Andrew Jones

Medicaid; establishing coverage parity between opioid and nonopioid pain medications.

State Auditor; powers and duties revised; Division of Investigations created

Drug courts; name changed to "accountability courts," eligibility expanded to include veterans and individuals with mental illness, duties of Administrative Office of Courts further provided for

Financial Institutions and Insurers; using social credit score to discriminate prohibited; violations of insurers an unfair trade practice; fines, penalties and remedies authorized

Cherokee County, off-road vehicle parks, provide for the permitting, inspection, operation, and to provide fines for violations

Etowah County, fiduciary responsibility for Mega Sports Complex Authority immediately transferred to the City of Rainbow City and upon full payment of outstanding debts, assets of authority transferred to Rainbow City

Veterans Affairs, board membership revised, appointment and duties of commissioner provided for

Local emergency management organizations; mutual aid agreements with other public and private agencies

Public Investments; to prohibit Board of Control of ERSA and TRSA from investing with restricted entities affiliated with Communist Chinese military companies

Alabama Veterans Resource Center, center and board created to assist veterans and families transition to civilian life; duties and powers of board provided

Income tax; certain compensation of civilian employees of Armed Forces, exempt

Pharmacy Benefits Managers; providing additional regulation of practices

Commending Taiwan for its relations with the U.S. and State of Alabama

Veterans, to establish and operate a statewide integrated health care system dedicated to Alabama veterans and their immediate family members

Expungement , to provide that a person adjudged youthful offender for a misdemeanor offense, violation, traffic violation, or municipal ordinance violation may file a petition to have records expunged.

Public K-12 schools, to prohibit certain actions toward military children and membership in athletic associations that do the same

National guard and reserve; state income tax exemption

Public Investments; to prohibit Board of Control of ERSA and TRSA from investing with restricted entities affiliated with Communist Chinese military companies

ATV parks, provides for permitting, inspection, operation, and fines for violations

Cherokee County, constitutional amendment, authorizes legislature to fix court costs by local law

Etowah County, constitutional amendment, authorizes legislature to fix court costs by local law

Etowah County, provides for service of process

State Auditor; powers and duties revised; Division of Investigations created

Cherokee County, provides for permitting, inspection, operation, and fines for ATV parks

Cherokee County, provides for permitting, inspection, operation, and fines for ATV parks

Chris Dendy, death mourned

Relating to Emergency Management; to amend Section 31-9-10, Code of Alabama 1975, to provide contract letting requirements for local emergency management organizations; to amend Section 31-9-60, Code of Alabama 1975, to increase supplemental funding for assistance to local emergency management organizations; to amend 31-9-61, Code of Alabama 1975, to establish standards for course work for local emergency management director certification; to amend Section 31-9-62, Code of Alabama 1975, to change salary supplements for local emergency management directors and revise local emergency management organization eligibility for federal funds; and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style.

Relating to sales taxes; to amend Section 40-23-1, as last amended by Acts 2022-199 and 2022-291, 2022 Regular Session, Code of Alabama 1975, Section 40-23-2, as last amended by Act 2022-346, 2022 Regular Session, Code of Alabama 1975, Section 40-23-60, as last amended by Act 2022-199, 2022 Regular Session, Code of Alabama 1975, and Section 40-23-61, Code of Alabama 1975; to define "food" and begin phasing-out the state sales and use tax on food on September 1, 2023; to require certain growth targets in the Education Trust Fund for future sales tax reductions on food; to establish the sales and use tax rate on food for purposes of county and municipal sales and use taxes as the existing general or retail sales and use tax rate; and to authorize a county and municipality to reduce the sales and use tax rate or exempt food from local sales and use taxes.

Relating to water utilities; to amend Act 2022-378 of the 2022 Regular Session, now appearing as Section 41-5A-12.2 of the Code of Alabama 1975, relating to certain nonprofit corporations providing water service and providing a one-time audit by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, to specify that the law applies to nonprofit corporations providing water service to its members or the public; and to authorize the department to conduct an additional one-time audit of a nonprofit corporation if the department suspects fraud or mismanagement of funds.

Relating to Cherokee County; to authorize the Cherokee County Commission to levy and provide for the collection of an additional vehicle license and registration fee on each vehicle license and registration, transfer, or renewal of any vehicle in the county; and to provide for distribution of the proceeds from the fees to the sheriff and the district attorney.

Relating to wine and mead; to amend Section 28-3A-20.4, Code of Alabama 1975, to provide that a nonprofit organization may be issued a license to host a wine festival; to further provide for the application process and conditions of licensure to host or participate in a wine festival; and to further provide for the collection and remittance of taxes due on the sale of wine at a wine festival; to amend Section 28-6A-2, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for wine manufacturer licensees located in dry counties by allowing such manufacturers to transport and sell wine to retailers under certain limits and to specify that such licensees may host or participate in wine festivals; to amend Section 28-7-10.1, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for small farm wineries by permitting such wineries to produce mead; and to amend Section 28-7-16, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for the excise tax rate for mead.

Relating to outdoor recreation; to provide for the development of a strategic trail network; to provide for grants for qualified donations of donated property; to create the Sweet Trails Alabama Project Fund and the Sweet Trails Alabama Acquisition Fund and provide for the use of monies in the funds; and to further provide for the liability of property owners for recreational use of certain property and abutting property.

Relating to municipal occupational license taxes; to add Section 11-51-91.1 to the Code of Alabama 1975, to reduce any municipal occupational license tax greater than one percent based on an annual reduction in the tax until the tax would be one percent; to provide that any occupational license tax levied by any municipality would not apply to any person performing an occupation in the police jurisdiction of the municipality or on any property annexed into the municipality after January 1, 2023; to provide for a referendum under certain conditions in certain counties in which two or more municipalities levied an occupational tax greater than one percent on January 1, 2023; to prohibit a municipality from levying a new occupational license tax or increasing the rate of any existing municipal occupational license tax; to provide for certain exceptions from any occupational taxes for certain temporary workers and for severance pay; to specify the power of a municipality pursuant to Section 11-51-90 of the Code of Alabama 1975, to license an exhibition, trade, business, vocation, occupation, or profession only within the corporate limits and jurisdiction of the municipality, to further provide for refunds and collections of the license fees and taxes, and to provide that these provisions are retroactive and declaratory of existing law.

Relating to the Retirement Systems of Alabama; to amend Section 36-27-59, Code of Alabama 1975, to remove the time limit for purchasing hazardous duty time for prior eligible service for certain firefighters, law enforcement officers, and correctional officers covered under the Employees' Retirement System or the Teachers' Retirement System as Tier I plan members.

Relating to Etowah County; to provide that the director and employees of The Etowah County Punishment and Corrections Authority have arrest powers and may make arrests in certain circumstances.

Cherokee Co., service of process fee, charged for service of documents by sheriff

Etowah Co., constable, office abolished

Optometric Scholarship Awards Board, meetings conducted remotely, scholarship program expanded to include loans and revise program parameters, Secs. 34-22-60 to 34-22-65, inclusive, am'd.

Campaign Finance, candidates, failure to timely file statement of appointing committee, forfeits qualification to run, Sec. 17-5-4 am'd.

Adoption, family leave, to require certain employers to provide certain amounts of family leave to employees who adopt children, and to require employers who provide maternity benefits to female employees to offer equivalent benefits to adoptive parents, Secs. 16-25-11.12, 36-26-35.2, 36-26-36.2 am'd.

Alcoholic beverages, wine festival licensure, further provided, collection and reporting of taxes, further provided, Sec. 28-3A-20.4 am'd.

Legislature, courts, civil procedure, authority of members of Legislature to intervene in certain legal actions, provided

Etowah County, Mega Sports Complex Authority, membership, distribution, treatment of debt, and rountine audits provided further, Secs. 45-28-220.03, 45-28-243.02 am'd.

Water utilities, nonprofit corps, not organized under Title 11, Code of Alabama 1975, audit by Examiners of Public Accounts under certain conditions

Etowah Co., board of registrars, working days increased, Sec. 17-3-8 am'd.

Collectible items, sports memorabilia, art, etc., represented as authentic, recovery of purchase price if not authentic, civil actions, damages

State Auditor, Office abolished, duties and responsibilities transferred to State Treasurer, const. amend.

Sales and use tax on food, exemption established, income tax deduction, deduction based on federal income tax paid, limit established, const. amend.

Municipalities, occupational tax, phased out not to apply in police jurisidiction, new taxes prohibited, Sec. 11-51-91.1 added.

Professional counseling, Counseling Compact, licensed professional counselors authorized to practice on a limited basis among compact member states

Occupational Tax Interim Study Commission, created

Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, established to authorize licensed psychologists to practice on a limited basis among compact member states

Etowah County, require animal byproduct processing facilities to compensate property owners for devaluation, tipping fees authorized, removal of abandoned facilities

Law enforcement officers, requiring officers to have not less than 16 hours of crisis intervention training

Competitive bids by co. and city bds of ed and gov't entities, exclusion for purchases through cooperative purchasing agreements to include leases and lease/purchase agreements, Secs. 16-13B-2, 41-16-51 am'd.

Teachers, St. Board of Education, authorized to issue alternative teaching certificates to qualified former members of Armed Forces, Sec. 16-23-3 am'd.

Wine festivals authorized, licensed by ABC Board, allow tastings and sale of wine, Sec. 28-3A-20.3 added.

Etowah Co., beer tax, distrib, to local boards of education further specified, Sec. 45-28-20 am'd.

Water utilities, nonprofit corps.not organized under Title 11, Code of Alabama 1975, audit by Examiners of Public Accounts

Utility gross receipts tax, Floyd Cherokee Medical Center LLC in Centre exempt, Sec. 40-21-82.1 am'd.

Etowah Co., board of registrars, working days increased, Sec. 17-3-8 am'd.

Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board, transferred to new chapter, definitions revised, registration of a principal master for one entity at a time, continuing education and emergency certificates authorized, Secs. 34-37A-1 to 34-37A-19, inclusive, added; Secs. 34-37-1 to 34-37-18, inclusive, repealed

Etowah Co., business license tax, farmers and timber growers exempt, Sec. 45-28-200 am'd.

Large animals, sale, possession, transfer, and breeding of large wild cats, great apes, wolves, and non-native bears prohibited , except under certain conditions, criminal penalties established

Cherokee County, revenue commissioner and sheriff, salary, continuing annual training for sheriff

Etowah Co., prohibit commencement of operations at certain animal byproduct processing facilities near municipal limits after January 1, 2021.

Etowah County, municipalities, occupational taxes, phased out, advantage economic development sites, employees in police jurisdiction or annexed, exempt, new occupational taxes or increased taxes, prohibited, const. amend.

Motor vehicle dealers and motorcycle dealer, used vehicle license plates, combined total increased, Sec. 40-12-264 am'd.

Small farm wineries, authorize to sell to consumers or distribute to retailers

Collectible items, sports memorabilia, art, etc., represented as authentic, recovery of purchase price if not authentic, civil actions, damages

Family leave and adoption, reduce period for relinquishment of parental rights for child placed for adoption from five days to four days, provisions for family leave time for adoptive parents and biological parents to care for child in certain cases, Secs. 16-25-11.12, 26-10A-13, 36-26-35.2, 36-26-36.2 am'd.

Etowah Co., ad valorem tax, county portion, county commission authorized to impose late payment penalty, distribution to county commission and revenue commissioner

Alcoholic beverages, winery in dry county, Alcoholic Beverage Board authorized to issue manufacturer license, distribution only to distributor or out-of-state, Sec. 28-7A-10.1 add; Sec. 28-3A-3 am'd.

Psychology Professional Wellness Committee, established within Psychology Examiners board to provide intervention services to impaired licensed professionals, duties, immunity provided, Sec. 34-26-4 added

Scrap Recyclers Association of Alabama, Alabama Recycling Coalition, and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, commended

Etowah County, lodging tax, distribution to the Etowah County Tourism Board, Sec. 45-28-91.02 am'd.

Etowah County, Mega Sports Complex Authority, membership, distribution, treatment of debt, and rountine audits provided further, Sec. 45-28-22.03 am'd.

Mental health, schools, community mental health counselor, established, St. Bd of Edu., Bd of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System, and Alabama Commission on Higher Education required to adopt rules pertaining to qualifications for individual wishing to be a community mental health counselor

Family leave and adoption, reduce period for relinquishment of parental rights for child placed for adoption from five days to four days, provisions for family leave time for adoptive parents and biological parents to care for child in certain cases, Secs. 16-25-11.12, 26-10A-13, 36-26-35.2, 36-26-36.2 am'd.

Income tax deduction, deduction based on federal income tax paid, limit established, const. amend.

Municipal occupational taxes, prohibited if not already in effect unless authorized by local law

Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, established to authorize licensed psychologists to practice on a limited basis among compact member states

Competitive bids by co. and city bds of ed and gov't entities, exclusion for purchases through cooperative purchasing agreements to include leases and lease/purchase agreements, Secs. 16-13B-2, 41-16-51 am'd.

Utility gross receipts tax, Floyd Cherokee Medical Center LLC in Centre exempt, Sec. 40-21-82.1 am'd.

Child care, allows child care facilities that operate during both daytime and nighttime hours to enroll a child for up to 14 hours of care per 24 hour period, Sec. 38-7-22 added

Juvenile dependency, priorities for existing caregivers and foster parents when placing children adjudicated dependent into permanent living arrangements, Sec. 12-15-314 am'd.

Public utilities, broadband providers, required to report coverage area to Alabama Dept. of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA)

Law enforcement officers, Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) provide mandatory crisis intervention training (CIT), provide continuing education

State Auditor, Office abolished, duties and responsibilities transfered to Examiners of Public Accounts Department, const. amend.

Water utility, nonprofit corps., rates approved by Public Service Commission, audit by Dept. of Examiners of Public Accounts

Municipalities, occupational taxes, certain econ. development sites annexed into mun. or in police jurisdiction, employees exempt from tax, muns. prohibited from levying or increasing occupational taxes, Sec. 11-51-91.1 added.

Opioids, boards certifying prescribing, opiate risk education required

Wine festivals authorized, licensed by ABC Board, allow tastings and sale of wine, Sec. 28-3A-20.3 added.

Teachers, St. Board of Education, authorized to issue alternative teaching certificates to qualified former members of Armed Forces, Sec. 16-23-3 am'd.

Small farm wineries, authorize to sell to consumers or distribute to retailers

Etowah Co., constable, office abolished

Age of majority, members of Armed Forces, may open checking or savings account, Sec. 26-1-5 am'd.

Etowah Co., office of Sheriff, nonexempt employees, under authority of co. personnel bd., Amendment 899 (Section 7.50, Local Amendments, Etowah County, Recompiled Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended) am'd., const. amend.

Wine and beer festivals authorized, licensed by ABC Board, allow retail sale of wine and beer by manufacturers, Sec. 28-3A-20.3 added.

Etowah Co., sheriff, feeding of prisoners further provided for, and for exoense allowance for sheriff, Prisoner Food Fund established, const. amend.

Alcoholic beverages, wine, direct shipment to consumer, authorized under certain conditions, wine direct shipper license required by Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, penalties, Sec. 28-3A-6.1 added; Sec. 28-1-4 am'd.

Etowah Co., coroner, expense allowance and salary, appointment of a deputy coroner, Act 2000-651, 2000 Reg. Sess, repealed; Sec. 45-28-60 repealed

Etowah Co., constable, office abolished

Etowah Co., Personnel Board of Office of Sheriff, abolished, effective upon ratification of const. amend., placing employees under county personnel bd., Secs. 45-28-234 to 45-28-234.18, inclusive, repealed

Etowah Co., sheriff, co. commission, provide add'l expense allowance

Etowah Co., co. commission, add'l powers to levy local taxes and abate nuisances, referendums authorized

Etowah Co., levy lodging tax,, rentals or services excluded, Etowah County Mega Sports Complex/Little Canoe Creek Megasite Promotion Act

Etowah Co., tourism board, membership revised and board to perform studies relating to and provide, if feasible, for mega sports complex, Etowah Co. Mega Sports Complex Authority repealed, Sec. 45-28-91.06 added; Sec. 45-28-220.03 repealed; Secs. 45-28-91.01, 45-28-91.02, 45-28-91.05, 45-28-243.02, 45-28-244.01 am'd.

Cherokee Co., coroner, expense allowance and salary, appointment of a deputy coroner, repeal of certain prior acts

Opiods, boards certifying prescribing, opiate risk education required

Telemarketers and telephone solicitations, knowing display of misleading caller identification information prohibited, Sec. 8-19C-2.1 added; Secs. 8-19A-3, 8-19A-20, 8-19C-2, 8-19C-3, 8-19C-5, 8-19C-6, 8-19C-7, 8-19C-11 am'd.