SB45 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Will BarfootSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to boards of registrars; to amend Sections 17-3-2 and 17-3-5, Code of Alabama 1975, to increase the salary of each board of registrar; to provide that a county may allow any member of the county board of registrars to participate in any health insurance program provided by the county; to further provide for the employment status of members of the boards of registrars and for regular hours of operation for the boards of registrars; and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style.

Summary

SB45 would raise registrar pay, expand health-insurance participation, set regular operating hours, and update employment-related provisions for Alabama’s boards of registrars.

What This Bill Does

It increases the daily pay for each registrar from $80 to $100 for days of board service, with funding handled by the state and disbursed through counties. It allows counties to let the chair or eligible long-serving members participate in county health insurance on the same terms as other county employees (not applicable to state-administered plans). It requires the boards to be open during courthouse hours or established regular hours with a registrar present. It updates employment status and Social Security protections for registrars and directs coordination to implement these changes, including local-law options for two-courthouse counties and routine language updates.

Who It Affects

• Board of registrars members in Alabama: see salary increase, potential health-insurance participation (for chair or long-serving members), defined working hours, and updated employment/benefits provisions.
• Counties and state government: responsible for funding registrar salaries and travel expenses, handling reimbursements, aligning Social Security protections and benefits, and adjusting local laws for counties with two courthouses.

Key Provisions

• Salary increase: registrar daily pay rises from $80 to $100 for days attending board business, with payments funded by the state and disbursed through county commissions to registrars.
• Health insurance: allows the chair or any registrar who has served at least 16 years to participate in county health insurance on the same terms as other county employees (not for state-administered plans).
• Employment status and Social Security: designates registrars as state employees for certain purposes (Social Security protections and benefits) and requires coordination by state and county offices to implement these protections, including possible changes to federal-state agreements.
• Hours of operation: boards must be open on working days for the same hours as the county courthouse or established regular hours, and a registrar must be present during those hours.
• Local options and exemptions: counties with two courthouses may have local law allowing additional board members; counties with populations of 600,000 or more are exempt from certain provisions, with existing local laws remaining in force.
• Travel and expenses: mileage allowances and travel expenses are covered by the county, with the state reimbursing the county, subject to limits and population exemptions.
• Nonsubstantive revisions: updates to existing code language to current style.

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