HB50 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

H. Mac Gipson

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Inmates, assigned to operate a motor vehicle on public roads or streets included within basic liability coverage for state employees, Sec. 36-1-6.1 am'd.; Act 2009-748, 2009 Reg. Sess. am'd.

Summary

HB50 would add inmates operating state vehicles to the basic state liability coverage, extending the same protections already available to state employees and related groups.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the bill expands the basic liability coverage to include inmates who are assigned to operate motor vehicles on public roads or streets. It sets up how the coverage would be determined and funded (Finance Director with advice from the Insurance Commissioner and Attorney General, competitive bids, possible self-insurance, and cost sharing among departments) and clarifies how lawsuits would be handled. It also specifies that some groups (retired physicians/dentists serving at free clinics and foster parents/providers) are included in the coverage under the same framework, and it excludes educational institutions from these provisions; it outlines qualifications, caps, and funding rules related to the coverage.

Who It Affects

• Inmates assigned to operate a motor vehicle on public roads or streets will now be covered by the state's basic liability coverage for deaths, injuries, or damages arising from negligent or wrongful acts in the course of their duties.
• State departments, agencies, boards, and commissions (and the groups already included in the policy, such as retired physicians/dentists serving at free clinics and foster parents/providers) will administer and fund the coverage under the proposed framework, with costs allocated to the appropriate departments and governed by policy rules.

Key Provisions

• Adds inmates operating motor vehicles on public roads to the basic liability coverage for deaths, injuries, or damages caused by negligent or wrongful acts of state employees or agents.
• The Finance Director, with input from the Insurance Commissioner and Attorney General, will determine the blanket policy; it must be chosen by competitive bid and run for an initial period (with annual reviews).
• The state may self-insure all or part of the coverage under terms set by the Finance Director; funds paid into a special trust may be carried over between years.
• In lawsuits, plaintiffs must serve the Alabama Attorney General with a copy of the suit against state employees, inmates operating vehicles, or other covered individuals acting within the scope of their official duties.
• Costs of the liability insurance or self-insurance are paid from funds appropriated to operating state departments and can be apportioned by the Finance Director among departments to cover risk.
• The provisions do not apply to educational institutions or boards.
• The State Board of Health may establish qualifications for retired physicians/dentists to participate in the coverage and set maximum numbers and funding limits for premiums.
• Section 2 states these provisions do not affect the Volunteer Medical Professional Act; Section 3 sets the effective date as the first day of the third month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Liability Insurance