HB291 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

April WeaverSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Social workers, to make it a crime of assault in the second degree with intent to cause physical injury to a social worker while performing his or her duties, Sec. 13A-6-21 am'd.

Summary

HB291 would make it second-degree assault to intentionally injure a social worker or social service employee during or because of their work, creating a new Class C felony.

What This Bill Does

It adds social workers and social service agency employees to the protected targets in the second-degree assault statute. If someone with intent to cause physical injury injures such a worker while performing their duties, that person would be charged with second-degree assault (Class C felony). The bill notes it creates a new crime and is exempt from certain local funding approval requirements under Amendment 621. It becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor’s approval.

Who It Affects

• Social workers and employees of social service agencies would be protected targets; injuring them with intent to cause physical injury during their duties would become second-degree assault (Class C felony).
• Potential offenders (any person) who intend to injure a social worker or social service employee while performing duties would face the new Class C felony for such acts.

Key Provisions

• Adds social workers and employees of social service agencies to the list of protected persons in 13A-6-21(a) as victims of second-degree assault when the offender acts with intent to cause physical injury.
• Specifies that second-degree assault for these acts would be a Class C felony.
• Defines that the offense applies when the injury occurs during or as a result of the performance of the social worker's or employee's duties.
• States the bill creates a new crime and is exempt from Amendment 621 local-funding requirements.
• Establishes the act's effective date as the first day of the third month after passage and governor’s 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

Social Workers