HB71 Alabama 2010 Session

This bill would authorize the State Department of Transportation and county commissions to designate as “safety zones” sections of highways and roads where there have occurred a number of serious motor vehicle accidents in which excessive speed was a contributing factor. The bill would define serious motor vehicle accidents as accidents resulting in fatality or serious bodily injury, including pedestrians. Drivers convicted of excessive speed in a safety zone would be assessed an additional fine of $100 over and above the fine prescribed by law outside the safety zone

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment

Relating to the public highways; to authorize the Department of Transportation and county commissions to designate as safety zones sections of highways and roads where there have occurred a number of serious motor vehicle accidents in which excessive speed was a contributing factor; to provide for the assessment of an additional fine for speeding violations in these safety zones; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended.