SB476 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Del Marsh

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

General appropriations, Alabama Medicaid Agency appropriation limited to ten percent of total of state funds under Legislature's control, Department of Corrections appropriation limited to five and one half percent, limits exceeded under certain conditions, Section 71, Constitution of Alabama of 1901, am'd., const. amend.

Summary

SB476 would amend the Alabama Constitution to cap funding for Medicaid and the Department of Corrections in the state budget, with a supermajority requirement to exceed those caps.

What This Bill Does

It sets specific caps—Medicaid at 10% and Corrections at 5.5% of total discretionary state funds. Any amount above these caps could only be approved with a three-fifths vote of the elected members in each legislative chamber. The change takes effect January 1, 2017, and the general appropriation process would still cover ordinary expenses, debt interest, and public schools; all other increases would need separate bills.

Who It Affects

• Alabama Medicaid Agency and its beneficiaries would be limited to 10% of total discretionary state funds for Medicaid funding.
• Alabama Department of Corrections would be limited to 5.5% of total discretionary state funds for corrections funding.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 71 of the Alabama Constitution to cap Medicaid funding at 10% and Corrections funding at 5.5% of total discretionary state funds.
• Caps can be exceeded only with an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the elected members of both the Senate and the House.
• Effective date: January 1, 2017.
• General appropriation bill remains limited to ordinary expenses of the three branches, debt interest, and public schools; other appropriations are done by separate bills.

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