SB24 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Clay Scofield
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Public officers and employees, state personnel dept, state employees, suspensions without pay, total time not to exceed 30 business days, state employee must accept or request hearing within 10 business days, Sec.36-26-28 am'd.
Summary: SB 24 tightens and clarifies suspension rules for state employees by capping suspensions at 30 business days per year and giving employees 10 business days to respond or seek a hearing.
What This Bill Does
It clarifies that the 30-day limit applies to business days and adds a 10-business-day window for employees to accept or request a suspension hearing. If a hearing is requested, an independent hearing officer will be appointed to review evidence and make a recommendation, with the appointing authority free to accept or reject it. The bill also places the burden of proof on the appointing authority and preserves existing due-process safeguards, while allowing departments with current suspension procedures to continue those processes.

Who It Affects
State employees who may be suspended without pay; they gain a defined cap of 30 business days per year and a 10 business day response window.
State appointing authorities and the State Personnel Department; they must follow the new hearing process, appoint independent hearing officers, and bear the burden of proof to justify suspensions.

Key Provisions
Suspensions without pay may not exceed 30 business days in any year of service.
The employee has 10 business days to accept the suspension or request a suspension hearing.
If a hearing is requested, an independent hearing officer must be appointed to receive evidence and issue a recommendation.
The appointing authority may accept or reject the hearing officer's recommendation, and must provide a written justification if rejecting it.
An independent hearing officer will be appointed from a predefined list maintained by the State Personnel Department; the officer must be independent of the employee's division.
The burden of proof lies with the appointing authority to prove the charges behind the suspension.
Departments with existing suspension hearing processes may continue them, provided due-process safeguards are observed.
The act does not apply to departments already using pre-disciplinary hearing procedures that involve an independent hearing officer who makes a disciplinary recommendation.
The act becomes effective immediately after approval by the Governor.

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