SB259 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bryan Taylor

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Executive Department, Article V and amendments related thereto of the Constitutional of Alabama of 1901, technical nonsubtantive changes and substantive changes, repeal and readopt Article V

Summary

SB259 would repeal and rewrite Article V (Executive Department) of Alabama’s Constitution, move certain executive-branch provisions to Article XVII (Miscellaneous), add new civil-service and asset-protection rules, and take effect January 1, 2017 if voters approve.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill would repeal current Article V and related amendments, re-adopt Article V with technical edits, and relocate amendments on civil service appointments, state docks property conveyance, retirement-system assets, and health-care benefits to Article XVII. It creates new Article XVII sections 282.1–282.4 establishing merit-based civil service rules, authorizing certain property conveyances of State Docks to port authorities, and requiring retirement and health-care assets to be held in trusts for their intended purposes. It also rewrites several Article V provisions to consolidate election timing, residency, succession, veto, and qualification rules, including making the Attorney General require law licensees for five years and replacing terms like “disability” with “incapacity” and “insane” with “unsound mind.” The measure would become operative only if approved by voters in 2017.

Who It Affects

• State elected officials (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, and State Superintendent of Education) by changing terms, residency rules, succession, and qualification requirements.
• Alabama State Docks Department and designated port authorities by allowing certain docks properties to be conveyed without consideration to specific port authorities.
• State employees and civil-service workers through the new merit-based appointment and promotion provisions and by preserving existing civil-service status unless amended.
• Retired state and education employees and their health-care beneficiaries through the new dedicated retirement and health-care trusts that must be managed for exclusive benefit and not diverted to other uses.

Key Provisions

• Repeal and readopt Article V with nonsubstantive technical changes and move related amendments to Article XVII, Miscellaneous.
• Create Article XVII, Sections 282.1–282.4: 282.1 establishes merit-based civil service appointments/promotions; 282.2 allows conveyance of specific State Docks properties to Florence-Lauderdale Port Authority, Decatur-Morgan County Port Authority, and Walker County/Cordova, subject to existing leases; 282.3 and 282.4 require retirement system assets and health-care trust assets to be held in trust for exclusive purposes, with restrictions on use and provisions for termination or amendment.
• Combine Sections 114 and 116 (holding elections and terms) into a rewritten Section 114; keep four-year terms with a limit on successive terms, and align election provisions accordingly.
• Require the Governor to reside in the state capital; specify residency for the executive branch and adjust related provisions to reflect a focus on the Governor’s residency.
• Simplify procedures for presenting bills to the Governor, veto, and post-veto passage, and clarify the process if the Governor does not sign a bill.
• Clarify succession to the Governor’s office, replace the term 'disability' with 'incapacity,' and remove the requirement for an election if vacancies occur in both Governor and Lieutenant Governor more than 60 days before the next general election.
• Replace the term 'disability' with 'incapacity' and 'insane' with 'unsound mind' across Sections 127, 128, 132, 134, 136, and 137, and require the Attorney General to be licensed to practice law in Alabama for five years before election.

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

Subjects

Constitution of Alabama