HB402 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Curtis L. TravisRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Legislative Services Agency; complete a Rural Impact Report on legislation if requested

Summary

HB402 would require the Legislative Services Agency to prepare a Rural Impact Report for any bill upon request, detailing effects on rural communities, farmers, and rural schools, with district-level data and rural–urban comparisons.

What This Bill Does

It creates a formal process for any legislator to request a Rural Impact Report on a pending bill. The report analyzes direct and indirect effects on rural communities, including economic, social, and regulatory impacts, and specifically looks at farmers and agricultural businesses and rural school districts. It includes district-by-district breakdowns and a comparative analysis with suburban and urban areas, drawing on data from experts and rural stakeholders. Reports are due within 30 days of a valid request (with time extensions possible if data are limited) and must be publicly available on the Legislature's website and shared with the requesting legislator, relevant committees, and rural stakeholder groups when requested.

Who It Affects

• Legislators (any member who can submit a formal request) who will receive a Rural Impact Report to inform decision-making on proposed legislation.
• Rural communities, including farmers, agricultural businesses, and rural school districts, who will be analyzed for potential impacts and represented in district-level data and rural–urban comparisons.

Key Provisions

• Establishes a formal process requiring the Legislative Services Agency to complete a Rural Impact Report on a bill if a legislator requests it.
• Reports must assess: (a) direct and indirect effects on rural communities; (b) consequences for farmers and agricultural businesses; (c) district-by-district and community breakdown; (d) comparative analysis of rural versus suburban and urban impacts; (e) impact on rural school districts (funding, enrollment, resources, teacher recruitment/retention, closures/consolidations); (f) identification of benefits, costs, and unintended consequences; (g) include data from relevant agencies, experts, education officials, and rural stakeholders.
• Requests are submitted to the Legislative Services Agency, which conducts the assessment.
• Completion goal is 30 days from a valid request, with written notification of estimated completion dates if more time is needed due to data limitations.
• Completed Rural Impact Reports must be publicly available on the Legislature's website and copies provided to the requesting legislator, relevant committees, and rural stakeholder organizations upon request.
• Effective date of the act is 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

Legislature