SB337 Alabama 2021 Session
In Committee
Bill Summary
Sponsors
Session
Regular Session 2021
Title
Bail bonds, cash bail only requirement removed, under certain conditions, arrest and delivery of a defendant further provided, time frames for providing notice and conducting hearings increased in conditional forfeiture proceedings, Bail Bond Reform Act of 1993, Secs. 15-13-103, 15-13-111, 15-13-114, 15-13-118, 15-13-125, 15-13-128, 15-13-131, 15-13-132, 15-13-136, 15-13-137, 15-13-138, 15-13-142, 15-13-145, 15-13-160, 15-13-164 am'd.
Description
<p class="bill_description"> Under existing law, the Bail Bond Reform Act
of 1993, defines and provides for the use of bail
bonds and the duties and responsibilities of
professional bail and professional surety
companies</p><p class="bill_description">
This bill would remove the requirement of
cash bail only for an initial custody arrest under
certain circumstances and would provide further for
the definitions of cash bail and property bail</p><p class="bill_description">
This bill would provide further for the
arrest and delivery of a defendant to jail by a
surety with no court costs to be entered on the
surety, would provide that a surety not be charged
for a bondsman's process or for a certified copy of
a bond, and would require the license number of the
bondsman or recovery to be listed on a bondsman's
process form</p><p class="bill_description">
This bill would increase the time frames for
notice and conducting hearings in conditional
forfeiture proceedings</p><p class="bill_description">
This bill would remove the requirement that
a conditional judgment to set aside shall be made
absolute for the entire sum and would provide
further for instances when a court may set aside
forfeiture, may not release a defendant on judicial
public bail, and eligibility for judicial public
bail</p><p class="bill_description">
This bill would provide further for the
amount of new corporate surety bonds and escrow
agreements required in counties with a populations
of 200,000 or more</p><p class="bill_description">
This bill would provide further for criminal
penalties for certain unlawful behavior</p><p class="bill_description">
This bill would also make nonsubstantive,
technical revisions to update the existing code
language to current style</p><p class="bill_description">
Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama
of 1901, as amended by Amendment 890, now appearing
as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of
the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, prohibits a
general law whose purpose or effect would be to
require a new or increased expenditure of local
funds from becoming effective with regard to a
local governmental entity without enactment by a
2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of
specified exceptions; it is approved by the
affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates
funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to
the entity for the purpose</p><p class="bill_description">
The purpose or effect of this bill would be
to require a new or increased expenditure of local
funds within the meaning of the amendment. However,
the bill does not require approval of a local
governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to
become effective because it comes within one of the
specified exceptions contained in the amendment</p><p class="bill_entitled_an_act"> Relating to the Bail Bond Reform Act of 1993; to
amend Sections 15-13-103, 15-13-111, 15-13-114, 15-13-118,
15-13-125, 15-13-128, 15-13-131, 15-13-132, 15-13-136,
15-13-137, 15-13-138, 15-13-142, 15-13-145, 15-13-160, and
15-13-164, Code of Alabama 1975, to remove the requirement of
cash bail only for certain initial custody arrests; to further
define cash bail and property bail; to provide further for the
arrest and delivery of a defendant to jail by a surety with no
court costs to be entered on the surety; to provide that a
surety not be charged for a bondsman's process or for a
certified copy of a bond; to require the license number of the
bondsman or recovery on a bondsman's process form; to increase
the time frames for providing notice and conducting hearings
in conditional forfeiture proceedings; to remove the
requirement that a conditional judgment to set aside be made
absolute for the entire sum; to provide further for instances
when a court may set aside forfeiture and may not release a
defendant on judicial public bail; to provide further for
eligibility for judicial public bail; to provide further for
the amount of new corporate surety bonds and escrow agreements
required in counties with populations of 200,000 or more; to
provide further for criminal penalties for certain unlawful
behavior; to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to
update the existing code language to current stye; and in
connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the
requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds
within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of
Alabama of 1901, as amended by Amendment 890, now appearing as
Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the
Constitution of Alabama of 1901.
</p>
Subjects
Bail Bonds
Bill Actions
| Action Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2021 | S | Indefinitely Postponed |
| April 1, 2021 | S | Read for the second time and placed on the calendar |
| March 16, 2021 | S | Read for the first time and referred to the Senate committee on Judiciary |
Bill Calendar
| Type | Date | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hearing | March 31, 2021 | ROOM 325 at 08:30 | Senate JUDY Hearing |
Bill Text
Bill Documents
| Type | Link |
|---|---|
| Bill Text | SB337 Alabama 2021 Session - Introduced |
| Fiscal Note | Fiscal Note - SB337 for Judiciary |