SB149 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Prisoners, increases the money paid by the state to counties to feed prisoners and the money deposited into the Emergency Prisoner Feeding Fund

Summary

SB149 increases per-prisoner feeding payments to counties over several years, expands and strengthens how Prisoner Feeding Funds are managed and accessed, and increases emergency funding for feeding prisoners.

What This Bill Does

Raises the daily state payment for feeding prisoners in county jails from $2.25 to $2.50 starting Oct 1, 2024, then to $2.75 on Oct 1, 2025, and $3.00 on Oct 1, 2026. Requires state monies received for prisoner feeding in a sheriff’s office to be deposited into the Prisoner Feeding Fund, with records kept and regular audits; expenditures for feeding are exempt from the competitive bidding law. Allows sheriff or county commission to use funds from any available source to feed prisoners and to maintain separate Prisoner Feeding Funds for feeding costs. Establishes the Emergency Prisoner Feeding Fund with automatic annual appropriations (increasing to $750,000) and creates a process for counties to apply for emergency funds after a cost overrun fully depletes their local feeding fund, including oversight and documentation requirements. Increases the annual cap for the Emergency Prisoner Feeding Fund to allow counties to receive up to $50,000 per year, and sets limits on how much of a cost overrun the fund can cover (up to 80% of the overrun, up to the cap). Allows nonsubstantive updates to code language and sets the effective date of June 1, 2024.

Who It Affects

• Counties, sheriffs, and county commissions — they will receive higher per-prisoner feeding payments over time, manage and audit the Prisoner Feeding Fund, and access Emergency Prisoner Feeding Fund dollars under new rules.
• Prisoners in county jails and the operations that feed them — funding for meals becomes more robust and predictable, with expanded emergency support for unforeseen costs related to prisoner feeding.

Key Provisions

• §14-6-42: Daily rate increases to $2.50 (Oct 1, 2024), $2.75 (Oct 1, 2025), and $3.00 (Oct 1, 2026) per prisoner; state payments deposited into Prisoner Feeding Fund; feeding expenditures exempt from competitive bidding.
• §14-6-47: Prisoner Feeding Fund is created per sheriff; state monies for feeding deposited into the fund and kept separate; records audited; funds used only for feeding prisoners; mutual agreements allowed but not to override audit requirements.
• §14-6-51: Emergency Prisoner Feeding Fund established with automatic appropriation (increasing to $750,000 annually); transfers from General Fund by State Comptroller; fund capped at $1,000,000 total; applications available for unforeseeable cost overruns with sworn statements; Department of Finance oversight; no denial based on transfers from other local sources; county limit of up to $50,000 per year from the fund; up to 80% of cost overrun covered, within the annual cap.
• Effective date: June 1, 2024; includes nonsubstantive technical updates to current code language.

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

Subjects

Counties & Municipalities