SB189 Alabama 2011 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Ben H. Brooks
Republican
Co-Sponsor: Rusty Glover
Session: Regular Session 2011
Title: Law enforcement agencies, state or municipal, written standards and procedures for conducting internal investigations of law enforcement officers for administrative or disciplinary purposes, required, copies required to be provided to all law enforcement officers
Summary: SB189 would require most Alabama law enforcement agencies to adopt, publish, and distribute written internal investigation procedures for officers, with defined timelines and due process protections.
What This Bill Does
Requires state and municipal law enforcement agencies, excluding county sheriff offices and the Department of Public Safety, to establish and publish written procedures for internal investigations of officers and to distribute copies to every officer. Defines terms such as complaint, internal investigation, hearing, and appeal, and specifies officer rights including notification of the complaint, access to legal counsel, and the right to appeal. Allows concurrent criminal investigations when warranted and sets a 90 day deadline to complete internal investigations, with extensions if agreed, for valid reasons, or due to newly discovered evidence. Requires hearings to follow written rules, makes discovery and evidence rules inapplicable to these administrative hearings, and ensures due process in the appeal process; it also permits suspension with pay during investigations.

Who It Affects
State and municipal law enforcement agencies (excluding county sheriff offices and the Department of Public Safety) would be required to adopt, publish, and distribute internal investigation procedures.
Law enforcement officers employed by those agencies would be given copies of the procedures, be notified about complaints, have the right to legal counsel and to appeal disciplinary actions, and be subject to the 90 day investigation timeline with possible extensions.

Key Provisions
Establish and publish written procedures for administrative or disciplinary internal investigations and for appealing adverse findings.
Distribute a copy of the approved procedures to every officer employed by the agency.
Include defined terms such as complaint, internal investigation, hearing, and appeal, and set notification requirements to officers about complaints.
Allow concurrent criminal investigations if new information arises; permit suspension with pay or leave during investigations.
Provide officer rights to legal counsel at all phases and to an impartial review in appeals; hearings shall follow written rules and discovery rules do not apply.
Complete internal investigations within 90 days, with extensions for agreement, valid reasons, or newly discovered evidence, not exceeding 60 days beyond the original 90.
Effective date: becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage.

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