HB481 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Corey Harbison

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to Cullman County; to amend Section 45-22-81.01 of the Code of Alabama 1975, providing for additional court costs in the state courts and the City of Cullman Municipal Court, to reallocate the use of the funds for the school resource officer program; and to provide retroactive effect.

Summary

HB481 creates new court costs in Cullman County to fund a D.A.R.E. and School Resource Officer program in Cullman City and County schools, with retroactive and immediate effect.

What This Bill Does

It adds specific additional court costs for various offenses in the Circuit Court of the 32nd Judicial Circuit, the Cullman District Court, and the City of Cullman Municipal Court, with amounts ranging from $5 to $100 depending on the offense. The collected money goes into a special D.A.R.E./SRO Fund to fund the D.A.R.E. program and School Resource Officer programs in Cullman City and County schools. A governing board made up of local government leaders, school superintendents, and a business representative will decide how to spend the funds, with disbursement set at $15 per enrolled student and used for SRO-related activities, equipment, training, salaries, and other approved items. The act is retroactive to May 19, 1993, applies to cases pending at that time, and becomes effective immediately after passage; unused funds stay in trust and roll over to the next year, with the disbursement schedule alternating between county and city governments every five years (county starting).

Who It Affects

• Individuals with criminal cases in Cullman County courts (Circuit Court, District Court, and City of Cullman Municipal Court) who would pay the new court costs in the specified categories.
• Students and schools in Cullman City and Cullman County, who will benefit from funding for the D.A.R.E. program and School Resource Officer (SRO) activities and related materials and training.

Key Provisions

• Imposes new court costs for various offenses in Cullman County courts, with specific amounts: traffic tickets $5; misdemeanor alcohol arrests $10; misdemeanor drug arrests $20; misdemeanor DUI arrests $25; other misdemeanor arrests $5; felony alcohol arrests $50; felony drug arrests (excluding trafficking) $50; felony DUI arrests $50; drug trafficking arrests $100; other felony arrests $10.
• Costs apply to all criminal cases in the Circuit Court (32nd Judicial Circuit), Cullman District Court, and the City of Cullman Municipal Court, and are in addition to existing costs.
• Funds collected go into a special D.A.R.E./SRO Fund to support the D.A.R.E. program and SRO programs in Cullman City and County schools.
• Disbursements are $15 per enrolled student, based on each participating school’s enrollment, and are used specifically for the SRO program and related activities and materials.
• A governing board, consisting of the Chair of the Cullman County Commission, the Mayor of the City of Cullman, the Sheriff, the City Chief of Police, the County and City school superintendents, and a business-sector member, oversees fund decisions and allocations.
• Board authority to approve expenditures for equipment, vehicles, salaries for SRO staff, training, and D.A.R.E. activities both inside and outside the classroom; funds not used are held in trust and carried over to the next year.
• Funds may reimburse law enforcement agencies for D.A.R.E. training expenses (initial training from a two-week seminar and yearly in-service training) and related conferences.
• Disbursement and administration alternate every five years between the Cullman County government and the Cullman City government, with the County initially administering the fund.
• Section 2 confirms that any pre-effective-date use of funds that complied with the act is ratified and confirmed.
• Section 3 states the act becomes effective immediately after passage, with retroactive application to cases pending on May 19, 1993.

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

Subjects

Cullman County, additional court costs