HB5 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Juandalynn GivanRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Law enforcement, use of physical force under certain conditions, prohobit use of deadly force in certain circumstances, recordings, procedure to determine to whom and what portion of a recording to disclose or release established

Summary

HB5, or the George Floyd Memorial Act, would regulate police use of force, ban chokeholds, and create a public, auditable system for recording and disclosing law enforcement footage.

What This Bill Does

It limits police use of force to nonviolent means when possible and allows deadly force only under narrowly defined circumstances; chokeholds would be prohibited. It requires the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission to adopt a model use-of-force policy, provide training (de-escalation, implicit bias, crisis intervention techniques, and adolescent development), and run a publicly accessible use-of-force complaint system with detailed reporting. It also creates a framework for how recordings from body-worn and dashboard cameras can be disclosed, including who may view or obtain recordings and how requests are processed, with potential in-camera review and court orders for release. Additionally, the act requires annual audits of the reporting system, retention of recordings according to state schedules, and agencies to adopt camera-use policies.

Who It Affects

• Law enforcement agencies and officers: must adopt use-of-force policies, receive enhanced training, and participate in a public-use-of-force reporting and recording-disclosure framework.
• Civilians and media: gain new rights to access and request disclosures of recorded interactions, subject to specified protections and procedures.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits chokeholds by law enforcement officers.
• Requires nonviolent means to be attempted before using physical force; deadly force allowed only when necessary to arrest, prevent an escape, or protect life under defined conditions.
• Requires POST Commission to publish a model use-of-force policy and provide training on de-escalation, implicit bias, crisis intervention, and adolescent development.
• Establishes a public, auditable use-of-force complaint system with publicly searchable data and includes detailed incident information (demographics, location, weapons, injuries, number of officers/civilians, and context).
• Mandates an annual audit by the Attorney General of the use-of-force reporting system and comparison against public sources to identify and fix missing data.
• Creates a detailed framework for recording disclosure, including definitions of recordings, custodial agencies, and who may receive disclosures; allows in-camera review and court-ordered release.
• Allows discLOSURE to individuals, guardians, or representatives with limited portions released relevant to the request; provides processes to contest refusals and to obtain court orders for release.
• Allows media outlets to file written requests for recordings; agencies must decide to disclose or deny and may consider factors like confidentiality, safety, and fairness.
• Requires retention of recordings per state retention schedules and mandates agency policies for body-worn and dashboard cameras.
• Provides civil liability protections for good-faith compliance with the act and sets an effective date after the Governor signs the bill.

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 Enforcement