HB49 Alabama 2016 1st Special Session Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Connie C. Rowe

Republican

Session

First Special Session 2016

Title

Law enforcement officers, unlawful to pull or draw a firearm or other deadly weapon upon, criminal penalties, Secs. 13A-6-21, 13A-6-23 am'd.

Summary

HB49 would stiffen penalties for assaults and threats against law enforcement and other frontline workers, create a yearly trooper trainee class, and boost pay for arresting officers, with funding from lottery or BP spill funds and an early 2017 start.

What This Bill Does

It increases the penalty for second-degree assault against listed frontline workers to a Class B felony. It makes threatening a law enforcement officer with a pistol, firearm, or other deadly weapon a Class C felony. It requires the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency to annually hire a trooper trainee class and to provide a four-step, 10% salary increase for arresting officers. It funds the salary increase in 2017 from lottery funds or BP Oil Spill Settlement funds and includes an exemption from certain local expenditure rules, with an effective date of January 1, 2017.

Who It Affects

• Public safety and frontline workers (peace officers, detention/correctional officers, emergency medical personnel, utility workers, firefighters, teachers, and health care workers) who would face enhanced penalties if assaulted or threatened while performing duties.
• Offenders who assault these workers would face higher penalties (Class B felony for certain assaults; Class C felony for threats against officers).
• Arresting officers and Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency personnel who would receive a four-step, 10% salary increase starting in 2017.
• The Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency, which would annually hire a trooper trainee class.

Key Provisions

• Amends 13A-6-21 to make second-degree assault against listed public safety workers a Class B felony.
• Explicitly includes peace officers, detention/correctional officers, emergency medical personnel, utility workers, firefighters, teachers, and health care workers in the enhanced offenses.
• Amends 13A-6-23 to make threatening a law enforcement officer with a pistol, firearm, or other deadly weapon a Class C felony.
• Section requiring ASLEA to annually hire a trooper trainee class and to determine the number of officers per year.
• Section granting arresting officers a four-step, 10% salary increase, with pay plan revisions to implement the increase.
• Funding for the 2017 salary increase from lottery or BP Oil Spill Settlement funds, with an exemption from local expenditure rules (Amendment 621) for this bill.
• Effective January 1, 2017.

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

Subjects

Crimes and Offenses