HB411 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Artis McCampbellRepresentative

Democrat

Co-Sponsor

Neil Rafferty

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Law enforcement, procedures to create a database to maintain law enforcement information providing civil protections, providing for background checks and pre-employment checks

Summary

HB411 creates a centralized, confidential Law Enforcement Officer Employment Database in Alabama, establishes pre-employment background checks, and requires information sharing among agencies to track disciplinary actions and use-of-force histories.

What This Bill Does

It requires the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission to develop and maintain a centralized electronic database containing hires, separations, disciplinary actions, use-of-force complaints, reassignment for cause, and continuing education status. Agencies must report relevant actions and outcomes to the database within set timeframes and may use the database to evaluate candidates. The data is confidential and not subject to public records requests, with penalties for unauthorized disclosure, while the commission can audit agencies for compliance and impose civil penalties; funding considerations and the effective date are also addressed. Pre-employment checks require fingerprint-based state and national background checks, review of prior employment and disciplinary history, addresses, social media, references, and other information, with officers signing a consent form.

Who It Affects

• Law enforcement agencies (state departments, sheriffs, municipal police, and other public entities) must report disciplinary actions, use-of-force outcomes, separations, and reassignments to the database, access the data for candidate evaluation, and maintain compliance with reporting requirements.
• Law enforcement officers and job applicants are subject to comprehensive pre-employment background checks and continued monitoring through the database, with information about their past actions stored confidentially; former employers may disclose employment history to new agencies when requested.

Key Provisions

• Establishes a centralized electronic Law Enforcement Officer Employment Database to house data on hires, separations, disciplinary actions, use-of-force complaints, reassignment for cause, and continuing education compliance.
• Requires reporting by agencies of disciplinary actions, use-of-force outcomes, separations, and reassignments within specified deadlines, using a uniform reporting form and allowing attachment of supporting documents.
• Maintains confidentiality of database information, prohibits public disclosure, and imposes a Class A misdemeanor for unauthorized disclosures; provides immunity for good-faith disclosures.
• Implements pre-employment checks including fingerprint-based state and national background checks, review of prior employment history, addresses, reportable offenses, social media, references, and credit history, with candidate consent required.
• Authorizes agency access to the database for employment decisions; allows former employers to disclose complete employment histories if not in the database; requires ongoing audit by the commission and potential civil penalties for noncompliance, with funds deposited to the Peace Officers' Standards and Training Fund.
• Clarifies funding implications for local entities and sets the effective date as the first day of the third month after governor approval.

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

Subjects

Law EnforcementLaw Enforcement Officers