First Special Session of the Alabama Legislature 2016

Bills Other than Gambling



Click a bill to see sponsor(s), summary (including link to full text), League action and justification for that action, and progress of the bill through the legislative process.

Legend:
thumbs_up_icon.jpg = LWVAL's support for the legislation.
thumbs_down_icon.jpg = LWVAL's opposition to the legislation.
green-right-arrow.jpg = new bill activity; change from previous week's report such as new progress in the legislature and/or League action. Bill may be one newly added to the report. These updates are in green font.

LWVAL has taken a position on these bills:

thumbs_up_icon.jpgHB40 - A proposed constitutional amendment - Governor, required to provide notice of an extraordinary session within specified time frame, exception for a state of emergency, const. amend.

Sponsor(s): Representatives Mooney, Williams (P), Crawford, Greer, Clouse, Moore (B), Weaver, Carns, Wingo, Beech, Knight, Standridge, Wadsworth, Fincher, Brown, Lindsey, Black, Ford, .Drake, Martin, Garrett, Lee, Whorton (R), Pringle, Boothe, Williams (JW), Johnson (K), Hammon, Ball, Polizos, Gaston, Warren, Faust, Henry, Collins, Scott, Daniels, Patterson, McCutcheon, Rowe, Hall, Shedd, Howard, England, Sells and Beckman

Summary/Synopsis: Under existing law, the Governor may convene an extraordinary session of the Legislature by proclamation. This bill proposes an amendment to Section 122 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to require the Governor to provide at least seven days' notice of the extraordinary session, including a specific declaration of each matter requiring action of the Legislature, and the bill provides an exception to the notice requirement for a state of emergency.


League Action and Justification: Support

LWVAL believes, “The Alabama Constitution should . . . provide a framework for government, broadly defining authorities, responsibilities, and relationships between branches. . . .” This amendment fits this expectation and has the potential to streamline legislative deliberations.

Bill Progress in Legislature:

08/15/2016: First Reading and referred to the House Committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections (CC&E).

08/16/2016: Read for the second time and placed on the calendar; Pending third reading on day 3 Favorable from CC&E

08/17/2016: Motion to Read a Third Time and lost in house of origin


thumbs_down_icon.jpgSB27 Constitutional Amendment - Term limits, members of Senate and House of Representatives limited to three consecutive full terms, const. amend. Constitutional Amendment

Sponsor(s): Senator Pittman

Summary/Synopsis: This proposed constitutional amendment would limit service in the Alabama House and/or Senate to three (3) consecutive full terms.


League Action and Justification: Oppose

LWVUS opposes term limits and has authorized state and local Leagues to use national positions to take action on term limits for state and local offices.

League Action and Justification:

08/15/2016: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).
LWVAL is monitoring these bills:

HB31 - A proposed constitutional amendment - Election, repealing maximum age limitation, prohibiting general law age restriction, const. amend.

Sponsor(s): Representative Gaston

Summary/Synopsis: Any provision of the constitution or other law that imposes a maximum age restriction for the appointment, election, or service of an appointed or elected official is repealed. The Legislature may not enact any law imposing a maximum age restriction for the appointment, election, or service of any appointed or elected official.


League Action and Justification: Monitor.

Bill Progress in Legislature:

08/16/2016: First Reading and referred to the House Committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections (CC&E); Read for the second time and placed on the calendar; Pending third reading on day 3 Favorable from CC&E

08/16/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd Read and Favorable from CC&E

08/17/2016: 3rd Reading Passed; Motion to Read a 3rd Time and Pass adopted by Roll Call

Senate:

08/17/2016: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).

08/18/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd and favorable from T&M

08/18/2016: Read for the second time and placed on the calendar 1 amendment (179368-2)

08/19/2016: Third Reading Carried Over to Call of the Chair; Tourism and Marketing Amendment Offered; Dial motion to Adopt adopted by Roll Call; Dial motion to Carry Over to the Call of the Chair adopted Voice Vote; Further Consideration.

[NOTE: Amendment would delete the judiciary from inclusion in the bill.]

08/23/2016: Third Reading Passed; Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call

0824/2016: Concurred in Second House Amendment; Signature Requested.


House Action

08/23/2016: Concurrence Requested; Gaston motion to Concur In and Adopt adopted Roll Call; Enrolled

08/24/2016: Assigned Act No. 2016-429; Clerk of the House Certification; Delivered to Secretary of State at 10:49 a.m. on August 24, 2016.

SB12 - Voter Registration lists, process to update current address information revised based on information supplied by United States Postal Service, Sec. 17-4-30 am'd.

Sponsor(s): Senator Ross

Summary/Synopsis: Rather than sending all voters a non-forwardable postcard and using the returns to determine who has moved and needs to be contacted. the board of registrars shall use the data base provided by the post office of change of address requests to make that determination.


League Action and Justification: Monitor. This should result in a financial savings, but that is not a League issue.

Bill Progress in Legislature:

08/15/2016: Read for the 1st time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).

08/17/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar; Pending 3rd Read and favorable from Tourism and Marketing

HB27/SB8 - Medicaid, prescription drugs, supplemental tax of 15 cents per prescription by Act 2015-537, refunds as tax credit against original prescription drug taxes due, Act 2015-537, 2015 Second Sp. Sess., repealed

Sponsor(s):
HB27: Representatives Beech, Harbison, Patterson, Standridge, Morrow, McCampbell, Knight, Ford, Brown, Black, Lindsey, Chesteen, Hammon, Hurst, Sessions, Williams (JW), Davis, South, Robinson, Henry and Whorton
SB8: Senator Beasley

Summary/Synopsis: This bill would formally repeal a "supplemental privilege tax" imposed last session on each prescription filled by a pharmaceutical service provider; furthermore it would provide refunds for taxes collected.

The federal regulatory body disallowed the tax so Alabama had to do something.


HB27 Note: The House substitute added a credit and was then amended in the House to read: “Beginning October 1, 2016 monthly credits shall be allowed to the pharmaceutical service providers that remitted the supplemental privilege tax until tax amounts are credited in full.”


SB8 Note: The substitutes modified the bill to state that the refund would be in the form of future tax credits.

League Action and Justification: League monitored this bill for information purposes.

Bill Progress in Legislature:

HB27:

House Action:
08/15/2016: Read for the first time and referred to the House committee on Ways and Means General Fund
08/16/2016: Read for the second time and placed on the calendar with 1 substitute and 1 amendment
08/17/2018: Third Reading Passed; Ways and Means General Fund first Substitute (179231-2) Offered; Motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call; Ways and Means General Fund Amendment (179243-2) Offered; Motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call; Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call; Cosponsors Added; Engrossed

Senate Action:
08/17/2016: Cosponsors Added; Read for the first time and referred to the Senate committee on Tourism and Marketing
08/18/2016: Read for the second time and placed on the calendar
08/19/2016: Third Reading Carried Over to Call of the Chair; Beasley motion to Carry Over to the Call of the Chair adopted by Voice Vote
08/23/2016: Third Reading Passed; Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted by Roll Call

House Action:
08/23/2016: Passed Second House; Enrolled
08/24/2016: Clerk of the House Certification; Assigned Act No. 2016-452; Delivered to Governor at 10:47 a.m., August 24, 2016.


SB8:

Senate Action:
08/15/2015: First reading and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).
08/16/2016: Read for the 2nd time and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd read and Favorable from T&M
08/17/2016: 3rd Reading Passed; Tourism and Marketing first Substitute (179239-2) Offered; Beasley motion to Table adopted Voice Vote; Beasley first Substitute (179239-3) Offered; Beasley motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call; Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted by Roll Call
08/18/2016: Engrossed

House Action:
08/18/2016: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund.

SB20 Constitutional Amendment - Medicaid, funding through General Fund, additional 5 mill statewide levy in ad valorem tax distributed for Medicaid purposes, const. amend.

Sponsor(s): Senators Figures, Beasley, Smitherman, Ross, Dunn, Coleman-Madison and Pittman

Summary/Synopsis: This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to increase the ad valorem tax for Medicaid funding.


League Action and Justification: Monitor.
The bill is stuck in committee and probably dead. While this bill represents earmarking (which League opposes), we agree that property taxes are the fairest way to fund essential state services.

Bill Progress in Legislature:

05/15/2016: First Reading and Referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).

SB33 - Medicaid, funding through General Fund, additional 5 mill statewide levy in ad valorem tax distributed for Medicaid purposes, const. amend.

Sponsor(s): Senators Coleman-Madison, Dunn, Singleton, Figures, Pittman, Smitherman, Beasley and Ross

Summary/Synopsis: Like SB 20, proposes a constitutional amendment to increase the property tax to fund state services. It would add only 4 mills of additional tax (as opposed to SB20's 5 mills). These additional funds would be spent (3 mills) on Medicaid and 1 mill to fund public transit. Like SB20, SB33 is stuck in committee and moribund.


League Action and Justification: Monitor
The bill is stuck in committee and probably dead. While this bill represents earmarking (which League opposes), we agree that property taxes are the fairest way to fund essential state services.

Bill Progress in Legislature:

05/15/2016: First Reading and Referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).

HB9 / SB21 - Education budget, other current expense funds, redirection allowed by local bds of ed if local budget nutrition program funds protected, Act 2016-199, 2016 Reg. Sess., am'd.

HB9
Sponsor(s): Representative Chesteen

SB21
Sponsor(s): Senator Whatley

Summary Synopsis: This bill would amend the Education Budget Act for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, to authorize the State Superintendent of Education to approve the redirecting of certain other current expense funds by a local board of education if the redirection maintains at least a two-month operating reserve in the local child nutrition program


League Action and Justification: Monitoring

Bill Progress in Legislature:

HB9
08/15/2016: First Reading and referred to the House committee on Ways and Means Education (W&ME)

SB21
08/15/2016: First Reading and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).


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