HB369 Alabama 2014 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Mike Ball
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2014
Title: Ethics, Alabama law, definition of "confidential information" amended, Sec. 36-25-1 am'd.
Summary: HB369 rewrites the State Ethics Law’s definition of 'confidential information' so it only protects information that is publicly available solely because of a public position and not otherwise public.
What This Bill Does
The bill changes Section 36-25-1 to redefine 'confidential information' as information that is available to a public official or employee solely by virtue of their public position and not available to the general public otherwise. This narrows what counts as confidential information and can affect how information from ethics complaints is treated in relation to private-gain restrictions. It is titled the Alabama Ethics Law Reform Act of 2014 and becomes effective on the first day of the third month after it is passed and approved by the Governor.

Who It Affects
Public officials and public employees, because the range of information protected from use for private gain is narrowed to items available only by virtue of their public position and not otherwise public.
Complainants and others who provide information to the State Ethics Law process, because information they share may lose confidential status unless it is already publicly available due to the official's position.

Key Provisions
Amend Section 36-25-1 to redefine 'Confidential Information' as information that is available to a public official or employee solely by virtue of their public position and not otherwise available to the general public.
Name the act the 'Alabama Ethics Law Reform Act of 2014' and set its effective date as the first day of the third month after passage and gubernatorial 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: Ethics