HB544 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Dickie Drake

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Crimes and offenses, sexual offenses, false sexual allegation, Sec. 13A-6-72 added

Summary

HB 544 would create a new crime for making false sexual allegations, set penalties, and allow the falsely accused to recover legal defense costs, while noting an exemption from certain local-funding rules.

What This Bill Does

The bill adds a new crime, 13A-6-72, for willfully and maliciously making false reports of sexual offenses. False reports of first-degree offenses (rape, sodomy, or sexual torture) would be a Class C felony, while false reports of specified second-degree offenses (including various sexual offenses and related acts) would be a Class A misdemeanor. The person who was falsely accused could sue to recover all legal defense costs from the person who made the false allegation. It also states the bill is exempt from local-funding approval requirements under Amendment 621 and specifies when the law takes effect.

Who It Affects

• Individuals who knowingly file false sexual allegations; they could face criminal penalties (Class C felony or Class A misdemeanor) depending on the offense.
• Individuals who are falsely accused; they could seek recovery of their legal defense costs from the person who made the false allegation.

Key Provisions

• Creates Section 13A-6-72 to establish the crime of making a false sexual allegation with two penalty levels.
• Subsection (a)(1) makes a false report of first-degree rape, sodomy, or sexual torture a Class C felony when proven false; subsection (a)(2) covers false reports of second-degree offenses (and related acts) as a Class A misdemeanor.
• subsection (b) allows the accused to recover all costs of their legal defense from the person who made the false allegation.
• Section 2 states the bill is exempt from Amendment 621 local-funding requirements because it defines a new crime.
• Section 3 provides the effective date: 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

Crimes and Offenses