SB34 Alabama 2024 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Rodger SmithermanSenator
Democrat
Session: Regular Session 2024
Title: Crimes and offenses; additional activity added to making a terrorist threat in the first degree
Summary: SB34 expands the first-degree terrorist threat crime to include threats against judges or their staff, making such threats a Class C felony with an effective date of October 1, 2024.
What This Bill Does
It adds judges and their staff to the victims protected under the first-degree terrorist threat. If a credible threat to commit violence or property damage leads to certain outcomes—evacuation of property, disruption of a school, church, or government activity, retaliation against someone involved in a judicial or administrative proceeding, or threats against an elected official or their staff—the threat can be charged as a Class C felony. The bill also notes that it creates a new crime and is exempt from the local-funding expenditure requirements of the constitution, so it can take effect without a local-approval vote, with an effective date of October 1, 2024.

Who It Affects
Judges and court staff, who are now explicitly protected targets of the first-degree terrorist threat and could face charges if threatened credibly.
Elected public officials and their staff, who are explicitly included as potential targets under the new provisions and could be charged if threatened credibly.

Key Provisions
Adds threats against a judge or his or her staff to the definition of making a terrorist threat in the first degree.
Keeps the offense as a Class C felony.
Outlines four triggering outcomes for charged threats: (1) evacuation of real property; (2) disruption of a school, church, or government activity; (3) retaliation against a victim involved in judicial/administrative proceedings or who provided information to officials; (4) threats against an elected public official or their staff.
States the bill is exempt from Section 111.05 local-funding requirements because it creates a new crime or amends an existing crime, and it becomes effective October 1, 2024.

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