HB196 Alabama 2011 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: John Robinson
Democrat
Co-Sponsors: Daniel H. Boman Wayne Johnson Jim Patterson Richard Baughn Wes Long Lynn Greer William Roberts Terri Collins Allen Treadaway Blaine Galliher Phil Williams Jim McClendon Dickie Drake Mike Ball Mac McCutcheon Jeremy Oden Allen Farley
Session: Regular Session 2011
Title: Continuous sexual abuse of a child, crime of established, penalties
Summary: HB196 creates a new crime called continuous sexual abuse of a child, making it a Class A felony for someone who commits three or more acts of sexual conduct with a child under 16.
What This Bill Does
The bill adds a new offense called continuous sexual abuse of a child, defined as three or more acts of sexual conduct with a person under 16, with the first act occurring before they turned 16. It defines sexual conduct to include specific acts listed in Alabama law. It provides exceptions where the charge would not apply, such as non-forced conduct or conduct involving an older teen close in age, and sets the offense as a Class A felony. The act would take effect on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval, and it is specifically exempt from certain local funding requirements because it creates a new crime.

Who It Affects
Children under 16 who are victims; the new crime targets repeated sexual acts with a minor and could lead to stronger penalties for offenders.
Offenders (typically adults) who commit three or more acts of sexual conduct with a child under 16; they could be charged with a new crime and face Class A felony penalties.

Key Provisions
Creates the crime of continuous sexual abuse of a child for three or more acts of sexual conduct with a child under 16, with the first act establishing the timeline.
Sexual conduct includes acts defined in multiple Alabama code sections listed in the bill.
Excludes certain situations from this crime, such as non-forced conduct that is only a result of age, if the victim is 13 or older, or if the offender is not more than 4 years older than the victim.
Punishment for continuous sexual abuse of a child is a Class A felony.
Effective date: becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.
The bill is exempt from Amendment 621 local funding requirements because it creates a new crime or amends an existing one.

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