HB752 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cam Ward

Republican

Co-Sponsor

Mike Hill

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Court costs in criminal cases, additional in municipal, district, and circuit courts, distrib., appropriation, Sec. 12-19-182 added; Sec. 36-18-32 am'd.; Act 2009-768, 2009 Reg. Sess. am'd.

Summary

HB752 would create a new court cost in certain Alabama criminal cases and direct the money to a new Alabama DNA Database Fund and a Citizenship Trust, replacing part of a previous law.

What This Bill Does

The bill repeals the specific criminal court cost language in Act 2009-768 and replaces it with a new code section that continues to charge an extra fee in municipal, district, and circuit criminal cases (and related proceedings). It sets up distributions of these fees to the Alabama DNA Database Fund and the Citizenship Trust, with yearly allocation amounts beginning in fiscal years 2010–2012. It also amends existing law to establish the Alabama DNA Database Fund, authorize appropriations for the DNA program, and specify how the funds are managed and spent, including money for citizenship education and the Mathews Center. Additional fee structures are described for civil and criminal cases, and there is no extra charge for parking tickets or small claims by virtue of these changes. The act becomes effective immediately after approval.

Who It Affects

• People involved in municipal, district, or circuit court criminal cases (including bond forfeiture proceedings and alias/capias warrants) who would pay a new $10 fee and possibly additional $2 or $12 fees for certain actions, with the money allocated to the new funds.
• recipients and state agencies affected by the new funding streams (Alabama DNA Database Fund, Citizenship Trust, Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Mathews Center for Civic Life) who will receive appropriations and manage or use the funds.

Key Provisions

• Section 12-19-182 added: an additional $10 fee in municipal/district/circuit court criminal cases, bond forfeiture proceedings, and alias/capias warrants, collected by the court clerk and remitted to two funds (DNA Database Fund and Citizenship Trust) with specified yearly amounts for FY2010, FY2011, and FY2012+.
• Distributions: amounts allocated from the $10 fee to the Alabama DNA Database Fund and the Citizenship Trust are $5/$5 (or adjusted amounts) for FY2010, FY2011, and FY2012+ respectively, and there is no additional fee for parking tickets.
• Section 2 appropriations: funds deposited to the Alabama DNA Database Fund from the new act to support the Department of Forensic Sciences' DNA-related costs for FY2010, with costs for sample collection covered by the appropriation.
• Section 3 appropriations: funds remitted to the Citizenship Trust to promote good citizenship education, including support for the Mathews Center for Civic Life, with annual appropriation terms outlined.
• Section 4 amendments to §36-18-32: creates the Alabama DNA Database Fund under the Department of Forensic Sciences, outlines fund management and expenditure, and specifies two separate fees (a $2 civil fee and a $12 criminal fee) that are remitted to the two funds with yearly amounts (FY2009–FY2010, FY2011, FY2012+). It also states no additional fees for parking tickets or small claims.
• Section 5: Effective immediately upon passage and approval.

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

Subjects

Court Costs