HB83 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris PringleRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to the Department of Transportation; to establish the State Transportation Commission; to provide for the members, duties, responsibilities, and compensation and expenses of the commission; to prohibit a person serving on the State Transportation Commission from benefiting by entering employment with or contracting with companies that do business with the Department of Transportation while he or she serves on the commission or for a period of two years thereafter; to provide for the appointment and duties of the Director of the Department of Transportation; and for this purpose to amend Sections 23-1-21 and 23-1-21.2, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the appointment and authority of the Director of the Department of Transportation.

Summary

HB83 would create a five-member State Transportation Commission to oversee the Alabama Department of Transportation, appoint the DOT Director, impose ethics rules and regional structure, and remove the department from the Budget Management Act.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a Governor-appointed five-member Commission from five DOT regions to guide and coordinate the department's work and to appoint the Director of Transportation. The Commission retains authority over the director, sets duties, and the director must be bonded, meet specified qualifications, and serve full-time; vacancies trigger acting leadership and a 90-day deadline to name a replacement. The bill imposes conflict-of-interest rules for commissioners, creates regional terms and diversity requirements, and requires ongoing reporting to the Legislature. It also moves major control away from the Budget Management Act, giving the Commission and Director new authority over budgeting, planning, and federal/state transportation programs, while prohibiting certain post-service employment with DOT contractors. Additionally, it defines five regional divisions for the DOT and outlines the director’s delegated powers to enter agreements, administer funds, coordinate with local entities, and provide annual and special reports.

Who It Affects

• State Transportation Commission members, the Director of Transportation, and DOT staff, who gain a new governance structure, appointment process, compensation rules, bonding requirement, and ethics/diversity obligations.
• Private companies and local planning/transportation entities that work with or contract with the DOT, who face new conflict-of-interest restrictions for commissioners and a two-year post-service prohibition on contracting with the DOT if a former commissioner or associated individual is employed by or contracts with such a company.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the State Transportation Commission of five Governor-appointed members, one from each DOT region, with initial terms of two, four, and six years and six-year terms thereafter; commissioners cannot serve consecutive terms and must reflect statewide diversity.
• The Commission appoints the Director of Transportation, who must meet specified qualifications, be bonded, and serve full-time; the Commission retains authority over the director unless it delegates duties, and vacancies must be filled within 90 days with a chief engineer serving as acting director in the interim.
• The Department of Transportation would not be subject to the Budget Management Act; the Governor and Finance Director cannot withhold or redirect funds contrary to the Commission’s five-year plan or annual revenue and expenditure plan.
• Imposes conflict-of-interest rules: no commissioner may enter employment or contract with any entity that does business with the DOT during service or for two years after; any entity that employed such a person is barred from contracting with the DOT for two years after the term.
• Defines five DOT regions and the counties within each region to guide regional appointments and planning structures.
• Authorizes the Director to enter into federal and local agreements for public transportation, administer federal funds, coordinate planning with local entities, provide technical assistance, and administer state funds dedicated to public transportation, all subject to commission approval and federal law requirements.
• Requires the Director to prepare annual and special reports detailing department operations, expenditures, construction status, and transportation program updates for the Legislature and the Governor.

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

Subjects

State Transportation Commission, establish to operate the Department of Transportation