HB50 Alabama 2013 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Jack Williams
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2013
Title: Public Works, Fair and Open Competition in Governmental Construction Act, establish, public agencies prohibited from entering contracts and making certain awards, certain terms prohibited in certain documents, certain persons prohibited from placing certain terms in certain documents, exemptions
Summary: HB50 creates the Fair and Open Competition in Governmental Construction Act to ban union-related contract terms and conditions on public construction contracts and related awards.
What This Bill Does
It would require public agencies and their construction managers to remove terms in bid specs and project documents that encourage or discourage collective bargaining agreements. It would prohibit discrimination based on union status in bidding and awarding of construction contracts. It would prevent grants, tax abatements, or tax credits from being conditioned on including such terms in contracts, and it would void any such terms that are already included, with certain exceptions.

Who It Affects
Public agencies (state, counties, cities, school districts, and related entities) and their construction managers must ensure bid specs and controlling documents do not include union-related terms.
Bidders, contractors, and subcontractors (and recipients of grants, tax abatements, or tax credits) cannot be forced to join or adhere to union agreements as a condition of contracting or receiving a public benefit, and must compete on fair terms.

Key Provisions
Section 4: Prohibits terms in bid specifications and project documents that require, prohibit, encourage, or discourage union-related agreements, and prohibits discrimination based on union status.
Section 5: Prohibits conditioning grants, tax abatements, or tax credits on inclusion of union-related terms in a contract.
Section 6: Requires that terms described in Section 4 not be placed in bid specs or controlling documents; such terms are void.
Section 7: Provides exemptions for contracts executed before November 1, 2012; preserves National Labor Relations Act rights and labor relations, and clarifies there is no discrimination if unions are not a condition for the award.
Section 8: Establishes the act's effective date as the first day of the third month after passage/approval.

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