HB474 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tracy EstesRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to Lamar County; to authorize the county commission to set certain fees to be charged by the sheriff for personal service of documents in the civil division of the district and circuit court; to authorize the county commission to set the per day charge for feeding municipal inmates in the county jail; to authorize the county commission to set a fee for fingerprinting individuals by the sheriff's office for non-law enforcement purposes;

Summary

HB474 would allow Lamar County to set sheriff fees for civil process service, municipal inmate feeding, and non-law-enforcement fingerprinting, with revenue split between sheriff's programs and county funds.

What This Bill Does

The county commission would be able to set: (1) civil process service fees of $50 for in-county or other Alabama counties, and $75 for service from courts outside Alabama; (2) a per-day fee for feeding municipal inmates, starting at $5 per day with annual review and adjustments as needed; and (3) a fee for fingerprinting individuals for non-law-enforcement purposes. Proceeds from civil process fees would be split with 50% going to the Sheriff’s Office to cover costs and operations and the remainder to the Lamar County General Fund. Proceeds from feeding municipal inmates would go to the sheriff's municipal feeding account, and proceeds from fingerprinting would go to the Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Fund for law enforcement use. The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after governor approval.

Who It Affects

• Residents and courts in Lamar County (and counties serving Lamar County) who would pay new or adjusted civil process service fees.
• Municipalities with inmates in the Lamar County jail and individuals needing fingerprinting for non-law-enforcement purposes, whose payments would fund sheriff's office activities.

Key Provisions

• Section 2(a)(1): Civil process service fee of $50 for service within Lamar County or from other Alabama counties; Section 2(a)(2): $75 for service from a court outside Alabama.
• Section 2(b): Fees collected are forwarded to the Lamar County General Fund, with 50% distributed to the Sheriff’s Office to cover service costs and sheriff operations; remainder goes to General Fund.
• Section 3: The county may set the municipal inmate feeding fee at $5 per day, with annual reviews and adjustments; proceeds go to the sheriff’s municipal feeding account.
• Section 4: The county may set a fingerprinting fee for non-law-enforcement purposes; proceeds go to the Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Fund for enforcement-related use.
• Section 5: Effective date is 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.