SB 270

This bill would propose a local constitutional amendment relating to Etowah County to provide that all allowances or amounts received by the Sheriff of Etowah County for feeding prisoners would be deposited in a special account and used for feeding prisoners in the county jail

Any excess in the account would be authorized to be used by the sheriff for law enforcement purposes, for school resource officers, and for the operation of the office of the sheriff

To propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, relating to Etowah County, to provide that all allowances received by the sheriff for feeding prisoners would be deposited in a special account and used for feeding of prisoners in the county jail; and to provide that any excess in the account would be authorized to be used for law enforcement purposes, for school resource officers, and for the operation of the office of the sheriff.

Section 1

The following amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, is proposed and shall become valid as a part of the Constitution when all requirements of this act are fulfilled: PROPOSED AMENDMENT Effective beginning the first day of the next month after the ratification of this amendment, any allowances or other amounts received by the Sheriff of Etowah County for feeding prisoners shall be deposited in a separate account in the county treasury to be known as the "Sheriff's Discretionary Fund." The Sheriff's Discretionary Fund shall be used by the sheriff for the feeding of prisoners in the county jail and as provided herein. Any funds in the Sheriff's Discretionary Fund over the amounts needed for the purposes provided above may be used by the sheriff for law enforcement purposes, for school resource officers, and for the operation of the office of the sheriff. Any funds in the Sheriff's Discretionary Fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried over from year to year. In the event additional amounts are needed by the sheriff for the feeding of prisoners, the amounts shall be paid by the sheriff from any other funds appropriated or otherwise available for the operation of the office of the sheriff the expenditure of which is not otherwise restricted by law. The sheriff shall not be subject to the competitive bid law for the purchase of food or supplies used for feeding prisoners in the county jail.

Section 2

An election upon the proposed amendment shall be held at the primary election in 2020 in accordance with Section 284 and Section 284.01 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 284 and Section 284.01 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, and the election laws of this state.

Section 3

The appropriate election official shall assign a ballot number for the proposed constitutional amendment on the election ballot and shall set forth the following description of the substance or subject matter of the proposed constitutional amendment:

Relating to Etowah County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that all allowances or amounts received by the sheriff for feeding prisoners would be deposited in a special account and used for feeding prisoners in the county jail; and to provide that any excess in the fund would be authorized to be used for law enforcement purposes by the sheriff, for school resource officers, and for the operation of the office of the sheriff.

Proposed by Act _________" This description shall be followed by the following language:

Yes ( ) No ( )."