HB578 Alabama 2013 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Richard J. Laird
Independent
Session: Regular Session 2013
Title: Firefighters Annuity and Benefit Fund, Board of Commissioners, membership altered, Sec. 36-21-181 am'd.
Summary: HB578 changes who serves on the Alabama Firefighters Annuity and Benefit Fund Board and how long they serve.
What This Bill Does
It creates a five-member board with specific appointing groups: a consumer member who is a volunteer firefighter appointed by the Governor; a volunteer firefighter appointed by the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments; a volunteer firefighter appointed by the Alabama Firefighters Association; a paid firefighter appointed by the Professional Firefighters Association of Alabama; and a paid firefighter appointed by the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs. Initial terms are two years for the consumer member and the volunteer firefighter seat from the Volunteer Fire Departments, and four years for the other three seats. After the initial terms, all members serve four-year terms and may be reappointed. If a member leaves before their term ends, the appointing authority fills the remainder of the term. The change to this board structure takes effect when the current consumer member’s term expires; the act itself becomes law immediately after passage and governor approval.

Who It Affects
Volunteer firefighters: gain representation on the board (including a consumer member and a dedicated volunteer seat) with terms that start two years for some seats and four years for others.
Paid firefighters: gain representation on the board through two seats (appointed by the Professional Firefighters Association of Alabama and the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs) with four-year terms after the initial period.
Fire department and firefighter associations: gain formal appointment authority for board seats (Governor for the consumer member; two associations for volunteer seats; two associations for paid seats).
Governor: continues to appoint the consumer member, now within a defined five-seat board structure.
Alabama Firefighters Annuity and Benefit Fund: undergoes governance changes with a redefined board composition and term structure.

Key Provisions
Board composition includes five members: one consumer member volunteer firefighter appointed by the Governor; one volunteer firefighter appointed by the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments; one volunteer firefighter appointed by the Alabama Firefighters Association; one paid firefighter appointed by the Professional Firefighters Association of Alabama; and one paid firefighter appointed by the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs.
Initial terms are two years for the consumer member and the Volunteer Fire Departments seat; four-year initial terms for the remaining three seats.
After the initial terms, each board member serves a four-year term and may succeed themselves if reappointed.
If a member leaves during their term, the appointing authority fills the remainder of the unexpired term.
The change to the board's membership takes effect upon expiration of the current consumer member's term; the act itself becomes effective immediately after passage and governor 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: Firefighters