SB344 Alabama 2015 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Tom Whatley
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2015
Title: Civil immunity, provided to response action contractors responding to hazardous materials discharged, civil immunity to responders to oil spills, includes gasoline spills, Secs. 6-5-332.1, 6-5-332.2 am'd.
Summary: SB344 provides civil immunity to response action contractors and others who assist with hazardous materials and oil spill responses, and includes gasoline in the oil immunity.
What This Bill Does
It clarifies that a response action contractor who helps mitigate a hazardous materials discharge is protected from civil liability even if they are paid for their services. It adds gasoline to the definition of oil for immunity purposes in oil spills. It also gives immunity from removal costs and damages for actions taken in oil spill responses that follow the National Contingency Plan or directives from the on-scene coordinator, with key exceptions for gross negligence, personal injury, or if the person caused the original discharge; it preserves liability for responsible parties under state law.

Who It Affects
Response action contractors and other trained individuals who provide advice or assistance in mitigating hazardous materials discharges would gain civil immunity for their actions, subject to certain exceptions.
Oil spill responsible parties and other entities would still face liability for removal costs or damages in situations not covered by immunity (e.g., gross negligence, personal injury, or if their actions caused the discharge), and gasoline is treated the same as oil for immunity purposes.

Key Provisions
Amends 6-5-332.1 to grant civil immunity to persons, including response action contractors, who provide assistance or advice in mitigating hazardous materials discharges, even when compensated, with exceptions for original discharge-causing acts and gross negligence.
Adds gasoline to the definition of oil for immunity purposes in 6-5-332.2.
Amends 6-5-332.2 to shield persons from removal costs or damages for spill-response actions that comply with the National Contingency Plan or are directed by the on-scene coordinator, with exceptions for responsible parties, personal injury, gross negligence, or if the actions caused the discharge.
Effective date: becomes law on 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: Civil Immunity