HB21 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kurt Wallace

Republican

Co-Sponsor

Paul Beckman

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Sex offenders, residence, sex offender clusters, licensing by sheriff, monitoring, regulation by Mental Health Department, penalties for violations, certain local and general laws repealed, Act 2010-515, 2010 Reg. Sess., repealed; Sec. 13A-11-204 repealed

Summary

HB21 would create a sheriff-run licensing and monitoring system for residential sex offender clusters, restrict unlicensed clusters, and repeal certain existing proximity rules.

What This Bill Does

The bill defines what counts as a residential sex offender cluster and limits how many unrelated offenders can live in an unlicensed cluster. The sheriff would have the authority to license clusters (including those with two or more residents), require monitoring, and enforce rules through the Department of Mental Health. It repeals some existing proximity laws and specifies penalties for violations, with licenses tied to specific addresses and offender rosters. Large clusters face strict limits, monitoring requirements, and fees to support enforcement.

Who It Affects

• Adult sex offenders and others who would live with them in a cluster: they could be restricted to licensed clusters, face criminal penalties if they live in an unlicensed cluster, and must comply with monitoring and license terms.
• County sheriffs, local government and cluster operators, monitors, and the Department of Mental Health: sheriffs decide and enforce licenses, establish monitoring plans, collect fees, and oversee compliance and inspections; DMH can set regulatory rules for licensing.

Key Provisions

• Defines large residential sex offender cluster (5+ adult offenders) and other terms (monitor, monitoring plan, unrelated, etc.).
• Prohibits adults from establishing or remaining in an unlicensed residential sex offender cluster; violations are Class C felonies.
• Sheriff may issue, renew, suspend, or reinstate licenses for residential clusters; licenses are address-specific and limited to named offenders.
• Licensing factors include location, offender histories, public safety risk, sanitation, community impact, and housing need.
• Licenses for clusters of four or fewer offenders have no required fee; licenses for larger clusters have minimum terms and conditions, including ongoing monitoring and compliance with DMH rules.
• Large clusters (up to 30 offenders) must have at least one monitor per 10 offenders, a monitoring plan, and ongoing supervision; fees ($100 plus $20 per offender) go to the county fund for law enforcement related to sex offender management.
• Licenses can be suspended for violations, with a minimum 30-day suspension; if a monitor leaves, the suspension period can be extended for large clusters.
• DMH may promulgate rules to implement the act; decisions by the sheriff not to issue an initial license are not subject to court review; suspensions or revocations are reviewable in circuit court.
• Repeals existing proximity laws related to where sex offenders may live in Jefferson County and other areas; section clarifies local funding considerations under Amendment 621.

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

Subjects

Crimes and Offenses