HB99 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kyle South

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Memorial Preservation Act, monuments prohibited from relocation or removal, Alabama Committee on Memorial Preservation created

Summary

HB99 creates the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act to protect monuments on public property and sets up a state committee to oversee preservation and waivers.

What This Bill Does

It prohibits relocating, removing, altering, renaming, or disturbing monuments on public property except through a waiver process. It also restricts renaming certain publicly named places and counties/municipalities that have long-standing honors. The bill creates the Alabama Committee on Memorial Preservation to manage preservation efforts, grant waivers, and set conditions, with fines for violations and specific exemptions for certain art, artifacts, and transportation or utility contexts.

Who It Affects

• Government agencies and entities that own or maintain monuments on public property would be restricted from altering or removing monuments and may need to apply for waivers, with potential fines for violations.
• Local governments, schools, and other public entities that name or rename public places (such as streets, buildings, parks) or jurisdictions would face naming restrictions and could seek waivers through the new committee.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 and defines terms like 'monument' and 'public property'.
• Prohibits relocation, removal, alteration, renaming, or disturbance of public monuments except through the waiver process established in Section 6.
• Prohibits renaming of certain public properties and of counties or municipalities named in honor for more than fifty years, unless a waiver is granted.
• Establishes the Alabama Committee on Memorial Preservation with specified membership and duties, including power to grant waivers and to conduct advisory subcommittees.
• Creates a waiver process with required documentation and authorizes conditions to preserve monuments; imposes a $100,000 fine for removing a protected monument without a waiver.
• Provides exemptions for art and artifacts, and for monuments under control of the DOT, local governments, universities, and utilities under limited circumstances.
• Effective immediately upon the 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

Monuments