereas currently only Social Security numbers are included in the reporting. The legislation also establishes several enforcement mechanisms, including fines, loss of economic incentives, and criminal penalties.

The bill narrowly defines key terms crucial for understanding its function. It specifies that a "labor broker" is any person or entity that recruits or hires six or more foreign workers within certain temporary immigration categories, such as asylum status, parole status, or humanitarian grounds, within a calendar year to supply to a third-party client for job placement in the state. Bona fide employment services providers, such as temporary staffing agencies and licensed employment agencies, are excluded from this definition if they satisfy certain criteria. A “third-party client” is defined as any entity that contracts with or compensates a labor broker to obtain specific categories of temporary foreign workers for job placement.

This legislation passed the House 86-0 and has been sent to the Senate for further consideration.

Status of the Legislature

The legislature used three working days this week, bringing its current total to 13 of its allotted 30 legislative working days. 

As of March 7, 421 bills have been filed in the House, and 231 bills have been filed in the Senate.

The legislature will not convene next week. The House will reconvene on Tuesday, March 18, at 1:00 PM, and the Senate will reconvene on the same day at 2:00 PM. Upon return, the legislature will likely use two legislative working days.