HB344 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mike Jones

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Definition of Moral Turpitude Act, established, crimes which disqualify citizens from voting provided, Sec. 17-3-30.1 added; Secs. 17-4-3, 17-4-4 am'd.

Summary

HB344 creates the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act, listing felonies that disqualify a voter and outlining how disqualified voters can be purged from registration lists.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a comprehensive list of felonies that involve moral turpitude for voting disqualification. It sets purge procedures for disqualified voters, including certified mail notices, hearings/appeals, and special rules for those on probation or parole with counseling documents. It requires certain state and local offices to report and share information to keep voter rolls accurate and imposes a $100 fine for willful reporting failures. It also allows rights restoration through a Board of Pardons and Paroles process after meeting specified requirements.

Who It Affects

• Voters who have been convicted of a disqualifying felony (felony involving moral turpitude); their right to vote could be removed and their registration purged, with notice and potential appeals, and rights restoration available through the specified process.
• County and state election officials and related agencies (county boards of registrars, Board of Pardons and Paroles, Secretary of State, judges of probate, circuit/district court clerks, and the Office of Vital Statistics) who must purge lists, issue notices, report data monthly, and coordinate on restoring rights.

Key Provisions

• Adds Section 17-3-30.1 to define the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act and creates a comprehensive list of felonies involving moral turpitude that would disqualify a voter (examples include murder, manslaughter, assault, rape, robbery, burglary, theft, forgery, treason, various sexual offenses, human trafficking, terrorism, obscenity offenses, and related crimes).
• Specifies that disqualification to vote applies only to offenses listed in the act and in the felony degree defined by law, establishing which crimes count for voting disqualification.
• Amends 17-4-3 to require county boards of registrars to purge the statewide voter registration list when notified of death, relocation, mental incompetence, or disqualification for moral turpitude, with certified mail notice and appeal rights; prohibits striking a voter while an appeal is pending.
• Amends 17-4-4 to require monthly reports from the Office of Vital Statistics, judges of probate, and circuit/district court clerks listing deaths, mental incompetence determinations, and disqualifying offenses, and creates a $100 fine for willful failures to perform these duties.
• Allows the Board of Pardons and Paroles to provide documentation to registrars about those on probation/parole who have been counseled on disqualification and rights restoration, and permits sharing records to implement these provisions.
• Allows restoration of civil and political rights, including the right to vote, through the Board of Pardons and Paroles after completing the requirements in 15-22-36.1, and directs how documentation supports this process.
• Designates the act as the Kennedy-McClammy Act and specifies its effective date as the first day of the third month after passage/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

Moral Turpitude