HB18 Alabama 2015 2nd Special Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jack Williams

Republican

Session

Second Special Session 2015

Title

Public officials, state, lobbying by former officials, legislative body or branch of state or local government, widely attended event, legal defense funds, Sec. 36-25-6.1 added; Secs. 36-25-1, 36-25-13, 36-25-23 am'd.

Summary

HB18 changes who is barred from lobbying state government, lowers the threshold for what counts as a widely attended event, and creates a regulated legal defense fund system for public employees and officials.

What This Bill Does

It narrows the lobbying prohibition to apply only to state-level former officials who leave before the end of their term, prohibiting them from lobbying the state for the remainder of that term. It redefines widely attended events to require eight or more attendees. It creates a legal defense fund framework for public employees and officials, including how funds are formed, who manages them, reporting requirements, and rules for dissolution and anonymity. The act would take effect immediately after passage and the governor's approval.

Who It Affects

• Former state-level public officials who vacate before the end of their term would be prohibited from lobbying the state government for the remainder of that term.
• Public employees and public officials who may face pending criminal, civil, or administrative actions and supporters who contribute to or manage legally established legal defense funds; these funds would be subject to specific organization, reporting, and dissolution rules.
• Lobbyists, principals, and event organizers who plan or host events would need to apply the 8-attendee widely attended event threshold when evaluating ethics requirements.

Key Provisions

• Amends Sections 36-25-1, 36-25-13, and 36-25-23 and adds Section 36-25-6.1 to establish the bill's changes to ethical rules, including the lobbying prohibition scope and the new widely attended event threshold (8 or more attendees).
• Prohibits former state-level public officials from lobbying state government for the remainder of the term after they leave office; this prohibition does not automatically apply to those who complete their term.
• Creates and regulates Legal Defense Funds for public employees and public officials, including definitions of contributions and treasurers, requirements to file a statement of organization within 10 days of the first contribution, reporting and dissolution rules, and restrictions on anonymous contributions.
• Requires detailed quarterly transaction reporting for legal defense funds, including contributor and expenditure information, and prohibits contributions to funds that are not in compliance.

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