HB602 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Kerry Rich
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Marshall Co., feeding of prisoners further provided for, Discretionary Fund established, const. amend.
Summary: The bill would create a constitutional amendment in Marshall County to establish a Sheriff’s Discretionary Fund funded by the sheriff’s prisoner-feeding allowances, to pay for inmate meals first and use any leftovers for law enforcement, subject to voter approval in 2020.
What This Bill Does
It requires that all allowances received by the Marshall County Sheriff for feeding prisoners be deposited into a separate fund in the county treasury. The money would be used to feed prisoners in the county jail, with any excess available for law enforcement and the sheriff’s office, and it would carry over from year to year. If more money is needed for feeding, the sheriff can use other discretionary funds; purchases of food or supplies for feeding would not be subject to the competitive bid law. The amendment would be put to voters in the 2020 primary and takes effect immediately upon ratification.

Who It Affects
Marshall County Sheriff and Sheriff’s Office — will manage the Sheriff’s Discretionary Fund, receive feeding allowances, and determine uses including potential law enforcement funding and operating costs; procurement for feeding may be exempt from competitive bids.
Marshall County residents and jail inmates — affected by how prisoner meals are funded and how funds may be used for law enforcement and sheriff’s operations; procurement rules for food/supplies may be loosened.

Key Provisions
Creates a separate 'Sheriff's Discretionary Fund' in the county treasury funded by the sheriff’s prisoner-feeding allowances.
Funds are to be used first for feeding prisoners in the county jail; any excess may be used for law enforcement purposes and sheriff’s office operations, and can carry over year to year.
If additional feeding funds are needed, the sheriff may use other discretionary funds available to the sheriff’s office; the sheriff is not subject to competitive bid law for purchasing food or supplies for feeding prisoners.
An election to ratify the amendment will be held in the 2020 primary; if ratified, the amendment takes effect immediately.

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