SB230 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Greg AlbrittonSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Ethics, thing of value definition revised, lobbyists required to report the gifts to the Ethics Commission, penalties, Secs. 13A-10-61.1, 13A-10-61.2, 36-25-1.3, 36-25B-1 to 36-25B-25, inclusive, added; Secs. 36-25-1 to 36-25-30, inclusive, repealed; Secs. 13A-10-60,13A-10-61 am'd.

Summary

SB 230 overhauls Alabama ethics law by moving key ethics rules into the criminal code, creating a new Alabama Ethics Act, and tightening penalties and reporting for officials and lobbyists.

What This Bill Does

It moves provisions that restrict public officials from using office for personal gain, from using office resources for personal use, or from soliciting a thing of value from regulated persons from the ethics code into the criminal code, and it tightens rules for conflicts of interest and bribery. It creates the Alabama Ethics Act (Chapter 25B in Title 36) and repeals Chapter 25 of Title 36, establishing a State Ethics Commission to enforce rules, with penalties and reporting requirements. It requires lobbyists to report gifts of value to public officials, updates definitions of thing of value and principal, creates post-employment and lobbying restrictions for officials, and adds new enforcement tools and training.

Who It Affects

• Public officials and public employees: face new criminal penalties for using office for personal gain, misusing public resources, or soliciting a thing of value, plus stricter conflict-of-interest rules and expanded disclosure requirements.
• Lobbyists, principals, and economic development professionals: must report gifts and exchanges to the State Ethics Commission, register and file quarterly reports if lobbying activities occur, and face penalties for failures; economic development professionals are generally not considered lobbyists unless seeking incentives beyond current authorization.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Alabama Ethics Act as Chapter 25B in Title 36 and repeals Chapter 25 of Title 36, moving certain ethics provisions from the ethics code to the criminal code.
• Defines key terms including thing of value, principal, and economic development professional, and clarifies who is subject to these rules.
• Revises bribery and conflict-of-interest rules; prohibits a public official from voting on legislation with a known conflict and prohibits legislators from acting as lobbyists before executive departments.
• Requires lobbyists and principals to report a thing of value given to officials or their family members; allows certain gifts in specified circumstances and revises lobbyist reporting requirements.
• Imposes penalties: civil penalties up to $5,000 for failing to disclose; most non-minor ethics violations become Class A misdemeanors, with bribery as Class C felony and higher penalties for larger sums.
• Establishes enforcement structure with the State Ethics Commission; requires referral of criminal cases to district attorneys; expands advisory opinions, training, and online filing; and sets governance and reporting requirements for the commission.
• Implements post-employment cooling-off periods, lobbying restrictions for former officials, and rules about gifts, expenditures, and disclosure to improve transparency.

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

Subjects

Ethics