HB153 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

H. Mac Gipson

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Ethics Code, Chapter 25 of Title 36, substantially revised and reorganized, Secs. 36-25-5, 36-25-11, 36-25-12, 36-25-14, 36-25-15, 36-25-16, 36-25-20, 36-25-21, 36-25-22, 36-25-23, 36-25-24, 36-25-25, 36-25-26, 36-25-31, 36-25-32, 36-25-40, 36-25-42, 36-25-43, 36-25-83 added; Secs. 36-25-1, 36-25-2 am'd.; Secs. 36-25-3, 36-25-4, 36-25-5, 36-25-6, 36-25-7, 36-25-9, 36-25-10, 36-25-11, 36-25-13, 36-25-14, 36-25-15, 36-25-16, 36-25-17, 36-25-18, 36-25-19, 36-25-20, 36-25-21, 36-25-22, 36-25-23, 36-25-24, 36-25-26, 36-25-27, 36-25-29, 36-25-30 amended and renumbered; Secs. 36-25-8, 36-25-28 repealed

Summary

HB153 would overhaul Alabama's ethics laws, create a State Ethics Commission with expanded powers, and impose new disclosure, lobbying, and gift rules along with electronic filing and stricter enforcement.

What This Bill Does

The bill substantially reorganizes Chapter 25 of Title 36 into nine articles, creates a five‑member State Ethics Commission with defined appointment and funding rules, and requires electronic filing and public Internet access to ethics filings. It expands lobbying regulation, mandates registration of lobbyists and quarterly reporting of all things of value and financial dealings with public officials, and requires broad financial disclosures by public officials and employees. It also strengthens complaint handling, investigations, subpoenas, penalties, and the roles of the Attorney General or district attorneys in enforcement.

Who It Affects

• Public officials and public employees would face new and expanded disclosure requirements, stricter conflict‑of‑interest rules, and new penalties for violations, including administrative penalties and possible criminal charges.
• Lobbyists and principals (their clients) would must register, pay a fee, file quarterly reports of expenditures and interactions with public officials, and disclose relationships and financial transactions related to government action.

Key Provisions

• Creation of a State Ethics Commission with five members, defined appointment process, guaranteed funding, a director and staff, and enhanced enforcement powers (investigations, subpoenas, hearings, and penalties).
• Comprehensive overhaul of ethics rules including electronic filing and public access to statements; mandatory lobbyist registration and quarterly reporting; mandatory financial and conflict‑of‑interest disclosures; strengthened gifts/meals/travel rules; and new reporting/penalties framework for violations.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Ethics Commission