HB553 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Phil Williams

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Employment, require employers who receive assistance from government to report relocation

Summary

HB553 creates the Alabama Employer Fairness Act, requiring certain employers to report relocations out of Alabama and conditioning future state incentives on compliance.

What This Bill Does

It requires each employer that does business with the state or receives tax credits, incentives, loans, or grants to report relocation of operations to the Secretary of Labor at least 120 days before the move, if they have 50 or more employees (excluding part-time) or 50+ employees with at least 1,500 hours weekly. The Secretary must compile and share a list of relocating employers and those who fail to meet commitments with the Governor, top legislators, and agencies that provided incentives. Employers on the list face civil penalties for failing to notify, become ineligible for future direct or indirect tax credits or grants for five years, and must remit the unamortized value of any incentives or government support; the act also provides exceptions and possible waivers under certain conditions.

Who It Affects

• Employers that do business with Alabama or receive state tax credits, incentives, loans, or grants — must report relocations and could lose future incentives or face penalties and required repayment if they relocate.
• State and local government officials and agencies — will receive and publish the relocation list and use it to enforce penalties and incentive restrictions.
• Employees of relocating or affected large-employer facilities — could be indirectly affected by relocation decisions and related penalties or waivers.

Key Provisions

• Requires relocation notice: employers with the specified thresholds must notify the Secretary of Labor at least 120 days before relocating operations out of the state.
• Public listing and penalties: the Secretary must publish a list of relocating employers and those failing to meet commitments, prohibit listed employers from future incentives for five years, require repayment of unamortized incentives, and allow penalties for failure to provide notice (with possible waivers for just cause).

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

Subjects

Employment