SB136 Alabama 2012 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Gerald H. AllenSenator
Republican
Co-Sponsor: Paul Bussman
Session: Regular Session 2012
Title: Certain prefabricated storm shelters excluded from provisions of Title 24, Code of Alabama 1975, surety bond by manufacturers of prefabricated storm shelters required
Summary: SB136 would exclude certain prefabricated storm shelters from Alabama’s building-code provisions and require manufacturers to post a $20,000 bond with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.
What This Bill Does
It defines which prefabricated storm shelters are exempt from Title 24 by meeting specific design and documentation criteria, including adherence to FEMA/ICC-500 standards and stamped plans. It requires all storm shelter manufacturers selling in Alabama to annually post a $20,000 surety bond with the Alabama EMA. It gives the EMA oversight authority to set rules and verify standards, including random inspections of residential shelters with capacity of 16 or fewer. It becomes effective upon passage and governor approval and is retroactive to January 1, 2012.

Who It Affects
Manufacturers of prefabricated storm shelters selling in Alabama (both resident and nonresident): must meet exemption criteria to avoid Title 24 requirements and must post a $20,000 surety bond with the Alabama EMA.
Alabama Emergency Management Agency: gains oversight authority over all storm shelters, can adopt administrative rules, and will conduct random inspections of residential shelters with capacity not exceeding 16, at no extra cost to manufacturers or consumers.

Key Provisions
Exemption from Title 24 for certain prefabricated storm shelters that are not equipped with electrical, plumbing, heating, or utility lines and that meet conditions: FEMA/ICC-500 standards, stamped plans by a licensed engineer or registered architect, explicit compliance statement on blueprints, and occupancy information on notes pages.
All manufacturers selling shelters in Alabama must annually deliver to EMA a $20,000 good-and-sufficient surety bond, with the applicant as principal and a qualified corporate surety, in a form approved by EMA.
EMA oversight authority to adopt administrative rules and ensure shelters funded by state or federal funds meet standards before any payment or reimbursement; random inspections of residential shelters with capacity up to 16 are required, with no additional cost to manufacturers or consumers.
Effective date: the act takes effect upon passage and governor's approval and applies retroactively to January 1, 2012.

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