HB273 Alabama 2016 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Elaine Beech
Democrat
Session: Regular Session 2016
Title: Washington Co., sheriff, service of process, fee authorized, sheriff's law enforcement fund established, distribution of funds provided for
Summary: HB273 would add a new service-of-process fee in Washington County and create a dedicated Sheriff's Law Enforcement Fund to receive and use those fees.
What This Bill Does
It imposes a $25 fee for each document that the Washington County Sheriff's Office serves personally in state cases, and a $50 fee for matters in which service is outside Alabama. It creates the Washington County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Fund to be used for law enforcement purposes. The Clerk of Court collects the fee and forwards $10 to the Circuit Clerk's Fund for clerk operations, with the remaining amount deposited into the Sheriff's Law Enforcement Fund. The Fund is separate from the sheriff's budget and cannot replace other sheriff funds. Certain entities (district attorney, law enforcement, grand juries, and Washington County) are exempt from paying the fees. The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

Who It Affects
Civil litigants or others requiring service of process in Washington County would pay the new fees ($25 per document for in-state service; $50 for out-of-state service).
Washington County government offices involved in service of process (the Circuit Clerk's Office and the Sheriff's Office) would collect and manage the fees, with $10 of each fee going to the Circuit Clerk's Fund and the remainder funding the Sheriff's Law Enforcement Fund; the Fund is separate from the sheriff's budget.

Key Provisions
A service of process fee of $25 is added for personal service of process in Washington County; $50 for matters pending or commenced in a court outside Alabama.
A Washington County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Fund is created to be used for law enforcement purposes and is funded by the service-of-process fees.
The court clerk collects the fees and distributes $10 per fee to the Circuit Clerk's Fund for clerk operations; the remaining balance goes to the Washington County Law Enforcement Fund.
The Sheriff's Law Enforcement Fund is separate from the sheriff's budget and cannot replace existing funding.
District attorney, law enforcement, grand juries, and Washington County are exempt from paying the fees.
The act applies only to Washington County and takes effect on the first day of the third month after passage and governor 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: Washington County