HB492 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jim HillRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to judges and justices; to prohibit government agencies, individuals, businesses, and associations from publicly posting or displaying judge's or justice's personal information on the Internet, provided they have received a written request from the judge or justice to refrain from doing so; to prohibit commercial data collectors from knowingly selling, trading, licensing, transferring, or purchasing judges' personal information; to provide for a process for a judge or justice to request their personal information not be made public; to provide for penalties for violations; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Section 111.05 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022.

Summary

HB492 creates the Judicial Privacy Act to shield judges and their immediate families from public online exposure of personal information and to curb data brokers, with enforcement mechanisms and penalties.

What This Bill Does

It prohibits government agencies, individuals, businesses, and associations from publicly posting or displaying a judge's or justice's personal information online after a written privacy request. Agencies must remove the information within 10 business days, keep it confidential, and can face court action if they fail to comply. Data brokers are barred from knowingly selling or transferring judges' personal information, with court remedies and costs for violations. Judges can use a formal process via the Administrative Office of Courts to request privacy, and there are exceptions for news reports and voluntary disclosures.

Who It Affects

• Judicial officers and their immediate family members — their personal information would be protected from online posting and would require removal upon written request.
• Government agencies, data brokers, and other entities that post or handle judges' personal information — would be restricted from posting after a request, must remove information, and could face penalties for violations.

Key Provisions

• Defines terms such as Judicial Officer, Immediate Family, Personal Information, Government Agency, and Data Broker.
• Prohibits public posting of judges' personal information online by government agencies, individuals, businesses, and associations after a written privacy request; requires removal within 10 business days; keeps information confidential and not a public record; authorizes injunctive relief for noncompliance.
• Creates a process for judges to submit written privacy requests via a form maintained by the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts; requires the AOC to provide quarterly lists of requesting judges to agencies; receipt of those lists counts as a written request to agencies.
• Prohibits data brokers from knowingly selling, licensing, trading, or purchasing judges' personal information; authorizes injunctive or declaratory relief and court-ordered costs and attorney's fees for violations.
• Establishes penalties, including Class C felony for knowing violations that cause imminent threat resulting in bodily injury or death; allows good-faith publication by government employees in the ordinary course of public functions (Section 8).
• Includes exceptions for news reporting, voluntary postings, or information received from government sources; and provides specific rules for the validity and duration of written requests.
• Effective date: first day of the third month after passage; notes that the act is exempt from certain local-funds requirements because it defines a new crime or amends an existing one.

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