HB290 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arnold MooneyRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Crimes and offenses; critical infrastructure facilities, further provided; crimes of unauthorized entry of a critical infrastructure facility and criminal tampering, further provided

Summary

HB290 broadens protection for critical infrastructure by adding communications service facilities to the protected list and strengthening entry and tampering penalties.

What This Bill Does

The bill expands the definition of critical infrastructure facility to include communications service infrastructure or facilities and adds unmanned aircraft systems and fraudulent documents for identification to that definition. It tightens criminal penalties for unauthorized entry of a critical infrastructure facility, including a higher potential penalty if the entry harms or disrupts operations, and adds a specific felony if an unmanned aircraft carrying a weapon is involved. It creates first-degree criminal tampering with utilities (Class C felony) for causing substantial disruption or threatening to obstruct operations, and second-degree criminal tampering (Class B misdemeanor) for tampering with utility property or causing substantial inconvenience. The changes take effect on October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Individuals who might attempt to enter or tamper with critical infrastructure facilities; they would face stiffer penalties, including Class C felonies in certain circumstances and enhanced penalties for using unmanned aircraft systems with weapons.
• Utility companies, facility operators, and their employees; they gain expanded protection for facilities (including communications infrastructure) and clearer laws and penalties governing unauthorized entry and tampering to safeguard public services.

Key Provisions

• Defines CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE and CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY to include communications service infrastructure or facilities, and lists numerous facility types (e.g., pipelines, refineries, power facilities, water systems, LNG/NGL facilities, mining, ports, gas processing, steelmaking, dams, oil storage, etc.).
• Adds FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES and UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM to the definitions related to critical infrastructure facilities.
• Unauthorized entry of a critical infrastructure facility is a Class A misdemeanor, with a Class C felony if injuries, destruction, or interference with operations occur; entry with an unmanned aircraft system carrying a weapon or ammunition is a Class C felony.
• Criminal tampering in the first degree (Class C felony) applies if causing substantial interruption/impairment of utility service or threatening with a deadly weapon to obstruct utility operations (within the employee’s scope).
• Criminal tampering in the second degree (Class B misdemeanor) applies for tampering with another’s property to cause substantial inconvenience or tampering with utility property.
• Effective date of October 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

Crimes & Offenses