SB252 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tom Whatley

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Courts, court-ordered treatment or education programs for alcohol or drug-related offenses, judge to decide level of education program defendant completes, Sec. 12-23-6 am'd.

Summary

SB252 allows judges to decide the level of alcohol and drug education a defendant must complete if they are not sent directly to treatment.

What This Bill Does

It amends Alabama law to require that defendants charged with alcohol- or drug-related offenses who aren’t referred directly to treatment must complete an alcohol and drug education program certified by the Administrative Office of Courts. The judge will have the power to choose which level of that certified education program the defendant must finish. The bill keeps court referral options for evaluation and referral to education and/or treatment.

Who It Affects

• Defendants charged with alcohol- or drug-related offenses who are not directly referred to treatment, who must complete an education program.
• Judges overseeing these cases, who would determine the level of the education program the defendant must complete.

Key Provisions

• Minimum education requirement: any defendant not directly referred to drug or alcohol treatment must complete an alcohol and drug education program certified by the Administrative Office of Courts.
• Judicial discretion: the judge may order which level of the certified alcohol and drug education program the defendant shall complete.

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

Subjects

Courts