HB320 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Russell BedsoleRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to sheriffs; to amend Act 2022-133, 2022 Regular Session, now appearing as Section 41-23-9, Code of Alabama 1975, to change the name of the Local Government Pistol Permit Revenue Loss Fund; to increase the life span of the fund; to further provide for expenditures from the fund; to further provide for the deposit and allocation of grant reimbursement monies; and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update existing code language to current style.

Summary

HB320 renames and expands the sheriffs' education and training fund, increases annual funding, and sets grant rules with a sunset for the program.

What This Bill Does

It changes the fund's name to the Sheriffs' Advancement in Education, Technology, and Training Fund and increases automatic annual funding to $7,500,000 for five fiscal years starting Oct 1, 2023, while keeping a $2,000,000 minimum balance. It authorizes quarterly grants to counties for sheriff programs, but only if the sheriff reports as required and the sheriff’s office uses NICS background checks and training for staff issuing pistol permits. Grants are limited to the county’s pistol permit fee revenue from fiscal years 2022 and 2023 as reported, with any excess returned to the fund; funds must be used for purposes similar to pistol permit expenditures in the cited period. Counties must establish separate county funds and deposit grant monies within 30 days, and expenditures are restricted to the authorized purposes and at the sheriff’s discretion; the county commission does not bear responsibility for grant expenditures. The act includes a sunset, repealing the fund on Jan 1, 2027–2029, with any uncommitted money going to the State General Fund.

Who It Affects

• Sheriffs and their offices, who may receive grants and must meet NICS and training requirements to qualify
• County governments and county commissions, which manage the grant funds and deposits and oversee compliance
• Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), which administers the grant program
• Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, which reviews required reports and verifies compliance

Key Provisions

• Renames the Local Government Pistol Permit Revenue Loss Fund to the Sheriffs' Advancement in Education, Technology, and Training Fund and places it in the State Treasury
• Automatically appropriates $7,500,000 annually to the fund at the beginning of each fiscal year for five years starting Oct 1, 2023, with a $2,000,000 fund balance maintained
• Allows quarterly county grants funded by the new fund, limited to the county's pistol permit fee revenue from fiscal years 2022 and 2023 as reported to the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts; any excess must be remitted back to the fund
• Grants require sheriffs to certify in writing that permits were issued after a NICS background check and that staff involved in issuing permits were trained in the prior 12 months
• Grants are for the same purposes as pistol permit revenues were expended in the county between Jan 1, 2023 and Dec 31, 2022
• Counties must establish a separate fund in the county treasury, deposit grant monies within 30 days, and allocate them the same way pistol permit revenues are allocated by law; counties cannot retain funds beyond authorized amounts
• Examiners of Public Accounts must provide required reports to ADECA by Jan 15, 2023 and quarterly thereafter
• No funds may be expended unless appropriated by the Legislature and budgeted under the Budget Management Act, for purposes of Act 2022-133
• The act repeals on Jan 1, 2027–2029; any uncommitted funds go to the State General Fund

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