HB336 Alabama 2015 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Juandalynn GivanRepresentative
Democrat
Session: Regular Session 2015
Title: Impeachment of state and local officers and officials, Article 7, Constitution of Alabama of 1901, repealed and reenacted, const. amend.
Summary: HB336 would repeal Alabama's current Article VII on impeachment and replace it with a new framework for removing state and local officials, effective January 1, 2017, pending voter approval.
What This Bill Does
It replaces the old impeachment rules with a new Article VII. It defines who can be impeached (top state officials and Supreme Court justices) and the grounds for impeachment (willful neglect, corruption, incompetency, intemperance, or moral turpitude). It sets out the process: the House files charges, the Senate acts as the impeachment court with testimony under oath, and a two-thirds vote is required to convict. It extends impeachment/removal to district/circuit/probate judges and certain local officials, with removal by the appropriate court or rules, and preserves rights to jury trials and appeals for local cases. The penalties are removal and disqualification from office, and the amendment must be approved by voters to take effect.

Who It Affects
Group 1 – State-level officials named in Section 173 (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Board of Education members, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, and Supreme Court justices) who could be impeached and removed for specified offenses; the process involves House charges, Senate impeachment trial, and a two-thirds Senate vote for conviction.
Group 2 – Local officials (district/circuit/probate judges, district attorneys, sheriffs, county officers, and officers of incorporated cities or towns) who may be impeached or removed under the new framework, along with voters who must approve the constitutional amendment.

Key Provisions
Repeals existing Article VII and adds a new Article VII, Impeachments.
Grounds for impeachment include willful neglect of duty, corruption, incompetency, intemperance in alcohol or narcotics, and moral turpitude.
House charges impeachment articles; Senate acts as the impeachment court and must hear testimony under oath; conviction requires two-thirds of participating senators.
Presiding officers: Lieutenant Governor presides the Senate in impeachment cases unless he/she is impeached; if so, Chief Justice or associate justices preside.
Procedures for impeachment when the Legislature is not in session, with specified timelines to summon and assemble.
Judges at various levels and certain other officers may be removed by the Supreme Court or under Supreme Court rules; Legislature may set impeachment/removal for other officers.
Local officials may be tried for impeachment and removed by appropriate courts; local officers have right to trial by jury and appeal.
Penalties are limited to removal and disqualification from holding office for the term; indicted individuals may still face other criminal punishment.
Operative date: January 1, 2017; voters must approve the amendment for it to take effect.

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