SB291 Alabama 2024 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: J.T. WaggonerSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2024
Title: Municipal officials, requires officials to participate in training
Summary: SB291 requires mayors and municipal governing body members to complete mandatory training and ongoing education, with training expenses paid by the municipality, starting in 2025.
What This Bill Does
It creates a mandatory training course for mayors and governing body members (minimum 10 hours) covering topics like powers, duties, ethics, budgeting, Open Meetings Act, and more. Those who have completed the Certified Municipal Official Program are exempt from the initial training. Starting January 1, 2025, individuals who have already completed the initial training must complete at least 5 hours of continuing education each year on topics from the training list. Training content is developed with guidance from the Alabama Ethics Commission, the Attorney General's Office, and the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, and the municipality pays all related training costs from its general fund; the act applies to all municipalities incorporated under Title 11 of the Code of Alabama 1975.

Who It Affects
Mayors and members of municipal governing bodies (elected or appointed) who must enroll in and complete the new mandatory training beginning with their first term after January 1, 2025, and must participate in ongoing continuing education if applicable.
Municipalities incorporated under Title 11 (local governments) that must fund and arrange the training and cover related expenses from their general fund.

Key Provisions
Section 1(a): Beginning January 1, 2025, each individual elected to serve as mayor or as a member of the municipal governing body must enroll in, participate in, and satisfactorily complete a training course during their first term after 1/1/2025.
Section 1(b): The training course must be at least 10 hours and cover topics including general powers of municipalities, duties of mayors and governing bodies, ethics, annexations, authority to expend municipal funds, parliamentary procedure, conflicts of interest, legislative advocacy, liability, public records, Open Meetings Act, budgeting, audit requirements, revenue sources, bidding laws, zoning, and other subjects recommended by the Alabama League of Municipalities.
Section 1(c): Individuals who have completed the Certified Municipal Official Program are exempt from the Section 1(a) training requirement.
Section 2: Beginning January 1, 2025, individuals who have already completed the training required by Section 1 must enroll in and satisfactorily complete at least five hours of continuing education annually on subjects listed in Section 1.
Section 3: The training must be developed in consultation with the Alabama Ethics Commission, the Attorney General's Office, and the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.
Section 4(a): All expenses related to the training (cost of training, lodging, travel, meals) shall be paid from the municipality's general fund.
Section 4(b): The act applies to all municipalities incorporated under Title 11 of the Code of Alabama 1975.
Section 5: The act becomes effective on January 1, 2025.

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