HJR81 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mike ShawRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

HJR to form Alabama-Japan Legislative Exchange Group

Summary

HJR81 creates the Alabama-Japan Legislative Exchange Group to build friendship and cooperation with Japan through exchanges and programs.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a group made up of Senate and House members, the sponsoring members, any member who wants to participate, and a liaison to the Governor to pursue initiatives with Japan. The group is encouraged to reflect Alabama’s diversity in race, gender, geography, urban/rural status, and economy. It sets rules for leadership, meetings (including electronic meetings), and reporting, and it allows nonprofits and the Japanese Consulate to participate or be informed. It requires annual progress reports and a final report by the end of the 2026 Regular Session, after which the group dissolves.

Who It Affects

• State legislators (Senate and House) and the Governor’s Office, who will form, lead, participate in, and receive reports from the group.
• Alabama organizations and Japanese partners (including nonprofits like the Japan-America Society of Alabama, Japanese companies in Alabama, and the Consul General of Japan in Atlanta) and Alabama residents who may benefit from exchanges, partnerships, and programs.

Key Provisions

• Creation of the Alabama-Japan Legislative Exchange Group to pursue friendship and cooperation with Japan through exchanges and programs.
• Membership structure: majority and minority members from both the Senate and House, sponsors of the joint resolution, any member who wishes to participate, and a Governor-appointed liaison.
• Diversity requirement: membership should reflect Alabama’s racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity.
• Initial meeting deadline: no later than December 1, 2024, with a chair and vice chair elected from different houses and a secretary and other officers as needed.
• Meetings: the chair convenes meetings as needed; meetings may be held electronically; a majority of members constitutes a quorum.
• Work scope: members can propose economic, educational, cultural, or governmental initiatives with Japan; nonprofits may be invited to share expertise; the Consul General of Japan and honorary consuls may be informed of the group’s work.
• Reporting: annual report on meeting frequency and minutes due to Senate President Pro Tempore and House Speaker by the tenth day of the Regular Session; a final report on findings and recommendations to the Governor by the end of the 2026 Regular Session.
• Dissolution: the group dissolves after submitting its final report.

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

Subjects

Economic Development