HB216 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Joe LovvornRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Emergency Management Agency, shelters, to adopt guidelines for identifying and designating safer place shelters throughout the state

Summary

HB216 would require the state Emergency Management Agency to develop guidelines for volunteer designation of safer place shelters during severe weather.

What This Bill Does

It requires the EMA, with partners, to develop uniform guidelines for identifying and designating safer place facilities by December 31, 2020. The guidelines would include how to notify the community, an application process for owners or controllers of structures, nondiscrimination rules, use conditions and withdrawal procedures, and limits on what services must be provided. It also states that no government entity will pay for designation or operation, and that users adopt the risks of using a designated safer place; volunteers are considered volunteers under state law during the designation.

Who It Affects

• Property owners or entities who own or control a structure and choose to designate it as a safer place facility; they would complete an application, meet stated criteria, and participate voluntarily with no required compensation.
• Local emergency management agencies and the state EMA, which would develop and implement the guidelines, manage the designation process, notify communities, and handle withdrawal procedures.

Key Provisions

• Uniform guidelines must be developed to identify and designate safer place facilities by Dec 31, 2020, in cooperation with specified associations.
• An application process is to be provided for owners/controllers to offer all or part of a structure as a safer place facility, including a good faith determination of meeting criteria and nondiscrimination.
• Guidelines must describe appropriate use, duration of availability, and withdrawal procedures for a designated facility.
• Facilities must be nondiscriminatory on race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, or religion.
• Designated facilities are not required to be open to the public at all times or to provide certain services (staff, food, water, medicine, etc.).
• There is a withdrawal procedure for a designation and other necessary guidelines.
• No government entity may provide compensation or financial support related to designation or operation.
• Users of a designated safer place do not gain invitee/licensee status and use the facility at their own risk.
• Volunteering a structure as a safer place makes the volunteer a volunteer under the Volunteer Service Act during the designation.
• The act becomes effective immediately after passage and approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Emergency Management Agency