SB388 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Phillip W. Williams

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Bail bonds, Alabama Bail Bond Regulatory Act, regulation of further provided for, Professional Bail Bonding Board created, licensure of bondsmen and recovery agents, continuing education,

Summary

The bill creates a state regulatory system for bail bonds, establishing a board to license and oversee bondsmen and recovery agents, with education requirements, penalties, and funding through fees.

What This Bill Does

It creates the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board to license and regulate professional bondsmen and recovery agents. It sets licensure rules, examinations, continuing education, and enforcement powers (including suspensions, revocations, and civil penalties) and requires licensees to display licenses and carry identification cards. It imposes a 12-hour initial training and exam for new entrants (starting June 1, 2020) and eight hours of annual continuing education, with specific fees and exemptions; it funds the board through a dedicated fund and permits rules and ethics standards. It also notes local-funding considerations under Amendment 621, indicating the bill falls under exceptions that affect local expenditure requirements.

Who It Affects

• Professional bondsmen and recovery agents: must register with the new Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board, obtain licensure, pass exams, complete ongoing education, display licenses, and may face penalties for violations or false statements.
• Bail bond companies and professional surety entities: their employees must be licensed or registered under the act, and the industry will be regulated by the new board with fees funding its operations.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board to license and regulate professional bondsmen, professional surety bondsmen, and recovery agents, with defined duties and rulemaking authority.
• Defines key terms (professional bondsman, professional surety bondsman, recovery agent) and requires licensure, examination, and continuing education; prohibits misrepresentation and requires license display and record retention.
• Creates the Alabama Bail Bond Board Fund to receive all fees and penalties and to fund board operations, compensation, and expenses.
• Specifies board composition (seven professional bondsmen from districts, a judge, and a clerk) with terms, diversity requirements, appointment processes, and ability to adopt ethics guidelines and standards.
• Authorizes suspensions, revocations, and renewals of licenses; establishes criminal penalties for false statements to the board and provides for civil penalties for violations.
• Outlines licensing qualifications (age 21+, no felony, no moral turpitude, no incompetency) and background information requirements; requires a physical records address.
• Details training and examination requirements for new entrants (12-hour course, initial exam, and credits for prior practitioners) and eight hours of yearly continuing education with cost limits and provider requirements.
• Sets license and identification card requirements, including license validity through October 31 and mandatory display of license and carrying of a state-issued ID card while practicing.
• Addresses effective date (effective on the first day of the third month after passage) and inclusion under the Alabama Sunset Law, with a termination date every four years unless renewed, and describes local funding implications under Amendment 621 with specified exceptions.

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

Subjects

Bail Bonds