HB94 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tim WadsworthRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Commerce, recapture benefit extended to call centers that relocate out of state

Summary

HB 94 would require advance notice for relocating call centers, impose penalties and benefit recapture, and require state call-center work to stay in Alabama.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the bill would require an employer relocating a qualifying call center to notify the Director of the Department of Economic and Community Affairs at least 120 days before relocation. If the required notice is not provided, the Attorney General could pursue a civil penalty up to $10,000 for each day the notice is late, and the director could recapture the value of state grants, loans, or tax credits already given to the employer. The bill would require the director to compile a biannual list of relocating call centers and share it with state agencies and subdivisions that provide grants, loans, or tax credits; employers listed would be ineligible for new benefits for five years and could be required to repay any unamortized benefits, unless a waiver is granted for specified just causes. It would also require state agencies and contractors to keep all call-center work inside Alabama, prohibit out-of-state work by contractors performing such services, and start requiring in-state work for state contracts by October 1, 2020.

Who It Affects

• Relocating call-center employers in Alabama would be subject to the notice requirement, penalties for failure to notify, and potential loss or recapture of state grants, loans, or tax credits, and would be listed as relocating centers.
• State agencies, political subdivisions, contractors that provide call-center or customer service work to the state, and their employees would be required to keep call-center work inside Alabama, be subject to hiring and work-location restrictions, and follow the in-state work requirements.

Key Provisions

• Defines call center as an Alabama location with 50 or more employees (full-time) or 50 or more employees who collectively work at least 1,500 hours per week, excluding part-time staff.
• Relocation notice: employers relocating a call center (or at least 30% of its volume) must notify the director at least 120 days before relocation.
• Penalties for failure to notify: civil penalty up to $10,000 per day, with the Attorney General able to sue in circuit court.
• Benefit recapture and ineligibility: employers on the relocation list are ineligible for new state grants, loans, or tax credits for five years; the director can recapture unamortized benefit value and require payment within 30 days; waivers possible for just causes such as substantial job loss, environmental harm, or significant economic impact.
• Relocation list: the director must compile a list twice a year and share it with state agencies and subdivisions that provide benefits.
• In-state work requirement: for contracts entered after the effective date, state call-center work must be performed entirely within Alabama; contractors cannot hire out-of-state workers for these tasks; starting October 1, 2020, all state call-center work must be performed in-state.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on 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

Commerce Department