SB160 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Gerald O. Dial

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Funerals, disrupting, crime further provided for, distance of protest from property line of funeral facility further provided for, Sec. 13A-11-17 am'd.

Summary

SB160 would raise the protest distance near funeral facilities to 1,000 feet from the property line and impose criminal penalties for disrupting funerals, while noting an exception in local-funds rules because it creates a new crime.

What This Bill Does

It amends the crime of disrupting a funeral or memorial service so that protests within 1,000 feet of the funeral facility’s property line can be charged, instead of the previous 500 feet from the entrance. It defines "facility" to include funeral homes, churches, and cemeteries where the service takes place. It continues to bar actions like blocking access or impeding the procession and prohibits protests during a 60-minute window before, during, or after the service, including protests with amplified sound. Penalties are a Class A misdemeanor for the first conviction and a Class C felony for any subsequent conviction. The bill notes it would involve a new or increased local expenditure, but is exempt from local-funds approval because it creates or changes a crime, and it becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

Who It Affects

• Individuals who protest near funeral services: could be charged if they protest within 1,000 feet of the facility’s property line during the relevant time window, with penalties escalating for repeated offenses.
• Funeral facilities (funeral homes, churches, cemeteries) and their organizers: subject to stricter enforcement and potential disruption-related penalties, plus broader protection of access and procession flow.

Key Provisions

• Increases the prohibited protest distance to 1,000 feet from the property line of a funeral facility (facility includes funeral homes, churches, or cemeteries) during the 60 minutes before, during, or after a funeral or memorial service.
• Defines prohibitions to include protests with amplified sound, as well as blocking access to the facility or impeding processions.
• Sets penalties: Class A misdemeanor for the first conviction; Class C felony for each subsequent conviction.
• States the bill creates a new crime, which exempts it from Amendment 621 local-funds requirements; applicable effective date is the first day of the third month after passage and governor 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

Disrupting a Funeral or Memorial Service