SB4 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ben H. Brooks

Republican

Co-Sponsor

Trip Pittman

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36-25-22, 36-25-23, 36-25-24, 36-25-26, 36-25-27, 36-25-29, 36-25-30 amended and renumbered; Secs. 36-25-8, 36-25-28 repealed (2009-21167)

Summary

SB4 would overhaul Alabama's ethics laws by creating a State Ethics Commission, expanding disclosures and lobbying rules, and tightening gifts, conflicts of interest, and penalties.

What This Bill Does

It reorganizes ethics law into nine articles covering general provisions, the State Ethics Commission, complaints/investigations, misuse of official position, gifts/meals/travel, conflicting financial interests, financial disclosures, lobbying, and violations/penalties. It creates a five-member State Ethics Commission with appointed leadership, guaranteed funding, and a public online filing system for disclosures. It establishes new complaint and investigation procedures (including a director, investigators, subpoenas, and a three-judge hearing panel) and expands rules on gifts, meals, travel, and conflicts of interest, including stricter disclosure and post-employment restrictions. It also broadens financial disclosure requirements for many public officials and employees, sets reporting thresholds and categories, and strengthens penalties, enforcement, and public access to records, with an effective date of July 1, 2010.

Who It Affects

• Public officials and public employees at the state, county, and municipal levels (including candidates and their spouses/households) who would face expanded disclosures, stricter conflict-of-interest rules, and new limits on gifts and interactions with lobbyists.
• Lobbyists, principals (employers of lobbyists), and entities that do business with or seek to influence the government, who would must register, file regular reports, disclose client details and financial transactions, and be subject to penalties for violations.

Key Provisions

• Creation of a State Ethics Commission with five members, appointment process, defined terms, chair/vice-chair, compensation, and required minimum annual funding; establishment of its authority to enforce the ethics code.
• Electronic filing and Internet public access to all required statements, reports, notices, and filings; a public, searchable database of disclosures; and mandated quarterly reporting by lobbyists of all things of value and financial transactions with public officials and their households.
• New or expanded rules on gifts, meals, travel, and other things of value, including specific limits, reporting requirements, and protections for relatives and household members; bans on gifts from prohibited sources and requirements to report gifts and hospitality received.
• Comprehensive financial disclosures (statements of economic interests) for a broad set of public officials and employees, with detailed categories for income, assets, liabilities, business relationships, and contracts related to public funds; annual filing deadlines and public access.
• Conflicting financial interests provisions restricting service on certain boards/authorities, post-employment lobbying restrictions (including cooling-off periods), and rules limiting use of position for personal gain; penalties for violations of conflict-of-interest provisions.
• Procedures for complaints and investigations, including initial review, formal investigations, hearings by a panel of three judges, and referrals to district attorneys or the Attorney General; penalties (administrative fines, criminal charges, and restitution) and potential for administrative resolutions.

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

Subjects

Ethics Commission