SB213 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2018

Title

Asset forfeitures, criminal procedure, Forfeiture Database and Reporting Act, created

Summary

SB 213 creates the Forfeiture Database and Reporting Act to centralize, track, and publicly report civil asset forfeitures in Alabama, with new rules on how forfeitures are handled.

What This Bill Does

It requires the Criminal Justice Information Center Commission to collect and analyze forfeiture data from state, county, and municipal agencies and to include this data in the uniform crime report. It requires an annual public report summarizing forfeiture activity by agency, property type, seizure location, currency value, charges, outcomes, and dispositions, with personal identities kept private. It directs civil forfeiture funds to be kept separately, publicly audited, and expenditures to be reported and reconciled. It also changes the process so that forfeitures must go through circuit civil court and require clear and convincing evidence that the property was used in or derived from a felony; and it requires a feasibility study for a public forfeiture database.

Who It Affects

• Law enforcement agencies (state, county, and municipal) must collect, report, and account for forfeiture funds under the new rules.
• The public, policymakers, and private parties (including property owners or third parties) will access anonymized data and annual reports to increase transparency and accountability.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Forfeiture Database and Reporting Act and designates an exclusive process for asset forfeiture in Alabama.
• Requires ALEA/Commission to collect and analyze forfeiture data from all agencies and modify the uniform crime report to include forfeiture data.
• Data collection must include agency name, seizure date, property type and description, location, currency value, underlying offenses, case numbers, dispositions, and federal involvement.
• Public annual report to summarize forfeiture activity by agency and type, without identifying individuals; initial report due by early 2020.
• ALEA/Commission must study the cost and feasibility of a public forfeiture database and report findings to the Legislature by 2019.
• Civil forfeiture funds must be kept separately, publicly audited, with expenditures recorded and reconciled in the annual report.
• Data collection and reporting must protect privacy and not disclose individual identities.
• Property may only be forfeited in circuit civil court and only with clear and convincing evidence linking the property to a felony.
• The act becomes effective January 1, 2019.

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

Subjects

Criminal Law and Procedure