HB147 Alabama 2023 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Jim HillRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2023
Title: Relating to St. Clair County; providing that the offices of judge of probate, revenue commissioner, and sheriff shall be reimbursed from the county general fund for monetary loss resulting from the performance of official duties for errors or mistakes made in good faith, not to exceed a certain maximum per annum; and providing for the voiding of licenses issued and other transactions based on worthless or forged checks.
Summary: HB147 would require St. Clair County to reimburse certain county officials for good-faith monetary losses and allow voiding licenses or reversing transactions when payments were made with worthless or forged checks.
What This Bill Does
The bill sets up reimbursement from the county general fund for monetary losses incurred by the judge of probate, revenue commissioner, and sheriff in the line of duty, up to $2,500 per officer per fiscal year (with the possibility of a higher amount set by the county commission) for losses not caused by personal knowledge. It requires these officers to exercise due care and promptly try to recover losses. It also establishes procedures to void licenses or reverse/cancel transactions if payments were made with worthless or forged checks, and outlines crediting of costs and record adjustments; deliberate misuse is not covered.

Who It Affects
Judge of probate, revenue commissioner, and sheriff in St. Clair County—eligible for reimbursements and responsible for staff diligence and handling voids/reversals
St. Clair County general fund and county government—facilitates reimbursement of losses up to the cap
Individuals or businesses holding licenses or engaging in transactions with these offices—potentially affected if payments involve worthless or forged checks and licenses/transactions are voided or reversed
State agencies and law enforcement—may be notified when a license is voided and records updated

Key Provisions
Section 1: Reimbursement from the county general fund for monetary losses up to $2,500 per fiscal year per officer arising from errors NOT due to personal knowledge, including losses from worthless or forged checks; county can set a higher amount in the future
Section 2: Officers must ensure staff exercise due care and make a good-faith effort to collect the loss promptly upon awareness
Section 3: Does not apply to deliberate misuse or misappropriation by the official or staff
Section 4: If a license or transaction paid with worthless/forged checks is noncollectible, authority to void the license or reverse/cancel the transaction; records may be marked and agencies notified; violations prosecuted under existing law
Section 5: Effective immediately after passage and 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.