SB61 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Dick Brewbaker

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Legislative, sessions to consist of organizational, regular of 20 day, budget of 10 days, and special sessions, Secs. 71.01 and 76 of Article IV of Recompiled Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, repealed, const. amend.

Summary

SB61 would add a self-executing constitutional amendment that fixes when and how long organizational, regular, budget, and special legislative sessions occur, limits what can be discussed in those sessions, and requires an early governor budget submission, while repealing two existing amendments.

What This Bill Does

It proposes a constitutional change to set specific start dates and maximum lengths for organizational, regular, budget, and special sessions. It also defines which types of legislation may be considered in regular and budget sessions and requires the governor to submit the state budget plans by the first legislative day of each regular session. It creates a budget session with its own time limits and topic restrictions, and imposes limits on what may be discussed during special sessions. Finally, it repeals two older amendments (Amendments 339 and 448) and is self-executing.

Who It Affects

• Legislators and Legislative staff, who would follow fixed session dates, durations, and topic limits.
• Governor and state agencies, due to the required early budget submission and the narrowed scope of topics in regular and budget sessions.
• Public schools and other education interests, because education funding is treated as an appropriations matter within the new session rules and budget process.

Key Provisions

• Organizational session as defined by Amendment 57, and annual regular sessions begin on specific dates: first Tuesday in March (year 1), first Tuesday in February (years 2-3), and second Tuesday in January (year 4), or as prescribed by law.
• Regular sessions limited to 60 calendar days and 20 legislative days, with exceptions for certain types of bills not allowed (general appropriations for ordinary state expenses, revenue-raising bills, interest on debt, bond issues, education appropriations, nonstate and other appropriations, and any other appropriation bills).
• Budget sessions begin on the second Tuesday after final adjournment of the regular session, limited to 45 calendar days and 10 legislative days, and may only consider revenue, appropriation, emergency financial needs, or certain local legislation.
• Special sessions limited to subjects designated by the Governor’s proclamation, require two-thirds of each house to add other subjects, and are capped at 12 legislative days and 30 calendar days.
• Section II requires the Governor to transmit the proposed state budget plans to the Legislature on or before the first legislative day of each annual regular session.
• Section III states the amendment is self-executing and repeals Amendment 339 (Section 76, Article IV) and Amendment 448 (Section 71.01, Article IV) of the Constitution.

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

Subjects

Legislature