HB147 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Greg Wren

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Joint Committee on Legislative Operations, Senate Committee on Senate Administration, House Committee on House Administration, Legislative Services Agency created, duties transferred, administrative functions assigned, Legislative Council, Joint Fiscal Committee, Legislative Committee on Public Accounts, Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment, Legislative Building Authority, Legislative Reference Service, Legislative Fiscal Office abolished, Chapter 5A, commencing with Section 29-5A-1, added; Secs. 8-6-53, 8-19C-3, 9-11-68, 9-11-69, 11-100-4, 16-5-8.3, 16-6B-11, 17-11-42, 29-1-22, 29-1-24, 29-2-52, 29-2-200, 29-2-201, 29-4-20, 29-4-22, 29-4-25, 29-4-30, 29-4-32, 29-4-35, 29-4-40, 29-4-42, 29-8-1, 29-8-2, 29-8-3, 29-8-4, 29-8-5, 30-3-8, 33-2-185, 34-14B-5, 36-7-24, 36-7-25, 36-13-30, 36-25-4.2, 38-7A-4, 40-2-9, 40-23-203, 41-5-3, 41-5-6, 41-5-9, 41-9-374, 41-9-715, 41-10-44.5, 41-16-27, 41-16-82, 41-19-3, 41-19-3.1, 41-20-4, 41-21-4, 41-21-7, 41-22-3, 41-22-22, 41-22-23, 41-22-24 am'd.; Secs. 29-2-50, 29-2-51, 29-2-52, 29-2-200, 29-2-201, 29-2-202, 29-6-1 to 29-6-7, inclusive, 29-7-5, 41-5-18, 41-15-19 repealed

Summary

HB147 would abolish several existing legislative support bodies and replace them with a Joint Committee on Legislative Operations, two single-house committees, and a Legislative Services Agency, moving all staff, budgeting, and administrative functions under the new structure while reorganizing the Alabama Law Institute as part of the Legislative Department.

What This Bill Does

It creates the Joint Committee on Legislative Operations and the House Committee on House Administration and Senate Committee on Senate Administration, plus a Legislative Services Agency to run budgeting, accounting, personnel, and administrative tasks for the Legislative Department. It transfers functions and staff from the old entities (such as the Legislative Council, Legislative Reference Service, Legislative Fiscal Office, Legislative Building Authority, and Joint Permanent Committee on Reapportionment) to the new bodies. It requires appointment of a Director of Legislative Services, and mandates the agency to maintain a public website listing legislative expenditures, salaries, expenses, and contracts. It also repeals an automatic funding provision for the Legislature and makes the Alabama Law Institute part of the Legislative Department, with changes to its governance and staff.

Who It Affects

• Legislative Department employees and contractors (including staff now in the Legislative Services Agency and the Examiners of Public Accounts) who would be reorganized under the new agency, have salaries set by the committee, and work under new administrative structures.
• The Alabama Law Institute and its governing council, since the bill designates it as part of the Legislative Department, revises its director appointment and staff hiring, and transfers powers from the Alabama State Bar to the council.

Key Provisions

• Abolish the Legislative Council and related entities (including those listed in the bill description) and transfer their functions to the new Joint Committee on Legislative Operations, House Administration, Senate Administration, and the Legislative Services Agency.
• Establish Chapter 5A in Title 29 to create the Legislative Operations framework, including responsibilities for budgeting, payroll, space allocation, and administrative services across the Legislative Department; appoint a Director of Legislative Services.
• Require the Legislative Services Agency to maintain a public website listing expenditures (names, salaries, expenses, and contracts) and to provide staff to the joint and house/senate committees; consolidate staff and administrative functions under the agency.
• Repeal the provision that provides automatic additional funding to the Legislature when funds are below a specified threshold.
• Designate the Alabama Law Institute as part of the Legislative Department, transfer powers previously granted to the Alabama State Bar to the council, revise the council’s membership, appoint the director of the Institute by its President, and authorize the director to hire staff for the Institute.

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

Subjects

Legislature