HB227 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Matt SimpsonRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Ethics; laws pertaining to public officials and public employees revised

Summary

HB227 overhauls Alabama's ethics landscape by replacing the existing ethics code with a new Alabama Ethics Act, tightening conflicts of interest and gifts rules, expanding lobbying and disclosure requirements, and boosting oversight and enforcement.

What This Bill Does

It repeals the old ethics framework and creates Chapter 25B (the Alabama Ethics Act), establishing a new State Ethics Commission, a five-year director term, and new enforcement mechanisms including private warnings, public reprimands, civil penalties, and restitution. It adds crimes for bribery and using public office for pecuniary gain, moves related penalties into the criminal code, and expands advisory opinions (formal and informal) with publishing requirements. It tightens conflict-of-interest rules, prohibits gifts from prohibited sources, strengthens revolving-door restrictions, expands lobbyist registration and reporting, and requires comprehensive disclosures through statements of economic interests; it also sets up a robust, searchable public database and training programs, with an effective start date of June 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Public officials and public employees in Alabama (including legislators, local officials, and state officials) who would face new conflict-of-interest rules, enhanced reporting requirements, revolving-door restrictions, and potential penalties for violations.
• Lobbyists, principals, prohibited sources, and government bodies who must register, file reports, receive opinions, undergo training, and be subject to stricter enforcement and public disclosure.

Key Provisions

• Repeals Chapter 25 and adds Chapter 25B to Title 36, creating the Alabama Ethics Act with new definitions, duties, and enforcement provisions.
• Adds the crimes of bribery and using public office for pecuniary benefit in the ethics framework, and repeals certain prior crimes while moving applicable penalties into the criminal code.
• Creates a State Ethics Commission of five members with rotating appointments, Senate confirmation, diverse representation, a full-time director (five-year term), and new removal mechanisms.
• Expands penalties to include private warnings, public reprimands, civil penalties, and restitution for ethics and campaign-activity violations; criminal penalties are handled under the criminal code.
• Authorizes both formal and informal advisory opinions, with publishing requirements for core principles and, for formal opinions, a process including public comment and final adoption by the Commission.
• Imposes comprehensive conflict-of-interest rules, including restrictions on legislators sponsoring or voting on conflicted legislation and bans on gifts from prohibited sources with defined value thresholds (generally $100; other thresholds defined for different penalties).
• Strengthens revolving-door provisions limiting public-to-public transfers, post-employment lobbying, and certain contracting-relation activities for two years after leaving a public role.
• Establishes a detailed lobbyist registration and reporting system (annual $200 fee; registration deadlines; required disclosures; supplemental registrations; termination notices) and requires training for lobbyists and public servants.
• Requires expanded and redacted statements of economic interests for many public servants, with publication on a public website and penalties for noncompliance.
• Creates a public, searchable database and regular reporting by the Commission; requires audits and cooperation with other state agencies; strengthens whistleblower protections and handling of complaints.
• Imposes procurement-related reforms at the county level (including prohibitions on certain relationships between county commissioners and associated entities and mandatory competitive bidding for contracts).
• Effective date set for June 1, 2025, with transitional rules and conformity provisions for existing laws and codes.

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

Subjects

Government Administration