SR44 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bryan Taylor

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Supreme Court, request for opinion on pending Senate Bill 253, 258, 259, 261, and 276, and Section 289 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901

Summary

SR44 asks the Alabama Supreme Court for advisory opinions on whether certain Senate bills proposing constitutional amendments would be valid under the state's amendment process.

What This Bill Does

The resolution requests the Chief Justice and Associate Justices to provide written opinions on whether pending Senate Bills 253, 258, 259, 261, and 276 would be constitutionally valid amendments if they were passed in compliance with the amendment process in Section 284. It explains the question as requiring validation of the proposed amendments before they go to voters. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to send true copies of the bills and this resolution to the Clerk of the Supreme Court for consideration.

Who It Affects

• Alabama Supreme Court Justices — will issue written advisory opinions on the constitutional validity of the proposed amendments.
• The Alabama Legislature (Senate and House) — their proposed amendments would be evaluated for their constitutional validity before being presented to voters.
• Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the Supreme Court — responsible for distributing documents and handling the advisory opinion request.
• Alabama voters — may ultimately decide, by referendum, whether the proposed amendments become part of the constitution if deemed valid.

Key Provisions

• Provision 1: The Senate requests the Supreme Court to issue written advisory opinions on whether SB253, SB258, SB259, SB261, and SB276 would be constitutionally valid amendments.
• Provision 2: The question centers on the constitutional amendment process described in Section 284, including three-fifths legislative approval and voter ratification.
• Provision 3: The Secretary of the Senate must provide true copies of the pending bills and this resolution to the Clerk of the Supreme Court for consideration.

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

Subjects

Resolutions, Legislative